Pulling copper

[Copperliner]

12 hours ago, Frogger said:

Do it. Nothing’s changed regarding copper, may have to clean it a few more times but they still work. Buddy and I were on Cayuga a few weeks ago and I pulled out the twin for old times sake and had a ball. Caught weeds but was still fun. Keep Copper Alive!
 

Thanks Frogger, appreciated - I think I'll dust ol Vicky off this weekend and give it a go, miss those hard strikes!

[Paul W]

I wrote a couple weeks back and have tried a couple different ways to reel copper wire. The extension cord reel in photo has worked best. I live in Naples and use Sutton spoons and fish Hemlock and Canandaigua  Lakes.
After a couple of outings and losing a few lures I’m getting the hang of it. 
The extension cord reel is held by a grip in the center. Your thumb can work as a drag     and prevent slack and loose tangles. I did clip the swivel off the spoon and that seems to keep the hook up and off the bottom.

Thanks for all the help!

[2lbperch]

Nice work! Now just be looking for the yellow/orange tips on the fins. Those are the good eaters.

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[Zebedee]

I love the ingenuity in this sport! Great report!

[Chicong]

On ‎7‎/‎20‎/‎2020 at 7:22 PM, Paul W said:

I wrote a couple weeks back and have tried a couple different ways to reel copper wire. The extension cord reel in photo has worked best. I live in Naples and use Sutton spoons and fish Hemlock and Canandaigua  Lakes.
After a couple of outings and losing a few lures I’m getting the hang of it. 
The extension cord reel is held by a grip in the center. Your thumb can work as a drag     and prevent slack and loose tangles. I did clip the swivel off the spoon and that seems to keep the hook up and off the bottom.

Thanks for all the help!

Good job!  I think almost any way to wind up the copper will work as long as you don't end up with a rats nest.  I use have salt water rods with Penn 49 reels.  When I am pulling the copper, though, I always have the copper line in my hand.  SOme of the old timers used these wooden loom like things with a handle on either side one on top and one on bottom.  I also have a Victrola that works nice. 

 

I never liked the Sutton spoons for copper.  Always seemed too light for me.    I like the heavier Pflueger Record 4's, 4 1/2's and 5's (or copies) in all silver or blue and white combos.  I also prefer braided wire to solid to avoid kinks.  Finally on the Pflueger's I like the dangling hook versus the fixed but both work.    Sometimes you can find those spoons cheap on Ebay if you spell the search wrong.  A little hint for you. 

[Paul W]

Good job!  I think almost any way to wind up the copper will work as long as you don't end up with a rats nest.  I use have salt water rods with Penn 49 reels.  When I am pulling the copper, though, I always have the copper line in my hand.  SOme of the old timers used these wooden loom like things with a handle on either side one on top and one on bottom.  I also have a Victrola that works nice. 
 
I never liked the Sutton spoons for copper.  Always seemed too light for me.    I like the heavier Pflueger Record 4's, 4 1/2's and 5's (or copies) in all silver or blue and white combos.  I also prefer braided wire to solid to avoid kinks.  Finally on the Pflueger's I like the dangling hook versus the fixed but both work.    Sometimes you can find those spoons cheap on Ebay if you spell the search wrong.  A little hint for you. 

Thanks for all the advice and sharing what comes from experience. I’m using solid wire which I inherited from my Dad who used it for wiring up car medallion jewelry for plating. I will keep in mind braided for sure and look out for Pfueger lures. The Sutton I prefer after trying a couple sizes is the 88 hammered.


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[2lbperch]

I've used a contraption about the same as my sewing machine reel. Same gear reduction motor, same size reel, the pedal to reel it in, & the same spoon, but with braid copper on it. For me, it hurts the "feel" of the spoon & the bottom. The braid it seems I'm always running out more wire to get that "feel". Still caught fish, but I don't know if it bellies up like leadcore can or what. I'm talking like twice the braid to fish 80' deep. I learned on solid wire with the old 2 handled wooden reel I guess. That tick tick tick is what I'm familiar with. Now if I could just get some time to get out fishing. Good luck to all you yankers. So fun fighting a big ol' boy to the boat hand over hand.

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[Chicong]

9 hours ago, 2lbperch said:

I've used a contraption about the same as my sewing machine reel. Same gear reduction motor, same size reel, the pedal to reel it in, & the same spoon, but with braid copper on it. For me, it hurts the "feel" of the spoon & the bottom. The braid it seems I'm always running out more wire to get that "feel". Still caught fish, but I don't know if it bellies up like leadcore can or what. I'm talking like twice the braid to fish 80' deep. I learned on solid wire with the old 2 handled wooden reel I guess. That tick tick tick is what I'm familiar with. Now if I could just get some time to get out fishing. Good luck to all you yankers. So fun fighting a big ol' boy to the boat hand over hand.

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Tick tick tick.   That's the secret. 

[Sk8man]

19 hours ago, Chicong said:

I never liked the Sutton spoons for copper.  Always seemed too light for me.    I like the heavier Pflueger Record 4's, 4 1/2's and 5's (or copies) in all silver or blue and white combos.  I also prefer braided wire to solid to avoid kinks.  Finally on the Pflueger's I like the dangling hook versus the fixed but both work.    Sometimes you can find those spoons cheap on Ebay if you spell the search wrong.  A little hint for you. 

The lighter Sutton's are used differently than the Pflueger's and represent another tool in the arsenal if used correctly. They are best used with a leader and sometimes a sinker on a drop line from a three-way swivel.. The spoon that way runs just off bottom rather than bouncing  constantly on bottom.Sometimes the fish respond better to this method but the main method is still the Pflueger (and imitations) , Barracuda, Great Lakes, Bladerunner and similar spoons run right on bottom and tied directly to the single strand copper. Braided copper works fine for the current usage on copper rigs but it offers quite a bit more resistance in the water than single strand and in my experience anyway the feel of the bottom isn't as sensitive (critical to this type of fishing). Once again though personal preference comes into the equation and there is no right or wrong answer to this An area where this becomes important is when you run out of the "tick tick tick on cobble and enter mud bottom or weeds.....sensitivity becomes very important then.As far as positioning of the hook on the Pfleuger the fixed hook avoids snags better than the loose version in some stretches of bottom so it may depend on the specific bottom characteristics of where you are fishing.

Just an FYI but if having trouble finding the Pfleugers the Great Lakes #4 is as close as it gets in looks and performance (both the silver and Blue Mullet).

[Pete Collin]

Here's a video somebody did back in 2009 on Keuka.   

 

[reel rage]

Matt text me some time  we’ll go out

Matt, get ahold of Steve(Roy's boys) he's a man of his word, he took me just as he said he would,, about an hour I was catching fish myself...

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[Laketroutlarry]

What kind of copper line do you need for pulling copper by hand? Finger Lakes guy here - Would this work? 

[jerktroller]

I think that is meant to put on a reel. Copper line for hand lining is usually solid 20 to 22 gauge. 

[Laketroutlarry]

5 minutes ago, jerktroller said:

I think that is meant to put on a reel. Copper line for hand lining is usually solid 20 to 22 gauge. 

Gotcha thanks. Where can I get the right Copper line for hand lining?

[reel rage]

15 hours ago, Laketroutlarry said:

Gotcha thanks. Where can I get the right Copper line for hand lining?

Roy's marina in Geneva has it.13157191054

[Lucky13]

Check out the article in NYON this week on the Golden Lake trout caught in Lake George.  The reporter must be very young, and not from the Finger Lakes, he marvels at the new fangled, unique method of feeding out line from a spool attached to a victrola motor, and that the reel automatically winds the fish up.  All you hand liners will get a chuckle!

[Sk8man]

The above video from 2009 is just about as funny and is more like a "caricature" depiction of the process. Well intentioned and there probably isn't much out there in the way of videos but serious copper folks would have some concerns about the thoroughness of the description of the actual process when done right including the hand motions and various specifics of the technique etc.

[land locked]

On 8/10/2021 at 6:39 PM, Laketroutlarry said:

Gotcha thanks. Where can I get the right Copper line for hand lining?

I use that stuff gets down faster and deeper

[2lbperch]

My setup has a gas pedal to help reel in the mud chickens. I call it a singer. Works pretty good. People shake their head till they see it in action. Pretty slick. Got it from a older man that couldn't see well enough to fish w/ it anymore. So glad I don't have the copper around my feet anymore.

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[Lucky13]

Is it an old sewing machine?  The foot controlled on/ off function would work great, but where do I find a 12 volt sewing machine?

[2lbperch]

It's got a little gear reduction motor on it. The man who built it did a really nice job.

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[Sk8man]

Cool!

[JJBat150]

I'm guessing someone is a John Deere fan based on the color ?.    Cool set-up

[2lbperch]

The gear reduction motor & the small lexan disc w/ the spring is the drag. Basically when you're hooked up you just keep the gas pedal down and use the machine for drag, bigger fish you pinch the wire in your fingers to help out. Switch the battery terminal clips around, hit the pedal & throw the spoon over the side to let wire out and get back to the bottom. He painted it up JD, they make nice t-shirts & decent lawnmowers. Jokes aside, I'm a farmer & have 5 John Deere tractors, I don't mind those colors at all.

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[Zimmy4209]

On 10/7/2021 at 9:56 AM, 2lbperch said:

The gear reduction motor & the small lexan disc w/ the spring is the drag. Basically when you're hooked up you just keep the gas pedal down and use the machine for drag, bigger fish you pinch the wire in your fingers to help out. Switch the battery terminal clips around, hit the pedal & throw the spoon over the side to let wire out and get back to the bottom. He painted it up JD, they make nice t-shirts & decent lawnmowers. Jokes aside, I'm a farmer & have 5 John Deere tractors, I don't mind those colors at all.

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Nice! I learned all my copper techniques from an old feller named Don Powers(dons marina) back in the early 90's. That guy could get you to any hole or depth you wanted on the east side with his eyes closed. Thanks for sharing