Good start for Trolling Spoons or Waste?

[smallcal]

Purchased these through the site a year or two ago, can't really remember.  Knew (know) nothing about spoons but finally cleaned them up and wanted to see if they are a good start for trolling, or if I should scrap them and start by buying new.  There'se lots of them, but they are thin metal and not very heavy.  Like I said, I know nothing about trolling gear.  I've attached some photos with the last being of a few that were heavier metal that I thought just looked cool and a couple of them may go on display at our camp (one is marked Sutton and appears pretty old).

 

Any insight is appreciated!  Thanks.

 

 

Group 1

Group 2 Backs

Group 2 Fronts

Cool looking ones...

[Rippin'Line]

They'll work. Sometimes dumping them in coke for a little bit takes out the tarnish and really shines em up. You have a good start but this sport will take over your life if you let it. It's too late for guys like me.

[Rippin'Line]

Hook and split ring replacement could go along way with them too. Or just sharpen them

[Sk8man]

I'd hold on to one of those spoons the Blue Mullet Pfleuger #4 (looks like) because that is pretty old and is a classic copper jerking lure...one of the best ever made...may be worth money now and certainly will be in the future. It is in the last pic at the left of it with the little fly like thing at the back. Some of the others look like Northport Nailers and Southport Slammers, Northern King, and the ones on the blue hanger are a wide variety of flutter spoons with a few Suttons (thin silver plated ones with copper solid rings). The ones at the extreme right of the last pic look like home made blank flutter spoons from the pic (somewhat hard to tell exactly from the pics/lighting. If it were me I certainly wouldn't "scrap" them especially the Suttons. The Sutton's are real silver plating but have a protective lacquer coating...they do tarnish fairly easily but sometimes you can bring them back to life a bit with jewelers rouge or silver polish. Even if the finish doesn't come back real well on them they can still be very effective. I use nail polish on many of my old lures especially silver and gold glitter and then coat it with a top coating of acrylic. For the spoons in worst shape I'd use reflective tape on them after replacing the other hardware. In my view it is mainly the ACTION of those lures anyway that is most important. Replacement of rings and hooks is a good suggestion. On the Sutton's though I would not replace the solid rings only the treble hook with a single salmon siwash hook about the same size or weight as the treble on it and cut the treble off with wire cutters to save the solid ring which I feel contributes to the action of the spoon.

Edited March 6, 2014 by Sk8man

[smallcal]

Can't thank you enough for the information, will be purchasing some Coke to soak the worst offenders and will get out the buffer and silver polish as well.  I'll start looking at them a little closer to check the condition and separate them and try to get the best ones ready for the year.

 

Again, thanks for the information, knew you guys would know what they are!

[Kevin J Legg]

Sk8man really covered it all with his post. Many great suggestions from someone with obvious experience.

[Big Dave]

tarn-x and some white paint would fix some of them too.  The old hookester in group #1 is a good spoon 4th from the left.  Some interesting bends on some of the suttons.  Must have run them very slow, or pulling copper.

[Sk8man]

Thanks Kevin. I forgot to mention that with some of those pretty rusted flutter spoons you could paint either the whole thing or the tops or undersides black and put a diagonal "slice" of reflective tape on them...they will work good on lakers and salmon especially

Edited March 6, 2014 by Sk8man

[Thun]

Just a thought...a friend gave me a brass tumbler he used to clean his brass for reloading but instead, I used it to clean the brass in my Penn Gti's. I wouldn't use it on anything painted but I bet it would make those unpainted lures look new. Here's what it did to the brass in my reels. I also used Wipe New (as seen on TV) on the graphite frame.

 

 

[smallcal]

Wow, great ideas!  Have tarnex around here somewhere for the antiques and have a tumbler in the basement with lots of walnut media to burn through

 

I'll get started on them tonight!  Is plain old appliance white good to spray the spoons or should I go with something a little glossier?

 

Thanks again.

[Sk8man]

Great idea Thun....I still have my Dillon tumbler and only had used it to clean cartridge casings in the past....haven't used it in years but still have the tumbler media (walnut husks)  As far as paint goes I use the Krylon stuff... it costs a little more but doesn't run as much and seems to be a bit more durable. I've used both gloss and flat black or white with good success.

[Thun]

Thank you Sk8man. I used "Lizard Litter," crushed walnut media that I bought at the pet store.

[Big Dave]

I used rustolem   or plastic cote

[Xxx]

SK8man sure is a wealth of information and did an excellent job of identifying your spoons, the guys on here really know there $hit when it comes to lures!! They have helped me out a lot, I don't know how far you want to take this, just a thought maybe you could get a hold of Bob Fuller and ask him if would work his magic on the spoons that are blank, and maybe he would redo the ones that are blank and turn them into a thing of beauty. Just a thought. I thought a few other guys were getting into air brushing lures also. hopefully someone will chime in and be willing to help you out, also I had the guy at Fat Nancy's make me dodgers that I lost and he didn't have them in stock, but he told me if I had a day he would make me what I wanted, he even had e chip blanks also, so maybe that could be a avenue you would want to pursue. If you tell them what species you want to target they might be able to make them for you, well enough of me rambling on, but things like this intrigue me, I always want to do what most say can't be done!!  Or you could give a shot yourself

Edited March 7, 2014 by pap

[ray koziatek]

I like the ESLO derby spoon kinda cool memo not for fishing just a hanger,I assume your targeting lakers. On the fingerlakes most lakers are under 8 lbs but in ontario 10 plus is normal so with the detoration of some of the metal near the holes might be a issue.If the blue mullet says USA ,not japan sell it for 100 bucks and buy some new lures if ya head out for biggern fish

[smallcal]

Great information, thank you.  I'll be checking each lure to see if it is worth repairing, especially the rusty ones.  Have to make a supply order for the season, so will order some new trebles, Siwash hooks, and split to replace what is there.  Did look at a couple of the Suttons, did not realize before they have solid rings.   Will have to see how to attach a different hook without messing them up.

 

Not really targeting anything at this point, just starting into trolling and love to fish, so whatever is hitting is what I will pursue.

 

As for the Blue Lure it is marked:

 

Pflueger

Keeper

Made in Hong Kong

 

On the back side it looks like bright chrome.

 

Yes, the oldest looking lures - the blue one, hammered brass, ESL, and the like will be made into wall hangers for the camp.

 

Thanks again.

[Big Dave]

Get open eye siwash hooks and close them over the solid ring with pliers.

[Sk8man]

Dave is right on target....I should have mentioned that...

[Has Been]

You have to get the clear coat off the silver ones before you can polish them right. It can be laquer or epoxy ,which can be tough to get off. I soak mine in a soup can of zipstirp over night & it still can be tough. After that polish w/ compund or car wax & buff w/ clean cloth. You can get them like new. Rub off wax w/ paint thinner so paint or clear coat will stick.lay down on floor & spray paint edge w/ color you want by spraying away & sneak up on it a bit on each swipe.I use spary cans  Or take a green or blue Sharpie up the edge.  I clear coat w/ Rustolium Crystal Clear. Get tape at any of the good tackle shops.

 

 As for the white back ones, Clean in the sink w/ a brillo pad & repaint. white back /black front w/ glo green or a glo ladder or glo ladder w/lazer over is a great early morn pattern

 

 I would stick w/ the NKs or Pirates it looks like you have at first.

[smallcal]

Has anyone every powder painted the spoons?  Have a bunch of it in the basement for jig heads and was wondering if it might be the way to go on the spoons.

[Sk8man]

I think you can but probably be best to undercoat with a metal primer first

[kayaker919]

Check out this old thread on cleaning silver plated spoons.  The process I highlight near the end really works and has little mess and no odor:  http://www.lakeontariounited.com/fishing-hunting/topic/13882-cleaning-silver-spoons-question/

 

Don