Fishing Plugs

[hambone]

I'm interested in starting to plug fish (and this thread is mostly to blame )- have they been used to the same effect in the Sidney area? I can't recall ever hearing about them being used by the folks out there...

Plugs work everywhere, but I don't think they're best suited for Sidney. I caught one last summer on a 5" 602 plug at the powder wharf in 40' of water. This was after jigging up one fish and feeling like there might be more fish around that aren't interested in the jigs.

Fun way to fish!

 

[ericl]

So riverboy, guess you fish somewhere where anything you catch is legal? Never had a fish hooked deep on a plug.

 

[ChilliSpoons]

I've reconditioned numerous retired commercial fished Tomics. Some commercial guys will have buckets full of plugs with the paint worn completely worn off.

They're fun to paint and I've has success with my own creations.

 

[ChilliSpoons]

My own Tomic 602 knockoff is painted with a florescent yellow belly. A little hard to see in these pics but something to make it my own.

 

[Canso]

looks great, much more satisfying when you catch fish on your own creation

 

[staying alive]

I bought a dozen plugs off an ex commercial guy , he never Pulled the pins , caught a screamer on my favorite one out at Nootka last year , I call him slasher , real nice action.
Also bought a box of 3 1/2 plugs off him , I'm going to try them this weekend out around Vancouver .
Going to go dummy flasher and stack 2 on each side and see what happens , wonder how fast I should be going with the little guys, usually go about 3 1/2 mph with the 6" ones.
One thing about not pulling the pins , I think they go crazy with the plug smacking them in the face when they are hooked , they come right out of the water trying to get rid of it

 

[bones]

Run classic tomics faster than the fatties. Fatties where made for slower trolloing so you can run different gear on other side.
Run then far back on the rigger 50'. They will dive to your depth. When you turn or put the boat in neutral the lures will slow and start climbing the water column (they float). This wil allow you to cover alot of ground.

 

[bones]

And tip number 2 wrap a half piece of sun warm bacon around the belly of the plug with thread.

 

[staying alive]

Thanks for the tips Bones

 

[RiverBoy]

So riverboy, guess you fish somewhere where anything you catch is legal? Never had a fish hooked deep on a plug.

Was your last sentence in your reply supposed to be a question? Or a statement!?!?
I'll attempt a rebuttal. No I have never had a "shaker" get gill hooked or mortally injured on a large plug. That's my personal experience. I guess there's always a first time. As I previously stated, most are lip hooked.
I fish area 13, where anything less than 62cm is undersized. I refuse to net fish if they are close in size to 62 cm.

I'm also the guy that quit fishing MANY times because I kept catching, and then subsequently releasing mortally injured "wild" coho in search of two clipped fish.
Those were on single barbless hooks by the way....

I also volunteered at the ORES fish hatchery cleaning creeks and providing better spawning habitat for the returning pink salmon for the better part of a decade.

Thanks for reminding me why I never post on here. I provided a pic to show the ones who were interested how to rig plugs, not get into some arguement on the "finite"ethics of fishing, with a complete stranger might I add. When a hook is designed guaranteed not to catch shakers, sign me up.
This thread is titled "Fishing Plugs."

Peace.

 

[adanac]

Always loved fishing the small 2" wee tad at certain times, out fishes anything including bait some days when fish are picky, always above a dummy. Almost exclusively fish bait when im up guiding in QCI , but there are days when nothing is biting in the kelp and most boats move a bit deeper in the 60 - 100 foot range. A glow wee tad has filled the boat with beauty fish 20 - mid 30's many days, when most people fishing bait have one or two fish to show ( always keep it pretty hush hush though!).

 

[TheBigGuy]

A couple of guys posted that pulling the pin can lead to damaging the plug, and then the plug was toast. First off, always use very sharp preferably side cutters to cut the pins off for pulling. Don't pull the pin through if it has a burr, or jagged edge. That may damage the plug, or leave a rough edge inside that may lead to line breakage. Dremel off any burrs or jagged edges before you pull the pin through.

I have fixed plugs that had damage in the line hole where the pins were pulled, so don't throw those plugs away. You can fix the through hole by finding some thin plastic tubing that will fit inside the line hole. Cut the tubing to the right size, and epoxy it into place. Worth attempting a fix before chucking out a great producing plug. Good plugs are worth their weight in gold.

 

[Big Green Machine]

We need 'Holmes' on here to moderate the plug talk. Lol

 

[staying alive]

I tie an extra knot of line below where I tie the line on the plug ring, then push it up high on the ring , it holds the line higher up and it seems to help the action
I think the nice Tomic lady at critter cove told me that one

 

[Fish Camp]

bear pawed 512

 

[Fish Camp]

I made a few J plugs .and a fid

 

[bones]

Does anyone here double plug? One plug as a flasher and the other hooked

 

[Fish Camp]

i would use the extra hole i made with a heeted fish hook ,and the line pulls from the top of plug

 

[bones]

i would use the extra hole i made with a heeted fish hook ,and the line pulls from the top of plug View attachment 27935

I do not understand that one. Is that an extra hole and what does it do?

 

[TheBigGuy]

Does anyone here double plug? One plug as a flasher and the other hooked

I some times run a tomic wee tad in front of a full size plug as a teaser. Looks like the bigger fish chasing down small bait. It works when the fishing is really sketchy at times.