By Les Winkeler
Terry O'Malley of McHenry is not an astrophysicist. He doesn't claim to be. O'Malley doesn't spend hours peering into an electron microscope 'trying to unlock the secrets of the universe. In fact, he's not a scientist at all, unless you consider his approach to fishing. O'Malley uses a systematic approach to fishing called spoonplugging, a system that even skeptics would have to describe as scientific.
The spoonplugging system was devised by E.L. "Buck" Perry in Hickory, N.C. about 30-35 years ago. It is based on the spoonplug, a lure created by Perry. "What it is is a deep-diving lure," O'Malley said. "It's got seven different sizes and it runs anywhere from 2-4 to 20-25 feet deep. It's like a crank bait. It's very similar. It's practically indestructible. It looks like a shoehorn that's been stepped on by a horse."
"We use these lures once we map the structure to eliminate unproductive water," O'Malley said. "We troll them around the breaks and breaklines until we locate the fish. "The school of bass we're looking for on any lake is 3 pounds on up. The average big bass, in any area of the country is 5 pounds. That's throughout the country, even in Florida. Any bass that is 7 to 8 pounds will be with that particular school of bass."
While the theory of spoonplugging is simple, it's not a technique an angler can learn overnight. "It takes study," O'Malley said. "It's like anything else. To be good at anything you have to study it. Buck Perry has his own study course. The whole thing is in the book, but once again, practical experience on the water ... It's just like going to school to learn how to catch these big bass."
"In our teaching, knowledge is the key to success. Mapping and interpretation are important, being able to map the structure that fish use." Finding structure is the key to spoonplugging's success but not shoreline structure. O'Malley won't spend a lot of time beating the shoreline with a spinner bait. "We believe that the big fish, and we have proven it with catches, that the schooling fish stay in deep water," he said. "There are few big fish in shallow water at any one time. There aren't too many big fish that will go into the shallows."
Theoretically, spoonplugging shortens the process. Once the fish are located, spoonpluggers anchor the boat and cast the appropriate spoonplugs or jump-type baits, such as a jig and pig.
The system works just as well for walleye and muskie, but was devised for catching largemouth. O'Malley said the technique is quite popular in northern Illinois. Prior to the advent of fishing electronics, spoonpluggers trolled their baits at various depths to find structure. Fishing technology has simplified this aspect of the game. "We use the depth-finder as an aid," O'Malley said. "It helps us tremendously in finding the structure. When we started spoonplugging, there were no depth finders. The lures had to do all your mapping for you."
O'Malley is president of North American Spoonplugging Consultants. He travels throughout the country teaching the technique. He was in Southern Illinois recently, teaching the technique to Herrin High School students of Bart Allen. "Bart has been studying spoonplugging for quite a while, but he didn't have the practical experience to teach the kids," he said. "I coached junior high football and basketball for years. The minute he mentioned kids, he kind of hit the magic word. "I've got a 10-year-old daughter and a 7-year-old daughter," O'Malley said. "They can participate with their father. Their mother can participate. They don't have to cast 2,000 times a day. That's just the great thing. We fish for fun. This way the kids can relax. You don't have to spend 8 or 10 hours out there."