What this forum should be…
A place to LEARN and become a better angler! Much of the discussions will be related to Buck Perry’s book “Spoonplugging” and structure fishing as it relates to the teachings of Buck Perry. Why? Because everything written about structure or how to fish structure was first written by Buck Perry.

You can participate in these discussions without reading the book, however responses to questions will often be related to the book and will make more sense if you have read the book.

To discuss structure fishing specific terms need to be used and clarified.
Spoonplugging – Is not a method of trolling with a lure called a spoonplug, spoonplugging is a systematic approach to fishing.

Definitions

Breaks – Objects found on the lake bottom.

Breakline – An imaginary line on the lake bottom created from a sudden increase or decrease in depth; An abrupt contrast in the underwater conditions ( i.e.: weedline, thermocline, shadeline, water color change, etc.)

Channel – The submerged riverbed; A type of structure used by fish during migration.

Contact Point – The point at which the fish make first contact with the structure when they start their migration.

Deep Water – 30 ft. deep or deeper; the deepest water in the immediate area, usually the channel; the home of the fish.

Drop Off – A breakline or structure where there is a sudden drop into the deepest water.

Feeder Creek – A submerged gulch, creek, or wash that feeds into the main channel; Structure that fish use during their migration from deep water to shallow water.

Flat – An area of the lake bottom that contains no structure.

Food Source – An area of the lake that contains food for the fish; Usually an area having either an inlet with running water, a weed flat, rock reef, or a rip-rap, manmade structure.

Hump – An underwater island; A structure in which the lake bottom rises up from the surrounding area.

Migration – A movement of the fish from deep water to shallow water along certain underwater paths.

Migration Route – The actual structure or breakline the fish use during their migration from deep water to the shallows. Almost always extending into the deepest water in the area.

Point Bar – A type of underwater structure in which the shallow water protrudes out into the lake more than the surrounding area.

Ridge – A type of structure where a long narrow hump exists along the sides of a channel or feeder creek; A levee.

Rip-Rap – Large rocks placed by man along the sides of dams and roadways to prevent erosion.

Rock Reef – A type of structure in which the bottom is covered by rock and rubble; A potential food source if found shallow.

Saddle – A type of structure which is formed from two inside bends facing opposite directions.

Sanctuary – An area in deep water where the fish are in a neutral or inactive state; The home of the fish.

Shallow Water – Water with a depth of 10 feet or less.

Shallows – An area containing shallow water.

Steep Deep – An area void of structure, which contains very little shallow water due to steep shoreline, drop off conditions.

Structure – A lake bottom feature that is distinctly different from the surrounding area.

Thermocline – a horizontal plane of rapidly changing water temperature.

Weedline (upper) – A line created from the contrast of weed growing to the waters' surface and weed which isn't growing to the surface.

Weedline (lower) – A line created on the lake bottom where the weed stops growing due to depths too great for the weed to grow.