The Spoonpluggers Forum

green book on page 116, the first full paragraph. The last sentence says "If you make a trolling pass, on any section, and your lure does not work directly on the bottom, you may waste a trolling pass." Just say you are in a lake that has alot of grass on the bottom, how do you fish this without constantly fouling your lure????? Thanks, Scott Woody

You fish as close to bottom as you can. We are constantly fighting muck, weeds, zebra muscles, snags, logs, boulders.
You will lose a few lures but by finding the exact line length you will just tick the high spots. Even first timers will eventually be able to tell you how many layers they need. My brother in law still knows on a day we had a big catch that it took 6 3/4 layers to just tick the weeds to get the fish.

To be clear, we are talking inches (sometimes less), not feet. Except for maybe smallmouth bass, the lure closet to the bottom will catch more fish than a person not being as careful. Which is also why when you have a good partner that is riding, they will catch more fish than the driver.

When your new this can be a challenge. For me, muck just kicks my butt.

GREAT RESPONSE FRAN, AS FOR MUCK, I HAVE HAD MORE THAN MY SHARE OF TROLLING THAT STUFF. THE KEY IS DEFINITELY TO KEEP THAT LURE RIGHT ABOVE THAT MUCK WITOUT TOUCHING IT. WHEN YOU START TROLLING MUCK, IT IS SO EASY TO ACTUALLY BARELY GET UNDER THE MUCK AND THE SPOONPLUG STILL RUN. AFTER YOU DO IT FOR A WHILE, YOU CAN START TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE IN VIBRATION.
TERESA HAMILL ONCE TOLD ME WHEN YOU ARE TROLLING THE MUCK AND START HITTING OR BUMPING THE FISH, YOU KNOW YOU ARE WHERE YOU NEED TO BE. I TOOK HER WORD FOR IT, BECAUSE SHE WAS ALWAYS SUCCESSFUL.
THE FIRST TIME I WENT WITH FRANK HAMILL TO FLORIDA, DURING THE MOVEMENTS, HE WAS HANGING ALL THOSE BIG BASS, THEN HANDING ME THE ROD AND LETTING ME REEL THEM IN. THE SECOND DAY I BEGAN TO QUESTION WHY HE WAS CATCHING ALL THE FISH, YET I WAS IN FRONT OF THE BOAT. HE JUST SMILED AND SAID, BECAUSE YOU ARE NO WHERE NEAR THE BOTTOM. WOW, I NOW KNOW HE WAS RIGHT. BUT TIME SPENT FISHING THESE SITUATIONS MAKES THINGS START TO TICK.
IF YOUR DOING SOMETHING THAT WORKS, I WANT TO KNOW WHAT IT IS. I THINK WHEN YOU ARE FISHING A SHORT LINE, YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE TO BE COMPLETELY PRECISE, BUT I STILL LIKE TO KEEP IT PRETTY CLOSE TO THE BOTTOM. I DO MEAN ON A MUCK BOTTOM.
WHAT A RUSH IT IS WHEN A BIG OLD FISH GRABS THAT SHORTLINE. TO HEAR THAT HIGH PITCHED SCREAM OF THAT LINE OUT ALARM CLICKER. YOU QUICKLY REALIZE THERE IS A MOVEMENT GOING. IT SEEMS LIKE IN FLORIDA MOST ALL BIG FISH COME ON THE SHORTLINE. I HAVE SEEN MANY PEOPLE GO TO FLORIDA AND NOT USE A SHORTLINE. WHAT A MISTAKE. I ADMIT WHEN THE HYDRILLA STARTED TAKING OVER KISSIMMEE IN THE EARLY 90S, IT MADE USING A SHORT LINE A REAL PAIN.
I LOVE YOUR PART IN YOUR ENTRY FRAN ABOUT TIPPING THE TOPS OF THE WEEDS. I DO THAT WITH THE MILLFOIL IN CHICAMAUGA. IT CAN SOMETIMES BE AGGRAVATING, BUT VERY AFFECTIVE.

SPNPLGRKENNY

spnplgrkenny wrote: IF YOUR DOING SOMETHING THAT WORKS, I WANT TO KNOW WHAT IT IS.
SPNPLGRKENNY

Now don't take this the wrong way Kenny, but as I recall your boat was doing things different at Lake Erie when we were there. When you were catching all those big fish and we weren't, I don't recall being told what you did...

FRAN, YOU DIDN'T ASK, PLUS I WASN'T THE GUIDE. LOL, LOVE YOU MAN!!! KENNY
P.S. THE GUIDE SWORE ME TO SECRECY. HE THREATENED TO , AS WE SAY DOWN HERE, PUT A WOOPIN!!! ON ME. I LOVE THAT GUIDE, WHAT A MAN!!!.

Haha

Kenny, tell the guys how long the "short line" really is!

Good fishing

Isn't something less than a layer?

I use a 700 in the boil and 13 feet or so back......ala Tom Coleman! Oh yeh......
It has to be a white with a red head too!......also ala Tom Coleman!
Kennys might be a tad longer!
He would be eating Oreo's while letting back...ala Jim Vaughn!

Thanks guys!!! I was thinking somewhere along those lines but just wanted to be sure. good fishin, Woody

AWESOME ENTRY STEVE, MR. COLEMAN IS EXACTLY RIGHT ABOUT THE BOILS OF THE MOTOR. I ALWAYS IN FLORIDA GENERALLY RUN FROM THE REAR OF THE BOAT 30 TO 40 FT. OF NO-BO 17 LB OR 20 LB TEST. IF THE PERSON UP FRONT RUNS THE SAME AMOUNT OF LINE, THIS SHOULD PUT HIM RIGHT BEHIND THE PROP. I KEEP THE DRAG LOOSE ENOUGH WHERE THE HIGH TROLLING SPEEDS DOESN'T STRIP OFF ANY DRAG. THE APPERANCE FROM THE SURFACE LOOKS LIKE BOTH SHORTLINE LURES ARE UNDER THE PROP. I GUESS IN REALITY, IT IS.
I ALSO LOVE FISHING IN THE LAKES AROUND HERE THAT HAVE GOOD WATER COLOR ON THE 12FT. BREAKLINES WITH A SHORTLINE. I KEEP IT SO IT BARELY TIPS THE BOTTOM, IF THE BOTTOM IS HARD AND FAIRLY CLEAN. THE SHORTLINE CAN BE VERY EXCITING.
MAKE SURE TO USE THAT LINE OUT ALARM IF YOUR REEL IS EQUIPPED WITH ONE.
AS FOR MR. VAUGHN STEVE, HE IS ONE OF THE FINEST MEN I HAVE EVER HAD THE PLEASURE OF MEETING. I CAN THANK DAVID BARKER AND WAYNE ALFORD FOR THAT INTRODUCTION.
MR. VAUGHN HAS AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF KNOWLEDGE STORED IN THAT BRAIN. IF YOU EVER HAVE THE PLEASURE OF STEPPING IN THE BOAT WITH HIM, MAKE SURE YOU DONT HIDE THE OREO COOKIES FROM HIM!!!. BECAUSE IF YOU DO AND HE FINDS OUT ABOUT IT, THATS THE LAST THAT YOU WILL EVER FISH WITH HIM. THATS THE STORY HE TOLD ME. I HOPE TO HAVE THAT FIRST TIME PLEASURE OF FISHING WITH HIM IN 2010. A GREAT MAN!!!. ANY OF OUR CLUB MEMBERS THAT READS THIS ENTRY MIGHT WANT TO BRING MR. VAUGHN A FEW OREOS TO OUR NEXT MEETING.
SPNPLGRKENNY

Kenny, is it Oreo cookies or upside down pineapple cake? I need to know in order to stay in his good graces.

I FEEL THE OREOS WILL BE JUST FINE. YOU MIGHT WANT TO SURPRISE HIM WHEN YOU GO FISHING WITH SOME PINEAPPLE UPSIDEDOWN CAKE. HA! HA!

"I FEEL THE OREOS WILL BE JUST FINE. YOU MIGHT WANT TO SURPRISE HIM WHEN YOU GO FISHING WITH SOME PINEAPPLE UPSIDEDOWN CAKE. HA! HA!"

Just dont eat it in front of him without at least offering him a piece!