Fishing Plugs

[TheBigGuy]

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

Never done that mod, but it would do the same thing as the old rubber band trick. Gives the plug more action at a slower speed. I might worry about break off with the line stressed at the abrupt line angle change pinching the line on a big fish.

 

[trophywife]

i tried the extra hole method last year and well, it really swims well and catches fish!

it is hard on the leader tho.

 

[Hit em Hard]

The number is worn off, it was white with 2 pink strips down each side.

I would bet that it is the 158 PS (PS = pink stripe)

 

[chinnok]

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.

Just checking, are the pins one piece or are they two separate pins, one on top and one on bottom? Last time I did it I thought there was two.

 

[staying alive]

What would you recommend if I want to run 2 rods with plugs on each downrigger.
How far back and how far apart
Going to use a dummy flasher

 

[bones]

The problem I've had with dummy flasher is that...... I get tangles. The plugs keep diving into the path of the flasher and get wrapped up.

If I'm in 80' of water I run it back 50'. Then I troll and pause, troll and pause. The plug swims to the surface sometimes triggering a bite it also allows you to fish the 30-80' water column, not just the 80' mark. Instead of a dummy flasher try stacking a 4 or 5" above a 6", use a tooth pick to hold it there.
Everyone has a different way to fish them, play around with all the different ideas posted here.

 

[scar tissue]

no flasher needed when fishing plugs.

 

[Clint r]

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

How's that herring pattern work for you? I've got a lucky Louie that's looks the same but have never used it and good idea on the extra hole. I've got a bunch of tomics and I'll give that a try on a couple.

 

[TheBigGuy]

Just checking, are the pins one piece or are they two separate pins, one on top and one on bottom? Last time I did it I thought there was two.

Usually 2 pieces on the newer tomics I believe, but there were different ways they were rigged over the years. There were ones that used a flat bar type on the old ones in the past. I've pulled the flat bar types as well. Run a small drill bit through then epoxied a small plastic tube into the hole to convert those bar type pins to line through body plugs. I've experimented with lots of old cheap commercial type plugs to make them a little more suited to Sportfishing speeds.

 

[chinnok]

Usually 2 pieces on the newer tomics I believe, but there were different ways they were rigged over the years. There were ones that used a flat bar type on the old ones in the past. I've pulled the flat bar types as well. Run a small drill bit through then epoxied a small plastic tube into the hole to convert those bar type pins to line through body plugs. I've experimented with lots of old cheap commercial type plugs to make them a little more suited to Sportfishing speeds.

Thanks BigGuy, the ones I pulled were the newer models. The guys in Campbell River told me about pulling the pins about 15 years ago but I only started fishing plugs last year out from Bamfield. We slayed them and all the fish were bigger then what was being caught on spoons. What a blast.

 

[TheBigGuy]

Pins are actually one piece until you cut it. It is an oblong oval sort of shape kind of like an exaggerated C. There is about 1/16 of plastic that surrounds the placement. Once in a while the pin is set the opposite to what many anglers who pull pins are used to. If that happens, you have just wasted your hard earned money. Modifying the stock plug in my opinion is a bad idea...there are numerous arguments, however if the plug is furnished with a speed ring - USE IT! Go fast, unless you are fishing terminal areas that are only a few miles from their home waters, then you simply make it waggle slowly at 1 to 1.5 mph. When angling far way from terminal zones I fish from 3 to 6 mph. generally when they are actively feeding.

The higher up in the water column to the surface I am the farther back I set my plugs...the deeper I go, the closer I set them, as close as five feet and as far back as fifty if I am on the surface. I do not use flashers or dummy flashers unless I am in a terminal zone. I do however run a 50/50 glow/uv cannon ball, or chartreuse coloured ball if the water is brown toned.

I only fish 5in tubby, 6in classic, 6in tubby or 7in. I mostly run 6in year round and in July & Aug switch into 7in.

I always start with plugs and finish with them if I can...otherwise I fish spoons or as a last resort, hit the hoochies.

I agree with a lot of what you stated, and thats great if you want to drag plugs on all lines . A lot of guys prefer to be able to run different types of gear, and maybe run one or two plugs. Modifying the plugs lets you run them at a little slower speed to be able to run other gear with them.

Probably my main reason I prefer pulling the pins is to get the plug back on a break off. I've gotten almost every plug back with pulled pins when the unthinkable happens to your favorite plug. Losing your favorite plug is the worst tackle calamity there is. I mean who really cares if you lose a bait rig and a flasher, they can be easily replaced. I've probably got over a hundred bait heads. Losing one of my favorite plugs, different story. The magic in those treasured special plugs is irreplaceable. I can lose any other gear and it's no bigie, but losing one of my best plugs is devastating. At least to me, so the pins come out on most.

To each their own though. Whatever works for you.

 

[TheBigGuy]

Thanks for the line tips but generally those aren't the reasons why my plugs might break off. faulty line / knot failure is not the issue. The usual cause would be catching an obstruction, someone crossing your line with their riggers, fish wrapping a rigger, or seals. I have only had one Salmon break a plug off on me, that was a twenty plus coho that made a wild dash for the rigger. I almost never break off on a fish unintentionally, that coho might be last one I recall and that was many years ago. I will intentionally break off on a bottom hookup or a seal at times if I do not feel like wasting valuable time trying to retrieve a plug. I know it will float to the surface to be recovered. Also, having green horns aboard can lead to gear loss, no matter how perfect the line and knots.

 

[the fog ducker]

Storm is the plug master
agree with everthing pal !!

fd

 

[TheBigGuy]

is the plug master
agree with everthing pal !!

fd

Sorry Felix, me and the will have to agree to disagree on this one.

I know it is best to drag all plugs on all lines. However, a lot of us on the forum don't live and fish daily in an area where dragging all plugs is a reliable way of catching good numbers of fish. I live in Vancouver and dragging all plugs full time here would not result in consistent catches.

When I travel to the west coast of the island I love to drag plugs. Sometimes I'll run a full spread of plugs when I'm there, but most times I mix and match even offshore. The plugs often produce the nicest fish of the trip, but the other gear usually gets the majority of the fish.

Since I grew up using the old lucky Louie plugs I've always preferred the line though plug rigging. It's really just a matter of preference, that's all it is. If storm trooper prefers his plugs stock that's fine. I would never be so presumptuous as to tell him that's a bad way to fish them.

Some people prefer to rig bait with trebles, some don't. Some people prefer spectra for their downriggers and reel, some don't. Some people prefer to troll, others like to mooch or jig. It's all just a matter of preference.

I prefer to pull the pins on most of my favorite Tomic plugs, so I can recover them easily and fish them with other gear. That is not an incorrect way of fishing a Tomic, it is just a personal preference. Every one fishes differently, my way is not the right way, it is simply one way.

That is why it is nice to fish with other people, because every one does things a little differently. I would never presume to tell someone they are fishing their gear "wrong" just because he fishes differently. That is closed minded and and leads to no new innovations. All the tackle tinkerers out there have found great new ways of modifying gear over the years. If they are nice enough to share their mods on the forum the modifications often become adopted by many fishers everywhere.

Pulling the pins on Tomics has been a well known and accepted way of fishing those plugs for many years. If you prefer not to pull the pins that is fine too. Pulling the pins does not mean you are incapable of tying a good knot. It just means that you'd prefer to not lose a good plug. Some guys prefer to have the option of recovering a snagged plug.

Preferences, that's all it is. There's no right or wrong way to rig a plug. If you prefer to use trebles on your plugs, fly atter. Personal preference is all it is. No right way, no wrong way.

 

[searun]

You guys need to get a room. I have to agree with though, you don't usually mix and match plugs with other gear and successfully fish both gear types. Plugs fish differently than anything else, and to fish them successfully you really need to fish them fast. Most other gear doesn't work as effectively at those speeds.

 

[TheBigGuy]

Hoochies fish fine with a longer leader with plugs with the pins pulled. I love to fish hoochies, so I can easily fish both together. In my opinion it also doesn't hurt to have the flasher and hoochie rig on the deeper line close to the ball. That way the stacked plug above and trailing on a longer leash benefits from the attraction of the flasher. I have had great days fishing hoochies close to 5mph, so they can and do catch fish at any speed.

I think what we are seeing here is a little akin to the fly fishers mentality that only their method is the true purists way to fish.

 

[Aces]

When i fish plugs i only fish them exclusively. troll at around 3.5 knots and run a 4 rod spread

 

[TheBigGuy]

When i fish plugs i only fish them exclusively. troll at around 3.5 knots and run a 4 rod spread

I agree, when on the west coast that is a great option.. 4 plugs on a fast troll is a fine choice if there's good concentrations of large actively feeding fish like on the offshore banks.

Not all of us are fortunate enough to get to fish that type of situation very often. If your fishing an area without good concentrations of large actively feeding Salmon sometimes it's better to go with a few different types of lures. Plugs tend to target larger springs, unfortunately not all of us live and fish an area like the highways with millions of American fish swimming by.

Other places it pays to cover your bets and have some gear out that will catch the smaller Salmon that are more plentiful in most other areas. I wish I lived in a place where I could drag 4 six inch Tomic plugs and do well. Try that around Vancouver and you'll probably be a long time between fish. The west coast is very different from other fishing locations that aren't so fortunate. Other places you try to cover your bets, and not run strictly large plugs.

Sorry, but I just think the all or none mentality is way too restrictive. When fishing inshore on the west coast I often times only run one large plug with my other lines usually being hoochies. The single plug has fished pretty well with the other gear. If the lone plug pays off, then I'll start loading up on more plugs. I don't think it has to be all or none, is all I'm saying. As long as you select the right gear to run at the quicker speeds you can mix and match, and that only increases your odds of getting into fish in my opinion.

 

[TheBigGuy]

I apologize if you feel I'm diluting the topic. I'm sorry if you feel the topic is only for guys who want to fish all plugs, all the time. I feel plugs can be used successfully with other gear as well. My posts have referenced how to pull the pins on a plug. How to repair a damaged through hole on a plug, and other gear that fishes well with plugs. I didn't realize this was the thread for guys who only wish to run plugs without the pins pulled, on all lines at all times. Plugs can be rigged different ways, and run alongside other gear. Exploring how to use and rig different tackle is one of the main reasons people come to this forum. I have brought up nothing that is off topic. All my posts were directly related to modifying or fishing plugs. I just happen to think differently on the topic than some other guys here. You guys have a very narrow view point. As I said this mentality reminds me of fly fishing forums.

Guess I'm outa here then. Have fun discussing how to never modify a plug, and how to definitely never dare to dunk a plug with any other gear. Guess you guys don't believe in bringing binoculars aboard either, wouldn't want to play havoc with your tunnel vision.

 

[TheBigGuy]

I am not calling you down. I simply think you have a narrow view point. Some people like to fish differently than you is all. I apologize if you were offended. I will leave you to your thread. I do enjoy fishing plugs. More people should give them a try. Have a great season, and I wish you nothing but good luck with your favorite plugs.