Plastic swimmers: Differences, what works when

[Monty]

Anyone ever fish the wooden plugs that are similar in profile to these plastics, like the Greenpoints or a Gary2?
If so is there a big difference between them?

[buckethead]

I have fished G2s and greenpoints, they aren't bad. They swim a little higher in the the water column than theb plastic swimmers. Great to throw when the mullet start pouring out.

[fishinmission78]

Maybe its just my preference but I like small plastic swimmers for the back bays and sedges. When I throw wood its usually in the surf. My .02

[DarkSkies]

Something I recently posted. The OP was asking about different plugs that were, and weren't working, this time of year.....
There was some feedback that the only thing working was the SP....

1. Hey - I had a couple of needles in the bag. Should've tried them. Last year they were deadly for me, but sand eels were running then.


2. Any one been catching fish on bottle plugs? I'm curious to learn how to use them.


3. Any one finding the fish hard to hook lately?

Not much time today but I'll try for some quick answers....

1. Needles..and stubby needlefish....should be tried every time out in the fall, whether there are sandeels or not....there are usually lots of needlefish/gar around..and fish will often key in on them...
Many surfcasters have difficulty with them because most productive retrieve is often painfully slow....and many don't have the patience to fish them that way....the first time you get a fish on a needle and feel the explosive action you will be hooked..


2. Bottle plugs.... SS, Polaris, etc....I like to fish them best in current or rough water.....fished slowly as well. The bottle plug is deadly this time of year, but you have to know the water you're fishing in and look for current..


3. Taps instead of hits....there are times when the fish are feeding on small bait...and the hit on a bigger plug is reactionary or defensive rather than aggressive.....


I was having a blast this summer...catching medium to larger bluefish that were feeding on tiny shrimp....until August...blues up to 8# in the back bays that would not hit a small plug, bucktail or rubber...the only way to attract these scattered fish was to aggressively work the popper across the flats...triggering a reactionary strike..
Often the fish would be hooked in the head or the back....as they were not really in the mood to hit bigger things when the forage was so small...I have often found bluefish at night to be pickier than bass...and don't understand the logic of guys who say they will hit anything...even a bare hook....not so true in summer months when they are picky......


**My point is that different things work for different situations and when different forage is around...the waters we all fish can be different...
and
time of night,
water temperature... and
tide stage can also factor in different levels of aggressiveness...

[DarkSkies]

Maybe its just my preference but I like small plastic swimmers for the back bays and sedges. When I throw wood its usually in the surf. My .02

Good point fishinmission, I agree...Finchaser has said many times that elephants eat peanuts....
One of the best surfcasters I know got a 50lb bass in a river at night in 2008 throwing a loaded redfin....

[Rip-Plugger]

I have found that in the late fall the fish are smaller and more of them,they are very willing to hit but, they will hit only smaller lures.
with lower water temps during that time the fish slow down and lure speed has to as well.
I have done very well with small wood lures and plastic,i only throw plastic plugs during this time.
laser eyes,zig-zags,x-raps,windcheaters ect.
every so often you get a good surprise,a very nice fish takes the small stuff and it makes you smile.



some Bob Hahns and mine.
killers during the late fall.