[smells like fish]

ive been beach fisin for a while now and decided to take up pluggin, i dont want to sound stupid but i have no clue were to start can someone please tell me some popular plugs i should use pensils,topwaterpoppers,certain colors:huh::huh: id really appreciate the help i gotta start somewhere:bow:ive caught blues on topwater but my obsession is stripers

 

[missingtwo]

I just started plugging sod banks from a boat and this is what I use. There are a bunch more guys on here who know way more than me.

http://www.stillwater-lures.com/smack_it.htm

 

[Narragansett]

ive been beach fisin for a while now and decided to take up pluggin, i dont want to sound stupid but i have no clue were to start can someone please tell me some popular plugs i should use pensils,topwaterpoppers,certain colors:huh::huh: id really appreciate the help i gotta start somewhere:bow:ive caught blues on topwater but my obsession is stripers

I just answered this question in the chesapeake forum. if I had to have one lure, i would start with poppers. some light, some dark. I would not own 50 lures. Lures are designed to catch fishermen, long before fish. meaning if you have 50 lures, you will have half a dozen you use , that cast right. . I am giving up lures this year, and going to casting eggs with teasers or flies. You doing inland or surf. what do you use for a rod?

I like polaris style poppers

 

[Joseph Lamberty]

Start with soft shad bodies, soft plastics on jig heads metals, bucktails, and Bombers, Sebiles & XRaps fished behind teasers Most surf setups will throw these with some success . Thats where I started. before I made the investment in exspensive custom wood metal lips swimmers, pencils, darters,poppers, and needles I spend time on the beach and watched others catching fish with them first. to SEE what works in the waters I fish. Most plugs are designed to catch the fishermans eye first and if your lucky an occasional fish . I also learned by watching others that one surf rod will not work all these lures with success. You may need to build an arsenal first.


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[rjf3]

Plugging the surf I would start with a Red fin 7" or a Bomber Asalt in black and chicken scratch or school bus. I would run a teaser in front of it, of course. Surf conditions are not often right for poppers, but they have their moments. Mostly at first and last light. Learn to read the water and capitolize on current, and soft structure opportunities. The fish are often closer than you might expect....:thumbsup:

Use the search this forum feature to read past postings concerning teasers, and plugging. Enjoy.

Russ

 

[RhinoScores]

Unless you're a wealthy surf fisherman and can buy $1,000's worth of plugs, I'd go with rjf3's suggestions. Start with a few hard plastics (red fin, bomber, mag darter) with the primary colors being in black, white and yellow. Add some storm shads, metals (AOK), bucktails and some soft plastics like FinS and twistertails in white, black and pink. If you want to go with the more expensive wood plugs, I'd start with swimmers and pencil popper (stick to the same colors as above). My one piece of advise, don't carry the whole kitchen sink on to the beach - every season I cut back on the amount of lures I carry and I still don't use everything I carry.

 

[Tony Mig]

I'll throw my 2 cent opinion into this subject.......:nuts:

I've got a wall full of plugs, Bombers of every size & color, fed Fins, Stan Gibbs woodies, soft plastics of every variety on different weight jigheads, bucktails dressed with soft plastics....etc....etc.....

Every single one of them either can, or has caught a fish at one point or another, some I've taken a liking too for whatever reason, and many hang in the garage collecting dust.

There have been days I've stood in the suds throwing everything I had in the bag, others around me hooked up, and I got skunked, just the same I can recall on a couple occasions when I was hooking up with one after another, and everyone else was looking over my shoulder to see what I was using cause they couldn't catch a cold with what they had tied on.....

Certain plugs will work in certain conditions, sometimes the fish go after just the small one's and won't touch a 7" Bomber, other days they favor a certain color, or just soft plastics. Most often, trying to catch a striper with an artificial bait is much like trying to feed a toddler in a high chair something he doesn't like to eat, and it can get very frustrating....

What I've found to be the best way to fill a lure bag for surf and jetty plugging is this....
Get yourself a couple packs of Storm Shads in 4", Bunker color, white, and pink. Depending on the weight line and outfit you are using, a couple of Stan Gibbs or similar wood plugs, a couple of swimmers, and a couple surface poppers, fill in the open slots with a couple different color Bombers or similar mid water swimmers, and don't forget something metal either.
As for color, match the hatch is the basic rule, if the bass are chasing Herring in the spring, throw stuff that looks and swims like a herring, in the fall it's bunker and mullet. If they are chasing shiners or the water is real dirty throw the metal.

The important thing is to not get stuck on just one thing, if something isn't working after a dozen casts, change up to something else.
Like the rest of us, over time you will end up with a wall full of lures, some you will like, and others will collect dust....that's surf fishing.....:huh:

 

[fishincrazy]

I agree with Joe!I started with storm shads and soft plastics.Russ is right also with the redfins and bombers.You can't go wrong with T-Hex metals!Teasers are a staple here on the NJ coast due mostly I feel to the sand eels.Plugs are different in size the way they swim and where they swim in the water column.Topwater plugs are exciting to fish with cause you can see whats going on!!Sub surface swimmers are deadly when there's big bait in the water!!What ever you decide to do hook up with some pluggers who fish your area,tag along with them to fish.You'll learn more on the beach throwin in one night then you'll learn in a dozen of these posts!!

Now what is your primary set up??If your throwin bombers and red fins you'll need a rod which will throw the light weight plugs,if your goin to be tossing 3oz danny's or pikies you'll need a heavier set up.

Go for it!!!

FC:thumbsup:

 

[underdogg]

must haves

2 and 3 ounce white and yellow pencil poppers

16a black black&purple and yellow bombers

1 ounce black and orange&gold yo zuri magdarters

2 ounce wooden metal lips white yellow and olive colors

ava 17 with green tubes

pearl 4 inch storm swim shads paddletails

 

[Keeper Seeker]

As others have said your garage will be full up soon enough so start out slow.

Soft plastic. Shad bodies for swimming and something smaller with a longer, thinner profile for bouncing on the bottom, and a couple different size leadheads.

Hard plastic. Sub surface swimmers are my preference. I like smaller lures like Yo Zuri Crystal and Mag Minnows. All of the others mentioned as well but just get a couple that swim at different depths. In time you will have a ton of them and will develop a preference for maybe three max.

The key will be learning to read the structure to find fish. What type of structure creates what type of currents and where the fish will be in relation to that structure, Also what angles to cast across or into those currents.

A very important thing that was already mentioned is that the fish could be a lot closer than you might think. Fish your plug all the way to your feet.

Good Luck!

 

[predrag]

http://www.edgeangling.com/Art_Of_Surfcasting_With_Lures.html

There is still some time for reading before the season starts. This book will give answers to many of your questions

 

[fdformicola]

you can't go wrong with white bucktails:thumbsup:

 

[Belmo]

you can't go wrong with white bucktails:thumbsup:

Ding! We have a winner!

If you want to learn to throw artificials on the cheap, get a budget rod that's nine or ten feet, and rated 1/2-3 oz. or so. Tica, Tsunami, and Star all evidently make decent rods for $100 or less, and they're all evidently good, though I've not tried Tsunamis or Stars.

Then get a good reel, like a Shimano Stradic or a Penn Slammer. The key here is to get the best reel you can afford. You don't have to spend a ton, but I've yet to meet a surfcaster who regretted buying a good reel, and there are many who regretted buying something cheap. And with all the money you'll be saving on lures, you can afford a better reel. Spool your reel with a good braid, in either 30 or 50 lb. test (whatever you prefer).

Then buy a bunch of white bucktails, in sizes from 3/4 oz. to 2 or 3 oz. You only need two of each model -- you can outfit yourself with all the bucktails you'll need for the price of one or two of the fancy wooden custom plugs. Add in a few teasers, some leader material, a few trailers for your bucktails (rubber twisty tails work great) and a few barrel swivels, and you're good to go.

Now, here's the fun part: go find the fish. Knowing where and when to fish is 99% of plying the surf, and what lure to use is 1% or less. By restricting yourself to bucktails, you'll eliminate doubt from your mind about whether you're using the right lure -- and as bucktails catch as well as anything out there, you don't have to feel like you're shorting yourself. After a while (and after many trips getting skunked and feeling frustrated), you'll start to get a feel for when, and under what conditions, fish will be feeding, and where they'll be doing it. And, without using anything other than the humble bucktail, you'll be ahead of 98% of all surfcasters out there.

Once you've gotten to this point -- and it could take years -- then you can start experimenting with different lures, fancy colors, custom wood plugs, rubber paddle-tail swimmers, etc. But all this will be gravy: you will, with a very small investement, have opened the keys to the surfcasting vault.

I wish someone had recommended this method to me when I started. It would have saved me from going down many blind alleys. Because the truth is that you don't need anything fancy to catch: the key is finding the fish, in knowing where they'll be, and when they'll be there. And you can start to learn that without spending much money at all.

 

[kermic]

you can't go wrong with white bucktails:thumbsup:

I certainly agree with that statement. I consistently catch stripers from March to December on the beach, jetty or sod banks with basic white bucktail (Andrus). Get a couple and learn how to fish them, they will most certainly be your best weapon against stripers in any water you fish whether it's from a boat, surf or jetty- Maine to N.Carolina- bucktails work period!!!
I'd also invest in some bombers, 7" redfins, super strike needle & little neck poppers. Get a couple size ava metal lures and learn to fish them. I find it very difficult to tell people how to fish certain lures, it's a "feel" thing for me. With time on the water you'll get the "feel" and the rhythm of these lures and what works & what doesn't. You basically have to do what every fisherman has done for decades- Put your time in!!! There is no one magic bullet or lure. The best plug or lure is the one you have the most confidence with. I, like a lot of new plug guys, made the mistake when I first started out buying plug after plug after plug every color imaginable. You start to learn after a while that it comes back to presentation of the lure and confidence. I probably have in the neighborhood of 100 plugs and now I generally fish 10-15 of them. I just can't find myself to sell the others! I might swap out a plug or so depending on the season, but for the most part I have the same plugs in my bag almost all year.
I highly recommend reading Z's book on the "art of surfcasting with lures" to learn how these particular plugs act and fish.
Good luck!

 

[Narragansett]

Ding! We have a winner!

If you want to learn to throw artificials on the cheap, get a budget rod that's nine or ten feet, and rated 1/2-3 oz. or so. Tica, Tsunami, and Star all evidently make decent rods for $100 or less, and they're all evidently good, though I've not tried Tsunamis or Stars.

Then get a good reel, like a Shimano Stradic or a Penn Slammer. The key here is to get the best reel you can afford. You don't have to spend a ton, but I've yet to meet a surfcaster who regretted buying a good reel, and there are many who regretted buying something cheap. And with all the money you'll be saving on lures, you can afford a better reel. Spool your reel with a good braid, in either 30 or 50 lb. test (whatever you prefer).

Then buy a bunch of white bucktails, in sizes from 3/4 oz. to 2 or 3 oz. You only need two of each model -- you can outfit yourself with all the bucktails you'll need for the price of one or two of the fancy wooden custom plugs. Add in a few teasers, some leader material, a few trailers for your bucktails (rubber twisty tails work great) and a few barrel swivels, and you're good to go.

Now, here's the fun part: go find the fish. Knowing where and when to fish is 99% of plying the surf, and what lure to use is 1% or less. By restricting yourself to bucktails, you'll eliminate doubt from your mind about whether you're using the right lure -- and as bucktails catch as well as anything out there, you don't have to feel like you're shorting yourself. After a while (and after many trips getting skunked and feeling frustrated), you'll start to get a feel for when, and under what conditions, fish will be feeding, and where they'll be doing it. And, without using anything other than the humble bucktail, you'll be ahead of 98% of all surfcasters out there.

Once you've gotten to this point -- and it could take years -- then you can start experimenting with different lures, fancy colors, custom wood plugs, rubber paddle-tail swimmers, etc. But all this will be gravy: you will, with a very small investement, have opened the keys to the surfcasting vault.

I wish someone had recommended this method to me when I started. It would have saved me from going down many blind alleys. Because the truth is that you don't need anything fancy to catch: the key is finding the fish, in knowing where they'll be, and when they'll be there. And you can start to learn that without spending much money at all.

Bucktails with a piece of pork rind have saved many a day. I have fished every lure in the bag with no results. Put on a white or pogie colored bucktail, and the day is saved. A lot of guys forget bucktails and tins. They are proven lures that do't cost near what a woor plug costs. Another great thing about bucktails is they cast real well into the wind when you can't throw a plug 50 feet:thumbsup:

 

[smells like fish]

so many times i saw that book and thought of buying it that will be my first step:thumbsup: im using a 9ft airwave with a okuma reel backed with 20lb powerpro hope i bought the rite combo it feels nice light,balanced , im prob gonna do most pluggin from the jetty ive caught big blues and been hooked ever since . that topwater explosion is a rush . hey thanks for all the info its a big help :bow::bow: im also gonna try drifting along the sod banks and casting ! proud owner of a 21ft camo wareagle

 

[drownaclam]

im using a 9ft airwave with a okuma reel backed with 20lb powerpro hope i bought the rite combo it feels nice light,balanced
Be careful casting the the 20lb power pro, the lower the lb test gets really thin and will slice your finger on a mis-cast or slipped drag (make sure you set the drag right, before that first cast!)
Good luck with the setup

 

[kermic]

so many times i saw that book and thought of buying it that will be my first step:thumbsup: im using a 9ft airwave with a okuma reel backed with 20lb powerpro hope i bought the rite combo it feels nice light,balanced , im prob gonna do most pluggin from the jetty ive caught big blues and been hooked ever since . that topwater explosion is a rush . hey thanks for all the info its a big help :bow::bow: im also gonna try drifting along the sod banks and casting ! proud owner of a 21ft camo wareagle

You're set up is fine, except I don't recommend 20 lb pp on a jetty. The one negative about braid is it's not as abrasion resistant as mono that's a fact- and jetty rocks are killer on braid. I used to use 30# braid, but have since upgraded to 40 lb as I do mostly jetty, northern boulder field fishing. I'd also recommend (on the rocks) going with a 40-50 # 3-4 foot leader, and change it regularly.
For sod banks 20 lb pp is fine with a 30# leader. Good luck!

 

[Lotta Sick Days]

Catch a mess of schoolies!

All good advice above, especially the advice about getting good with one lure, whether that be bucktail/pork or shad or other plug.

I don't think anyone mentioned this, but it def worked for me when I first started: Schoolies in the late fall! If you want to get your confidence and also see how a variety of lures work and catch fish, late Nov and into Dec are a great training ground. You can get fish on bucktails, shad bodies, avas, small bombers and yozuris, needlefish plugs, maybe even topwater on a nice day with bait in the water. Always use a teaser. The smaller fish are much more forgiving of your presentation, and you can catch a dozen of them if you dial in what they are hitting. Nothing better to boost your confidence in the plugging rod.

The next thing to learn is how to read current and get your lure to sweep naturally up or down the beach, but that's a whole new thread.

Good luck!

 

[Joseph Lamberty]

All good advice above, especially the advice about getting good with one lure, whether that be bucktail/pork or shad or other plug.

I don't think anyone mentioned this, but it def worked for me when I first started: Schoolies in the late fall! If you want to get your confidence and also see how a variety of lures work and catch fish, late Nov and into Dec are a great training ground. You can get fish on bucktails, shad bodies, avas, small bombers and yozuris, needlefish plugs, maybe even topwater on a nice day with bait in the water. Always use a teaser. The smaller fish are much more forgiving of your presentation, and you can catch a dozen of them if you dial in what they are hitting. Nothing better to boost your confidence in the plugging rod.

The next thing to learn is how to read current and get your lure to sweep naturally up or down the beach, but that's a whole new thread.

Good luck!

Very Good advice !!!!..:thumbsup:.. Most Guys just Toss a lure 50 -75 yards Straight out which will catch fish. But I catch more fish presenting my lure so that it runs naturally with the current down the beach. I can't tell you how many times I have pulled a striper out from under someone fishing bait 100 yrds out by casting parallel to the beach under his line.


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