When hearing about this new lure this year, as I was fishing for stripers, I was thinking WOW, a spook that is bigger than a Super Spook?  Yes!  As a matter of fact there are two larger, a Magnum Super Spook and Super Magnum Spook.  The colors are pretty good, shad, trout, dark colors and that works for me.  I threw both of these spooks on 65 lb. Spider Wire Stealth to see how they walk and most of all, will they catch fish?  The first day out with the larger of the two I found it to walk very easy.  I threw this on a 7’ 6 “ Fenwick Salt Stik, you need a big rod to throw this plug, the Flippin Stik is just not going to do it.  With small twitches it looked like a large snake going through the water.  The smaller one was a little harder to walk.  It will walk but not as easy.  These plugs are a little pricy but what plug isn’t?  At about $22.00 a piece, ouch!  My client that first day asked if he could throw it so reluctantly I gave him my rod and the new bait.  About ten minutes he caught a bass that weighed 8.4 lbs., not a striper, a large mouth!  Sweet!!  Then he caught one about three lbs.  I then couldn’t get the plug back from him! He threw it all day. 

As the day ended I found that the large hook in the front of the bait was wearing gnashes on each side as the hook swayed from left to right.  As each day I use this plug the gnashes wear deeper.  After three days the gnashes are into the wood already.  This is a through wire construction wooden plug.  The back hook cracked out a section of paint.  The only thing that holds the wire in the groove of the wood is paint.  Let me set the stage: three large mouth over the course of three days, maybe four to five stripers hitting the plug but not hooking up.  I am not sure if the angle is wrong or it is too big for the standard size stripers, not sure.  But I will say this, this plug is falling apart and for paying $22.00 then only catching three fish, the construction is way below par.  I have pencil pops that cost $5.00 that have caught more fish and have lasted for years.  I’m sorry, it looks good but they need to go back to the drawing board or did I get a bad one?  I won’t take it to the Amazon or its brother that I purchased, too much weight for the quality I have seen. 

Randy Pringle

The Fishing Instructor

A: Over the course of many years I hear a lot of anglers using electronics for the depth.  I know it is important to know how deep the water is however just as important is the type of structure that is on the bottom, hard, soft and if there is any plant life.  Let’s not forget, is there any fish?  The new depth finders on the market will give you this information.  Basically the more money you spend, the better the unit will be.  This is because of the higher resolution and functions.  When I started bass fishing the flasher was our tool.  We’ve come a long way from that baby!  From paper graphs to liquid crystals; grey line to color, a 3 X 5 to a small TV screen with side imaging and GPS, the bass don’t have a chance.  If you are one of those people who like to do it yourself, rigging electronics is not that difficult.  You have to take it slow and make sure your prep the areas where you are going to work.  Scratching paint can and will happen if you are not careful.  If you don’t have to, try not to mount your back transducer down at the water level, away from the motor.  The reason is I have seen a lot of these torn off or broken away because of underwater structure.  At high speeds you will get a lot of interference.  My recommendation is to run a toggle switch that run two transducers, one through the hull underneath your batteries and the other mount around your jack frame or motor mounts protecting your transducer.  This is extremely important when you have a transducer that has side imaging.  At high speeds you flip the switch and it will read through the hull.  You get the picture.

 Now utilizing your front depth finder, I like to mount the puck directly on the trolling motor housing using a big hose clamp or a tie wrap.  Make sure the transducer wire follows the shaft of the trolling motor up using zip ties to secure the wire all the way up.  You definitely want to find a unit that will give you a true reading in deep or shallow water.  The reason I mention this I have had many units in the past, when I get into four feet or less water the unit will read some ungodly depth, it immediately goes on the fritz.  I have also had units that will interfere with each other in deep water and the front and back create interference.  When you purchase your new or your first depth finder you need reliability and it has to fulfill your needs.  Don’t settle by saying the words, “well that will work” because you will be unhappy. 

Recommendations: in the last seven years, Hummingbird has made their presents in a real strong way.  I am now running a Matrix 97 on the bow and 987 with side finding capability on the console.  It is the Bomb!  I am still amazed at what these units will do.  Take a look at these units and the rest of the Hummingbird line of depth finders for your next purchase, they won’t let you down.