Fast
Here's my general speed rules for various species / gear:
Chumlies (flasher & hootchie): 1 - 1.5 knots. So slow the flashers simply sway from side to side & don't rotate;
Sox (flasher/hootchie or dummy flasher & spoons): 1.5 - 2 knots - slower for the hootchies, a little quicker to work the spoons;
Springs (dummy flasher and Bait): 2.3 - 2.5 knots
Springs (flasher & hootchie): 2.5 - 2.7 knots
Springs (dummy flasher & spoons): 2.7 - 3 knots
Springs (plugs): 3 - 4 knots
Those of course are based on flat tides - non moving water. With tidal influence, they'd represent Speed through the Water,
NOT Speed Over Ground as the GPS lists.
Case in point: Inside chum. Many time I've drug the gear so slowly into a pushing tide that the boat is actually moving backwards. Tide pushing harder than the boat moves against it.
Tide VERY much influences what your GPS will read (speed over ground). You need to pay much attention to what your gear is doing in the water (correct action) than what your GPS indicates you are moving. With the tide I'll often be right roaring along well over those listed speeds, against it, often much slower.
Plugs were specifically designed to move quickly. Most of the time I'm moving right around 3.5 knots when they are deployed. Never worry about out-running a
Biggie, they can and will move amazingly fast when they want it!
I will occasionally run bait with hootchies or spoons and adjust the speed somewhere between the two "preferred" rates to accommodate performance of each. Using bait and/or hootchies for me is very rare, especially so for springs. I very much prefer spoons and plugs when targeting them. And I never mix spoons with plugs (or anything with plugs for that matter). The spoons will generally
spin rather than wobble at the speeds I employ for plugs, while conversely, the plugs simply will not produce as well at the slower spoon speed.
I also tend to fish away from the crowds for a couple of reasons. First, I like the fish to see my gear first on any given day. And second, that allows me to run the gear whatever distance I like out behind the wire.
Of course that is simply what works for me. Obviously your mileage may vary...
Cheers,
Nog