Tomic Plug Tips?

[cohochinook]

I am heading over to Esperenza Inlet this weekend. I have reviewed a bumch of forum posts on fishing tomic plugs. I have not used them before, but no about their effectiveness. Especially for producing bigger springs.

A couple of questions:
-Do they fish better later in the summer? It seems from the reading I have been doing most guys use them in August as opposed to now.

-Is it better to fish just plugs and troll fast or mix it up and troll at your normal 2 to 2.5 mph?

Any other tips or suggestions would be appreciated. I will post a report when I get back.

Thanks in advance!

 

[spring fever]

I use them whenever I feel there is a good chance of big springs. I troll quite fast and because of this I don't mix plugs and other lures-if you insist on mixing and trolling a plug my choice would be a hootchie on a longer tie such as 48 inches to mitigate the faster troll.

 

[cheech]

I like to pull the pins and run a heavy leader through with a couple of beads and a comm siwash hook. Be careful that it does not leak. You can plug the front hole with a piece of the pin and a little sealant.
Other than that remove the ring unless it is a thin pin. Tie off as high and close to the body as possible.
Run your leader longer than with a flasher and faster for sure.
Hit it with UV Blast. Run about 70' down. 3 Tyees on 1 trip last season with that formula.

 

[Yak]

Check the tomic website for rigging tips. This year I started pulling the pin on all my plugs as well.

Ive fished plugs more in august like you mentioned. When the big pilchards are around those 6 inch plugs worked best for me. Havent had much success with them in july, but I fish mostly on the inside that time of year.

Good luck to ya!

Yak

 

[the fog ducker]

Fellas

By no means am i an expert on plugging , but ,

My Experience , Too fricken lazy to pull the pins , so just sinch em tight to the body , get er MOVIN ,lol,,,3.5 - 4mph usually did it for us , 50 -75 feet behind the boat , 60 - 100 ft on the counter

1 top rod fished 25 - 30 feet above , 25 ft ish behind the boat , with the ```Iron Nog `` Special , Large Modified Pilch Spoon,,,
NO FLASHER , Make sure your swivel or bead chain is in good shape !!
line twist can create an Effin Mess...

Log book indicates almost this exact same time starting last year

PILCHARDS PILCHARDS PILCHARDS...

Hope this helps
Good Luck

Jeff see ya tomorrow ( * ) - Licker..[)]

FD...


thefogducker@hotmail.com

 

[searun]

All good advice, only thing I can add is if you find one that fishes great don't lose it...about one in every box of 6 is a stand out. I mark them each time they catch a fish with a little hook scratch on the front. After 6 or more fish, I have a good one and it gets fished harder than the rest. If you are buying used plugs look for the ones with loads of teeth marks...they are like gold.


Searun

 

[zmanszmail]

When we've fished the plugs in the past I usually just clipped a swivel on...Makes sense now why we've had little success. I looked at the website, do you guys sinch them with a rubber band like that? I would have guessed it would pop just from the fast trolling. I kinda like the "pull the pin" idea from what I saw, looks easy to fish once completed.

Don't stop reelin!

 

[copro]

If it leaks is it ruined? I bought a few and pulled the pin on them and one leaks. Can it be fished or fixed????

Thanks Jody

[img=left]http://gallery.bateau2.com/albums/userpics/12747/thumb_xDSC01379.JPG[/img=left]

 

[FishinHoop]

If the plug becomes water logged, then the plug will not swim correctly. It will rotate like a spoon and will not catch fish. I do however recommend pulling the pin and running the plug directly off your main line because if the line breaks then you can retrieve the precious plug.

 

[cohochinook]

Good video on pin removal http://www.captaindownriggins.com/Videos.htm

 

[Haze]

As one of you mentioned sometimes it’s one out of the box of 6 that is a fish catcher, what do most of you think the odds are of getting one that smacks them consistently? And what do you do with all the plugs that aren’t catching fish for you?

 

[fishin_magician]

quote:Originally posted by Haze

As one of you mentioned sometimes it’s one out of the box of 6 that is a fish catcher, what do most of you think the odds are of getting one that smacks them consistently? And what do you do with all the plugs that aren’t catching fish for you?

Hmmm..this is not to say that the rest of the six are garbage. Sure, there are hot ones which swim and seem to outproduce the others. However, many commercial trollers will tell you, if the hot depth is where the plug is being trolled, then it's that one with all the bite marks. I tested this theory and put out the "dogs" along side the hot ones. The dogs caught nearly as many fish as the hot ones that night. I musta got lucky as all 6 of those plugs are "killers" by definition now...I have a favorite 602 and 639 each with a ridiculous number of tyees on it. The 639 is going to see some action soon here....it has been mothballed for too long....

What tackle gets fished is the tackle that catches the fish (more times than not).

 

[profisher]

All I've done is tie a knot with lots of twists to make it (the knot) as long as practical. Pull the knot as far back on the pin (towards the plugs back) as possible and make sure it is lined up dead centre on the back of the plug. All you are trying to do is make the head of the plug dive down a bit more, which makes it swim and wiggle in a more fishy action. Keep the speed up and long tails from rigger to plug (allowing it to swim side to side more)...60 to 80 feet even more if boat traffic allows it. I've puled th pins too, but didn't get any substantially better results. Plugs will work some days and not others. I may leave the dock without plugs or spoons board, but never without bait.

 

[eaglemaniac]

Totally agree with the magician, as well as the profisher on his lengths. Farther back works for me. eman

 

[tubber]

I had good success last year with plugs, but not much last week off Ukee which is where I give them the most time. I was looking at the 2m swells with a chop on top and wondering how easy it would be to find a floating plug in that. I have pulled the old style pins on some older models.

 

[Califbill]

Couple questions from someone who never used a tomic plug. Do you get the rattle option on the 6"? Going to Telegraph 2nd week Aug. what color is best? What size is best? Best place to purchase as you come from Victoria? Will be crossing from Port Angeles.

21'Jetcraft Bluewater, Hobie Outback

 

[boomer]

Tight to the ring then slip a small bead chain on the line cut .25 of a inch of rubber tubbing

 

[boomer]

Tight to the bar then slip a small bead chain on the line cut .25 of a inch of rubber tubbing dip tubbing in soapy water the slide the piece of tubbing onto the plug close to the top .slip the bead under the tubbing. to do this use a big hook to lift the tubbing to get the beadchain under.Now you want more action or less just move the beads in more or out more.Also the beads also make the plug jump side to side at a lower speed.Good luck boomer

 

[bottomtime]

At the risk of sounding retarded, I have never fished with Tomic Plugs or any other type of plug and would like to know whether they should be trolled with or without flashers? With the bait shortage in Nootka, I am considering using them and would love to get as much info about using them as I can. Thanks.

 

[Dogbreath]

quote:Originally posted by bottomtime

.....I have never fished with Tomic Plugs or any other type of plug and would like to know whether they should be trolled with or without flashers?

No flasher ever.

Troll them at least 40 feet behind the wire and Go Like Hell!!