Techniques: Fishing a Darter

[surfstix1963]

Darters cast well and are for use in fast moving water and rips>

To fish them cast your plug approx. 45 degrees to your left or right depending on water movement>If the water is moving right to left cast to the right & vice versa.

You need to keep your line tight as the plug drifts by you may get a taker,as it continues past when it gets almost parallel to the structure you are fishing the plug will start to dig in start a slow retrieve.If the plug stops digging in your reeling to fast or your out of the water movement.I'll call water movement because tides and currents are 2 different creatures.But it needs to be moving.

If you go to Montauk don't leave home w/o them.I like yellow,white,green and black over orange the herring color is good but we can leave that under white.

Again I'm a superstrike guy I did get some Tatoos Darters but haven't been able to try them out.Another is the yozuri mag darter very small in comparison to the standard darter not really suited for cranking water its better suited for close up beach fishing it doesn't cast all that well and to me is more like a popper and swimmer combo rather than a darter.

[jigfreak]

What surfstix said. Also I like to fish darters at night in rough water. The erratic action is just what you need to push the fish to strike.

[ledhead36]

I have a 3 oz tatoo darter which I consider one of the best. It digs a harder but I have always had good results.

[Monty]

Caught more Bass on Darters this year than ever before.
The Mag darters on the right, caught in current and slack water. For a small profile can cast nice distance.
Center is the North Bar Bottle Darter, over the last few years it has picked up a few Bass for me just by walking the sand beach and blind casting. Good distance plug and gives off a great vibe.
The 2nd from left is a Choppy Darter, caught a few bass on this in troughs this year, wondering if it may imitate a crab with its wider/shorter profile.
Didn't use a Super Strike Darter at all this year (on the left).

[plugcrazy]

Darters cast well and are for use in fast moving water and rips>

To fish them cast your plug approx. 45 degrees to your left or right depending on water movement>If the water is moving right to left cast to the right & vice versa.

You need to keep your line tight as the plug drifts by you may get a taker,as it continues past when it gets almost parallel to the structure you are fishing the plug will start to dig in start a slow retrieve.If the plug stops digging in your reeling to fast or your out of the water movement.I'll call water movement because tides and currents are 2 different creatures.But it needs to be moving.

If you go to Montauk don't leave home w/o them.I like yellow,white,green and black over orange the herring color is good but we can leave that under white.

Again I'm a superstrike guy I did get some Tatoos Darters but haven't been able to try them out.Another is the yozuri mag darter very small in comparison to the standard darter not really suited for cranking water its better suited for close up beach fishing it doesn't cast all that well and to me is more like a popper and swimmer combo rather than a darter.

I asked the question about mag darters before I saw this. Thanks for the tip surfstix. Especially about castiing and how to position it out there. Was wondering would you say that when you have bigger swells do you cast a bigger darter. Or do you have a standard size you like to toss? thank you
monty that is a beautiful collection of darters. drooling over that pic.

[surfstix1963]

A fatter darter is better in deeper water where as a thinner longer darter is better in shallower moving water such as the SS that's why they are preferred in rocky areas they swim higher in the water column without snagging whereas the fatter will swim deeper and hangup so they are better suited for the beach IMO.

[surfstix1963]

Tattoo is out of business I believe so if you like them hold on to what you have,the problem with wooden darters is once the lip is banged up they will lose their darting ability but night time blues will still slam them on a little retrieve if you can keep them swimming without rolling once they roll they are junk

[jigfreak]

,the problem with wooden darters is once the lip is banged up they will lose their darting ability

Definitely spot on. You know your darters dude.

[Monty]

I'm fishing them more now. And plan on fishing them a real lot in 2016.
I fish the Super Strike most, but throw some wood darters occasionally, with the exception of the Big Fischer Mega Darter below, I have not hooked up with the wood darters. Super Strike action last fall was good for me. Its amazing when I get some confidence in a plug, results are much better. Years of throwing the Super Strike Darter and nothing. Then in 2014 a few fish and in 2015 a few more and it becomes one of my most reliable plugs. Even got a feel for it in water with little current, and a few bass there.

This Big Fischer Darter gave me my best hour fishing. Found some fish in a rip and it hooked me up into 4 bass (including a new PB at 40 inches and with some weight). The 4th fish I lost and it felt bigger than the 40 inch bass.

[7deadlyplugs]

VERY nice bass on that darter. Do you feel that gold color made a difference or were they just hitting darters good that night?

[Monty]

VERY nice bass on that darter. Do you feel that gold color made a difference or were they just hitting darters good that night?

Not sure, the water I was fishing was very good for that Darters action, I think that was the most important thing.
I like Gold. The darter I caught most of my bass on last year was the Black top/gold bottom Super Strike darter.
I think color means means something, the more I fish, the more I am narrowing down what I use.
Whether its in my head that these colors work better and I have more confidence in them or that the fish see them better or the color triggers a strike, its what I am using a lot more of.

[surfstix1963]

Confidence in any plug will catch more fish,it is the proper motion that puts fish on the beach.

[jigfreak]

Confidence in any plug will catch more fish,it is the proper motion that puts fish on the beach.

x 100.

[surfstix1963]

Like your new LIBBA plate.Should we call you Mr.Long Island now...LOL

Not sure, the water I was fishing was very good for that Darters action, I think that was the most important thing.
I like Gold. The darter I caught most of my bass on last year was the Black top/gold bottom Super Strike darter.
I think color means means something, the more I fish, the more I am narrowing down what I use.
Whether its in my head that these colors work better and I have more confidence in them or that the fish see them better or the color triggers a strike, its what I am using a lot more of.

[Monty]

Like your new LIBBA plate.Should we call you Mr.Long Island now...LOL

Yes you can, LMAO.
I'm a Long Islander in every way......except I live and work in Jersey.
Not even going to register in the NJ Saltwater Registry this year.
NJ fishing is dead to me.....for now.

[surfstix1963]

Well I have my NC license but it seems to be a lot of boat fishing here and I don't plan on buying a boat.I spent most of my life learning what I know about surf fishing,but that seems to be of little use here for now until I get things figured out.Starting over learning the patterns and the when and where the fish are around.I have been meeting more NY'ers down here then locals it is like living in NY down south..

[cowherder]

NJ fishing is dead to me.....for now.

wow Harsh words much, dude?
What did NJ ever do to you?

[cowherder]

Starting over learning the patterns and the when and where the fish are around.I have been meeting more NY'ers down here then locals it is like living in NY down south..

My uncle lives on the west coast of fla and says the same thing. What part of NY are most of the people you are meeting from?

[Monty]

wow Harsh words much, dude?
What did NJ ever do to you?

[cowherder]

Big deal they took away the jetties there are still lots of places to fish. Sedge banks, inlets, piers, bulkheads, the famous rips of NJ. Are you really that butt-hurt over the loss of some jetties that you will never fish jersey again? Come on man up!! When the going gets tough the tough get going!