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First plug out of the bag.

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bag plug
11K views 36 replies 27 participants last post by  richtrox 
#1 ·
Whats your first plug you grab for. Everyone has a favorite.
No matter what the conditions I find myself throwing a casting swimmer.
 
#2 ·
For a long time it was either a rubber shad or a metal-lipped swimmer, but I have recently figured out about pencil poppers, and how to make them walk, and at this time of the year I almost automatically reach for a pencil first to test the waters. Pencils have been taking some LARGE fish around here.

I like those casting swimmers (bottle plugs) a lot too, but you need some current to really make them shine, I fish open beaches a lot, so I have to provide the current in the form of retrieve speed....I have had some killer days throwing them.
 
#3 ·
As one who fishes almost exclusively at night, my go-to plug for the last year has been a stubby swimmer made by Jimi4290, white on bottom, blue on the sides, black on top. This little plug really shines. I gave it away to a real nice kid at the canal last month. Now playing with a green and black version of the same plug,,, there was something about that blue though.... It had some wicked mojo...

6" bunker colored Storm Wild Eye shads are always on hand too, as well as pencil poppers for daybreak.
 
#13 ·
As one who fishes almost exclusively at night, my go-to plug for the last year has been a stubby swimmer made by Jimi4290, white on bottom, blue on the sides, black on top. This little plug really shines. I gave it away to a real nice kid at the canal last month. Now playing with a green and black version of the same plug,,, there was something about that blue though.... It had some wicked mojo...

6" bunker colored Storm Wild Eye shads are always on hand too, as well as pencil poppers for daybreak.
I would have to agree about the stubby swimmer from 4290, its big fish catching ablity has been proven to me a few times when brand name plugs caught shorts his plug hooked keepers! Currently its in the mouth of a big bassy in the Canal....best way for the little guy to go!
 
#4 ·
next time i fire up the lathe jacob..ill make you another blue one...with the white belly and black back...and ill use the same hook configuration too..one set in the arse!!!

ide say it depends on where and when im fishing...i always try to keep a bit of a variety in the bag.. a few tins, jigs, pencils, swimmers...a few color choices of each...sometimes it seems the sure fire plug gets not even a glance and the oddball gets the prize of the day.
 
#8 ·
"ide say it depends on where and when im fishing"
JP makes a good point.
The better question would be
Is there one lure you own and know so well that you use it almost exclusively
as your search lure because of it's success rate?

Excluding Bucktails :einstein:
 
#12 ·
thats not a better question...they are all equally great questions jim.

for me its still where and when im fishing...excluding dead or live bait and bucktails ide have to narrow it down to tins and swimshads by day..and sluggos and swimshads by night. but there have been countless times i start off with wood plugs.
 
#17 ·
I'm with Blasko, yellow darter. Of course they only work in Montauk, the fish are smahhhtah up here in in Massachusetts. They would never fall for a NY lure like that.

I just got a really nice looking Danny that might be the 1st one out tommorow night however.
 
#18 ·
My 1st plug out is a felmlee eel, black and yellow at night and natural for day. Only problem is that I cannot find the tins anymore. and I only have 2 left. Does anyone know where I can get more? I hate to buy 1 eel for $12 just to get a tin.
 
#20 ·
Being "old skool" such as I am, I'm still with the Kastmaster if there is any daylight showing at all. When dark, it's a bucktail.
Not saying I stay with them, but it's what's on my rods more often than not. They do get "personalized" however.
I gravitate towards fishing deeper (like bottom) generally.
 
#21 ·
There's no simple answer to that question
Day, night?
Spring, summer, fall, winter ??
Big bait around or small ??
Beach, jetty, inlet, river ??

And so on and so on.....................
 
#23 ·
it really doesn;t matter to me which one i am throwing (if any at all) but since the question aroze i will say (a grey and white teaser) if i throw a plug it is gonna have a teaser (with the exception of a popper) and the teaser is what makes most plugs shine. so i will throw a white w/brown back surfster or sinking needle in close along the structure i;m working or maybe a loaded magnum bomber in same color. then put on a surfster and get out a little further and then if nothing use a 5 oz hopkins to get way out with the teaser. where i fish i am not putting a pencil to good use and a danny will work in some places as well as a darter but in most cases i need to get out to some deeper cooler water so any heavy plug or metal will suffice. so a surfster is the choice in most instances. a ****** i recently aquired (zim plug) is probably my first choice and i am sure i can persuade somebody to make me a couple of 3oz jammies as i will assuredly have that one bit off.
 
#27 ·
I just got a 2 oz. Atom popper in blue/white. I put in about two hours practice with it the day I got it. I was pretty far up the river, so I didn't expect to catch any thing I was just practicing.Is this OK for after dark or should I use a black plug and save the colored one for the day?
 
#28 ·
i am a huge fan of bucktail...i almost always start out day or night with a bucktail and strip of pork rind...white ones for day, and black or wine red at night... but since the original question was what plug would be first...

my first plug outta the bag is a gibbs silver top white bottom saltwater pro pencil popper for the day

or a tatoo tackle everlasting eel at night
 
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