Plugs - How to run them for chinook

[trendsetter]

I picked up some assorted used tackle and found a few plugs in there. I've never run them before so have no idea what works or even if they work in Vancouver area waters.

Was thinking of trying these guys out for chinook out off the QA / Bowen area if the weather clears up soon. Any tips on how to rig these? I was thinking maybe 6' behind a green hotspot flasher.

What do you think? I like the looks of the smallest one (3.5").

 

[FishNmemories]

We used our plugs by themselves. Would actually run them 30-50 ft below the surface first thing in the morning...crack of dawn. Nothing quite like a spring salmon exploding out of the water just behind the boat. They are pumped right up at that depth, scappy, and tons of fun.

Then we would drop the plugs further down as it continued to get light. But I only use single barbless hooks!! Always seemed to work well enough and we caught lots of springs.

 

[scott craven]

I've never seen those before, looks like a cutplug imitation.
usually plugs are cylindrical in shape.

 

[spring fever]

I have seen those cutplug immitations-they look good in a store!! I would run them beside the boat and see what their action is-is it regular-or irregular-ie. does it rotate like a cutplug or is it erratic. If erratic-try playing with it to make it roll like a cut-plug. If you can get it rolling like a cut plug note the speed you got that to happen at. Then I would try trolling it without a flasher or maybe a dummy. I am always suspicious of cut-plug or anchovy immitations because with the real thing you get smell as well as visual and here you have to rely on strictly visual so it needs to be right on. Let us know.

 

[Sea Ranger]

We always had a large 7 inch plug on the bottom of each of our lines when commercial trolling. With a single hook almost as big as halibut hook. That was many years ago however but I bet it would still work. I still have a few hiding somewhere maybe I should find a few and try them out. But remember that they work better when trolled a bit faster then an anchovie so if your going to put out a plug you better run all plugs on your gear. One more little fact we use to do is: Once you have zeroed in on the plug that is working that day, put as many of the same plugs out as you have rods and try to imitate a small school of fish. Steve.( I gotta get out fishin soon!!!)

 

[FishWhisperer]

WCVI - 7" Tomic Plug, #546. Fish 'em alone and fish 'em fast. 3 - 4 kn.
(Alone, as in only plugs) As Sea Ranger stated, if you're dragging plugs, drag plugs on all rods.

 

[Rockfish]

I also have some of those old plastic cutplug plugs that I got from garage sales. I use them behind a flasher like a chovie holder about the same distance and they work great for Pinks without wasting a lot of bait. They have a very fast action (roll rate) so I troll them slow. Also got an 18lb Chinook on one two years back while fishing for Pinks.
I add a very tiny spoon to the split ring beside the hook much like you see added to some spoons - seems to help.

 

[trendsetter]

They do indeed say "cut plug" on them. The 3 black/green ones are luhr jensen. The other round one has no markings on it.

I'll give them a shot and let you guys know the results. Cheers!

 

[Rockfish]

The round one is a Mac’s Squid Salmon Plug made by the Floyd Tucker Co. in Gig Harbor Washington. I have some but have never used them. They were popular with sport fishermen in their day and a lot were sold so I assume they work.

 

[Rockfish]

I have to say that it is fun to play with old gear but if you are serious about fishing summer Chinook especially off Victoria and Sooke where we have a smaller and ever shrinking window to fish, and you are concerned about time and fuel, you need to fish flashers with anchovies or at least hootchies. This old crap may be fun to play with and I use it for Pinks with the possibility of getting a Chinook but there is a reason the guides use anchovies; at least down here.

 

[fshnfnatic]

X2 on that,Rockfish. Another tip when fishing plugs is to put it as far back from your release as possible. When I
commerical trolled years ago,my skipper,who was a master plug fisherman,would run 5in. plugs 15 fathoms(or 90 ft.)
behind,and 7in. 20 fathoms (120ft.) behind. keep in mind that if your fishing close to other boats,this is dangerous as
when you make your turns,there is far more chances of gear tangling in other boats lines. When your off on your own
however,this tactic works very well as it allows the plugs to dart and dance in a much wider field behind the boat!

 

[blackvelvet]

Yep, those are les davis cutplugs. They stopped producing them in the early '90's.

You can run them naked or if behind a flasher you want to be at least 7' back. They have a super tight , fast spin, so the slower you go the more effective they can be.

Last August we ran out of bait fishing out of Ucluelet and I ran a 5" version with no flasher and had plenty of salmon action plus a couple halibut when I ran it close to bottom.

Personally, I'd much rather run real bait (herring or chovies) than a fake plastic cutplug.

If you're gonna run plugs then buy a few tomics, at least then you know you're using something that is well proven.....No flasher and about 40' behind the release or longer if you are not around a lot of other boats with gear in the water.

 

[Highliner]

WCVI - 7" Tomic Plug, #546. Fish 'em alone and fish 'em fast. 3 - 4 kn.
(Alone, as in only plugs) As Sea Ranger stated, if you're dragging plugs, drag plugs on all rods.

I just bought some tubby tomics but haven't tried them yet. Has anyone had success running the tubbies with other bait/gear (at slower speeds)? I hope so, that's why I bought them.

 

[hambone]

I'm pretty sure I remember some of Codfathers (the guy out of Nootka) posts saying he runs tubbies while also using spoons. He catches a ton of fish doing it as well..... So you should be good to go. The tubbies don't seem popular though???

 

[Little Hawk]

Think you are bang-on Rockfish on that green Mac-Squid plug. Back in the early 80's when my wife's folks still had their place on the Shuswap I discovered that the big Kamloops Rainbows in there couldn't resist my red/pink Mac Squid. Never did try one out on salmon. If memory serves, a few years back someone told me (maybe Trotac? Not sure.) they could still get those plugs for me but they would have to order them. Extremely well made and when set up right buy themselves with a 25' or more leader behind the downrigger they had awesome action, unpredictable, this way and that. Very cool! Caught the biggest Rainbow of my life on it.

 

[Hit em Hard]

wcvi - 7" tomic plug, #546. Fish 'em alone and fish 'em fast. 3 - 4 kn.
(alone, as in only plugs) as sea ranger stated, if you're dragging plugs, drag plugs on all rods.

yuuup!!!

H.e.h.

 

[scott craven]

I wouldn't mix it up, plugs need to be trolled fast to get the proper action.
Spoons will roll rather than flutter if trolled too fast.

 

[trendsetter]

Tried out those plugs for a bit yesterday. They do have a tight roll type action. No fish though.

 

[Hit em Hard]

yep i understand craven, maybe im just lucky?, with that set-up i get hits on both the spoon and the plug, not traditional by any means, but it seems to work for me anyway...i try all sorts of strange/unorthadoxed stuff,lol..holmes*

I use to do the same and did well. I'm not sure why I don,t do it anymore except that I generally troll my plugs a lot faster these days - 3.5 to 4 knots. Perhaps I will slow down a bit and try the old method once in a while.

h.e.h.

 

[Derby]

I just bought some tubby tomics but haven't tried them yet. Has anyone had success running the tubbies with other bait/gear (at slower speeds)? I hope so, that's why I bought them.

I have found Tubby's work good with the mixed gear...fish good at a little slower speed ..that what I would fish....agree if you are fishing 7in Classic..speed and just plugs.....my 2 bits