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Sutton Spoon Company


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Had the day off today so I decided to make a pilgrimage with a couple of my good fishing buddies to Naples , New York, Home of the Sutton Spoon Company. What great people. I have fished with Sutton spoons for many years. They said that they had some production issues but they have them resolved and will be ramping up production. They still have many spoons in stock with more to come. It just seemed great to see a part of history. Those spoons have been catching fish for over 100 years. I remember years ago I used Sutton 44 for walleyes on Oneida through the ice. We caught many limits with those tipped with a minnow. I've restocked my tackle box and can not wait to get my slow troll laker program going again.  Wes

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Since this company got back on their feet and I think this is just fantastic!! A lure that’s been working for the last 100 years is just amazing to me. Did anyone ever inquire about getting older spoons of their own refinished?? Just wondering, I have a lot I bought at flea markets ect. That need some TLC.

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Thanks hard knox, that’s what I planed to do honestly, but I have some really large ones with a offset hook I’d like to get some refinished just for my man cave.

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Also (finally) visited the Sutton Co. store for the first time this past weekend with my son, we took the "scenic route" home to PA from Rochester through Naples, interesting shop.  I only jig now, but purchased a few extra 44's for old time's sake...

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Yep! It is amazing that a product has lasted since 1869 unchanged. Those lures are often copied but never replicated! I find it funny that others even use the Sutton numbers for the size. With all the lures I have in my box I will slow down and put the Suttons down  when fishing is tough. I would run them more but I like the fast troll to find the fish.   Wes

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Suttons have had an almost cult following during my life span. My grandfather used them on Seneca Lake around the early 1900's mainly pulling copper from a row boat. My first visit to the store was about 1961 when I went there from Geneva with a buddy who had his junior (daytime driving only) license. At the time neither of us owned a boat and we were mainly stream guys. We bought split shot and netting for tying our egg sacks there but I remember looking over the spoons that I'm pretty sure were 75 cents :lol: each back then. In the early seventies I bought a bunch of spoons there and they were $1.95 each and I still have the box they came in with the price on it (written upside down)  but I think that batch of spoons is long gone:) The store looks much the same today as it did back then.

suttonbox.jpg

suttonbox2.jpg

Edited by Sk8man
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39 minutes ago, katydid said:

From what I understand, the reason Sutton spoons are so effective is because the finish is NOT stainless steel, but SILVER. Am I correct?

I would believe it.  I have a silver plated speedy shiner that out fishes the stainless equivalent 4:1.

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The silver plating is one important factor as silver reflects better for longer distances than other things under the water. An additional factor is that the spoons are made from thin brass which makes the action quite different from most other spoons hence the "flutter spoon" designation of that weight of spoon. For the heavier Suttons it seems to be a combination of the silver plating and also combinations of copper or brass with silver (on flutters as well) and the designed action. The slow trolling speed is something that I believe was part of the original design as many of the spoons follow the designs from the early 1900's before the advent of trolling motors so they worked even with row boats. They weren't designed for fast trolling although the very smallest of them such as the #5 or #8's do better than many of the larger spoons with the possible exception of the #88 which seems to work OK at a number of speed changes. The heavier weight versions of the spoons may work a bit better with speed increases.

Edited by Sk8man
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