Plugs

[Yak]

Hey guys, im looking for some help/advice on fishing plugs. I was on the west coast this past weekend and plugs seemed to be the ticket. Im wondering if they work best with or without a flasher? And if guys use a leader/swivel or just tie to their regular line off the reel. Any help would be great

Thanks

Yak

 

[Sitkaspruce]

Hey

I tie mine with a leader of heavy 40 lbs test line and a bead swivel and usually pull the pins on the plugs.

Go to Tomic's web site and check out the different ways to fish them.

You could also just ask me.......since the plugs were my ticket.....[]

Cheers

SS

 

[Barnacle Bill]

Plugs are meant to be fished without being attached to a flasher. That been said, I have had great luck fishing them above and back of a dummy flasher...............BB

 

[eaglemaniac]

http://www.tomiclures.com/rigging_instructions.htm eman

 

[Slabby20]

I've always fished my plugs back 40'-50' from the cable. How about everyone else, how far back do you fish them??

 

[Sitkaspruce]

Slabby

I fish mine at least 40' back. Plugs need to be able to swim back there.

BB
I have never used a dummy flasher for plugs, might have to try that. Do you notice any difference in the catch ratio??

Cheers

SS

 

[adrianna3]

I fish mine waaay back. About 50 feet, and I also pull the pin. Then you don't have to tune them.

 

[Fishing Guide]

Cheers All,

Just returned from Ucluelet and the coho were so thick that I could not keep the gear in the water without nailing coho after coho. To minimize the damage I switched to plugs.

I usually find that 25 - 35 feet back from the pin is adequate but this trip it took 50 feet back before the springs started hitting hard. I also had to speed up until I was beginning to look for my water skies but it was at this faster troll that I caught 5 springs over 24 lbs in an hour. So, while one might have general ideas that work for plugs...one should keep an open mind to experimenting.

Fishing Guide
www.invictuscharters.com
BC Outdoors Pro Staff

PS I kept pace with a commercial boat one day and I was amazed at how fast they go when they are 'highlineing'.

 

[tubber]

Thanks FG. I'm going to print your post and leave copies lying around on my friend's boat. He is a stubborn bait-only fisher and of course gets to choose the speed to suit his side(it's his boat). Meanwhile, I get worn out weeding through the cohos and want to run plugs but haven't had much success at his pretty slow speed.

 

[Sitkaspruce]

Tubber

If you want to fish the plugs at slower speeds, take your knot on the plug pin (if you left it in)and push the knot all the way to the top and as far back of the pin. Make sure it is in line with the pin as well. It allows the plug to "shovel" into the water more, allowing better action at slower speeds. Tom Moss showed me that trick, along with a few others.

This is what I did this past weekend and it allowed my fishing partner to fish hootchies and other assorted lures at a slower speed for him. Then when he was catching small coho and springs and I was hitting good springs, he went to a plug as well. Fished the plugs at ~2.5 knots. I usually fish them around 3.0-3.5. Remember Tommy Moss designed them for the commercial troll fleet which trolls a lot faster than we usually do.

Cheers

SS

 

[tubber]

Thanks, will try that and the other suggetions on the Tomic website. What I really want to try is letting it back 50-60' and going about 4 knots, but I only get offshore in others' boats so I hesitate to tell them how to fish.

 

[IronNoggin]

quote:Originally posted by Sitkaspruce

...Remember Tommy Moss designed them for the commercial troll fleet which trolls a lot faster than we usually do.

aYup! And being well rehearsed in that arena, I generally troll anywhere from 3 to 3.8 with the plugs. And most often 40-50 feet back, no dummy flasher required. In fact, when targeting LARGE, the flasher may well be a deterrent. Those big slugs have seen a LOT</u> of gear through their lifetime, and some, especially some of the biggest, get shy of all that glitter. Right now I'm seeing great success with any 7" plug that resembles the multitudes of pilchards in the area

Tight Lines!
Nog