plugaholic
03-27-2010, 09:13 AM
It is important to learn what the different plugs are for and the conditions to use them in.
I mean come on now, fish eat fish
(http://floridasportfishing.com/magazine/the-rigging-station/i-mean-come-on-now-fish-eat-fish.html)
Written by Captain Mike Genoun
Stroll through the overstocked aisles at your local tackle shop or flip through the pages of your favorite retailer’s catalog, and the choices in plastic stick-baits are nearly endless. Floating, suspending, sinking, bright colors, dark colors, natural finishes, fat baits, skinny baits- there are choices that perfectly mimic every baitfish species and for every scenario. Along with all of the different swimming actions and appearances, one cannot help but wonder if size, particularly length, makes that big of a difference as well. I mean, come on now, fish eat fish!
That is precisely the comment I overheard recently when I happened to be visiting my local BassPro Shops in search of a few holiday gifts. Naturally strolling through the tackle aisles, I couldn’t help but overhear a middle-aged gentleman ask a sales representative what length swimming plugs he should purchase. He commented that he was intending on targeting the whole gamut of inshore species including redfish, trout and juvenile tarpon. I found the answer he received a bit surprising. The young associate, fresh out of junior high school I might add, replied, “Buy whichever one you want. I mean come on now, fish eat fish.”
It’s easy for someone lacking a lifetime of angling experience to assume that as long as you present an attractive artificial bait to a hungry game fish, it is going to pounce on it, regardless if the imitation meal is two-inches long or eight-inches long. This means that novices in the game of inshore and near-shore angling really could go insane trying to determine which particular stick-baits to invest their hard-earned money in. Considering the average inshore plug nowadays costs upwards of $6.00 or $7.00, final selections must be chosen wisely.
We’ve talked a lot about swimming plug designs, manufacturing materials, lifelike finishes and various internal mechanisms in previous issues, though my recent encounter inclined me to share a few thoughts regarding swimming plug length in the hopes that the information helps keep your rod bent in right direction.
To se the record straight, there has never been a debate over the fact that the precise length of a swimming plug really does play a major role in the ultimate outcome of any given outing. We’ve become accustomed as anglers to fishing by the golden rule of ‘matching-the-hatch,’ by which we select our artificial baits based solely on the prevalent forage in the body of water that we intend to fish. All of us have witnessed this theory hold true both inshore and off.
Snook, when keyed-in on three-inch finger mullet, won’t even look at anything larger or smaller. The artificial bait you’re presenting must perfectly match the prevalent forage in size, color and swimming action, or your attempts at fooling linesiders will be futile.
Spanish mackerel can be just as discriminating. When marauding packs of the frisky speedsters are gorging on seemingly endless supplies of glass-minnows or anchovies no longer than your pinky, they won’t slash at a large six-inch plug if it hit them smack dab between the eyes. This particular scenario is when tiny, two-inch stick-baits slow-trolled through the melee rarely move more than a few feet before being sucked down the gullet of a toothy mackerel. Many of you might not even be aware that lure manufacturers produce stick-baits this small. Yo-Zuri’s Pin’s Minnow are literally two-inches long and weigh in at a whopping 1/16 oz. Not much longer than a matchstick, these feather-light lures must be worked on ultra-light spinning outfits in order to achieve any sort of cast-ability. A light drag setting helps avoid straightening the fragile hooks.
While matching lure size to the local forage works extremely well on aggressive, feeding game fish, if you, however, are more interested in connecting with quality rather than catching the greatest number, tying on a plug twice the size of the most common prey in the area may very well produce the desired results. Increasing the length of the plug you are throwing by a few inches will keep the appealing lure in the strike zone for a greater period of time because juvenile fish may be intimidated by the larger silhouette and shy away from it. What’s more is that the increased size, rattling chambers and erratic action of the larger plug will definitely draw more attention from a greater distance, and might just prove to be too tempting for the largest predators in town. Big plugs with bulky profiles also provide inshore game fish with a large target to home-in on in murky water, and are especially effective during the coolest months of the year when fish’s metabolism rates are at an all-year low. Larger plugs are suitable for covering open expanses as they can be cast a country mile. When big mullet and other large prey species are present, a six- to eight-inch long stick-bait can be deadly. Remember though, there is a big difference between two-inch lures that weigh about as much as a stamp, and eight-inch plugs nearing two-ounces. A step-up in tackle will be order to cast and work the larger lure effectively and to achieve solid hook sets.
Regardless of the scenario, and somewhat similar to selecting the most advantageous length swimming plug to throw, leader selection is also debatable among leading experts, yet one thing is for sure; a length of abrasion resistant leader material is mandatory to protect against bite-offs and unforgiving submerged structure. Leader material should correspond with the size of the bait. A 50 lb. leader to a two-inch, 1/16 oz. plug does not make much sense.
Finally, to obtain the greatest level of action from any stick-bait, and to attract the most attention to your imitation, use nothing other than a loop knot when tying the lure to the leader. This little bit of extra leeway enables the fake to swim at peak performance.
Catch ‘em up
http://floridasportfishing.com/magazine/the-rigging-station/i-mean-come-on-now-fish-eat-fish.html
I mean come on now, fish eat fish
(http://floridasportfishing.com/magazine/the-rigging-station/i-mean-come-on-now-fish-eat-fish.html)
Written by Captain Mike Genoun
Stroll through the overstocked aisles at your local tackle shop or flip through the pages of your favorite retailer’s catalog, and the choices in plastic stick-baits are nearly endless. Floating, suspending, sinking, bright colors, dark colors, natural finishes, fat baits, skinny baits- there are choices that perfectly mimic every baitfish species and for every scenario. Along with all of the different swimming actions and appearances, one cannot help but wonder if size, particularly length, makes that big of a difference as well. I mean, come on now, fish eat fish!
That is precisely the comment I overheard recently when I happened to be visiting my local BassPro Shops in search of a few holiday gifts. Naturally strolling through the tackle aisles, I couldn’t help but overhear a middle-aged gentleman ask a sales representative what length swimming plugs he should purchase. He commented that he was intending on targeting the whole gamut of inshore species including redfish, trout and juvenile tarpon. I found the answer he received a bit surprising. The young associate, fresh out of junior high school I might add, replied, “Buy whichever one you want. I mean come on now, fish eat fish.”
It’s easy for someone lacking a lifetime of angling experience to assume that as long as you present an attractive artificial bait to a hungry game fish, it is going to pounce on it, regardless if the imitation meal is two-inches long or eight-inches long. This means that novices in the game of inshore and near-shore angling really could go insane trying to determine which particular stick-baits to invest their hard-earned money in. Considering the average inshore plug nowadays costs upwards of $6.00 or $7.00, final selections must be chosen wisely.
We’ve talked a lot about swimming plug designs, manufacturing materials, lifelike finishes and various internal mechanisms in previous issues, though my recent encounter inclined me to share a few thoughts regarding swimming plug length in the hopes that the information helps keep your rod bent in right direction.
To se the record straight, there has never been a debate over the fact that the precise length of a swimming plug really does play a major role in the ultimate outcome of any given outing. We’ve become accustomed as anglers to fishing by the golden rule of ‘matching-the-hatch,’ by which we select our artificial baits based solely on the prevalent forage in the body of water that we intend to fish. All of us have witnessed this theory hold true both inshore and off.
Snook, when keyed-in on three-inch finger mullet, won’t even look at anything larger or smaller. The artificial bait you’re presenting must perfectly match the prevalent forage in size, color and swimming action, or your attempts at fooling linesiders will be futile.
Spanish mackerel can be just as discriminating. When marauding packs of the frisky speedsters are gorging on seemingly endless supplies of glass-minnows or anchovies no longer than your pinky, they won’t slash at a large six-inch plug if it hit them smack dab between the eyes. This particular scenario is when tiny, two-inch stick-baits slow-trolled through the melee rarely move more than a few feet before being sucked down the gullet of a toothy mackerel. Many of you might not even be aware that lure manufacturers produce stick-baits this small. Yo-Zuri’s Pin’s Minnow are literally two-inches long and weigh in at a whopping 1/16 oz. Not much longer than a matchstick, these feather-light lures must be worked on ultra-light spinning outfits in order to achieve any sort of cast-ability. A light drag setting helps avoid straightening the fragile hooks.
While matching lure size to the local forage works extremely well on aggressive, feeding game fish, if you, however, are more interested in connecting with quality rather than catching the greatest number, tying on a plug twice the size of the most common prey in the area may very well produce the desired results. Increasing the length of the plug you are throwing by a few inches will keep the appealing lure in the strike zone for a greater period of time because juvenile fish may be intimidated by the larger silhouette and shy away from it. What’s more is that the increased size, rattling chambers and erratic action of the larger plug will definitely draw more attention from a greater distance, and might just prove to be too tempting for the largest predators in town. Big plugs with bulky profiles also provide inshore game fish with a large target to home-in on in murky water, and are especially effective during the coolest months of the year when fish’s metabolism rates are at an all-year low. Larger plugs are suitable for covering open expanses as they can be cast a country mile. When big mullet and other large prey species are present, a six- to eight-inch long stick-bait can be deadly. Remember though, there is a big difference between two-inch lures that weigh about as much as a stamp, and eight-inch plugs nearing two-ounces. A step-up in tackle will be order to cast and work the larger lure effectively and to achieve solid hook sets.
Regardless of the scenario, and somewhat similar to selecting the most advantageous length swimming plug to throw, leader selection is also debatable among leading experts, yet one thing is for sure; a length of abrasion resistant leader material is mandatory to protect against bite-offs and unforgiving submerged structure. Leader material should correspond with the size of the bait. A 50 lb. leader to a two-inch, 1/16 oz. plug does not make much sense.
Finally, to obtain the greatest level of action from any stick-bait, and to attract the most attention to your imitation, use nothing other than a loop knot when tying the lure to the leader. This little bit of extra leeway enables the fake to swim at peak performance.
Catch ‘em up
http://floridasportfishing.com/magazine/the-rigging-station/i-mean-come-on-now-fish-eat-fish.html