Mike, you know that noodle rod I just got from MikeT , the Lami SB 121 3M. I think it will be great for throwing some of Brad's lures. I bought 3 - a 155 special in mackeral 3 1/2 0z., a stone cold in yellow 3 1/2 oz. and a Sagamore 155 special in purple 3 3/4 oz.
Now the question I have is do I retrieve the specials while whipping the rod back and forth to give the lure action? And how do I fich the Stone cold? that one doesn't have a flat spot like the others. Also should I put a single hook on the back instead of a treble? if so what size?

Thanks , and I really like the rod. It came out real nice and I love how it casts. I don't see how lami rates it so high.

In the Canal, I usually let the current do a lot of the "work" of fishing a pencil popper. I kind of let it sweep and just jiggle the rod tip. When it gets to the 10 or 2 o'clock position downcurrent, then I'll bring it in a couple of cranks, let it sit, and bounce the rod, maybe let it drop back a bit once or twice. If I'm sight casting, I'll try to cast a little past the break, then crank the lure back over the hole in the water. There, I'll whip the rod a little more than if I'm blind casting and working the rips.

The great thing about Brad's specials, as opposed to the Gibbs specials (which the new owners haven't brought back yet, and the last run of which were done in the early 90s by Griecci), is that they float just like a regular pencil at rest. This means you can throw a Hawg upcurrent at a breaking fish. With a Gibbs, the plug would sink instead of riding on top, and just getting it back up top was a chore.

The theory behind the specials is that the flat bottom causes them to plane when fished across or down current. In practice, I don't see that great a difference between them and the rounded ones like the Stone Cold. Brad makes them each way because some of his best customers want them, and he took a lot of feedback from a guy named Kevin who lived next door to the Gibbs family. Kevin used to be able to have Stan and John run off different plugs just for him. If someone commits to buying enough, Brad will make a run of plugs according to what they want. Kevin wanted a thinner profile round pencil, that became the Stone Cold, named after the wrestling guy---Kevin being a big WWF fan. Don Willis wanted the big 5 oz pencils, so he made the Super Hawg. Those guys probably buy 50+ plugs a year. Some of the odder colors, like the purples, pinks and so on, resulted from Kevin's input on the custom colors Gibbs made, but never mass-marketed. You used to be able to buy the funky colors, the specials, and seconds, right out of Gibbs' shop when it was run by the family.

I like singles on the back of mine---5/0 or 6/0 Siwash style dressed with a bucktail or feathers. I tie my own with feathers on Mustad Siwash. I prefer the tinned finish ones over stainless. They rust after a couple of seasons, but the tinned ones are stronger and easier to keep sharp. I also have been pleading with Brad to go up to a 4/0 on the belly hook, but he prefers the 3/0. His hooks are all installed the right way, and you won't find many that break right out of the package. I've been going to the 3/0 4x strong VMC hooks lately, attached via those HD split rings. I use the 6-1/2 size that Tim sells, as well as the VMC hooks. I don't like the VMC Siwash hooks as much as the Mustads, but he sells them dressed for 99 cents.

I think Lami rates the 121 3M for 3-6 oz? It'll throw a little more on the top end, but you're right, it handles weights under 3 oz just fine.

Thanks for that very detailed reply Ditch. The Lami catalog and their website both show the blank rated for 4-12 oz. , maybe a misprint. I did buy some 6/0 singles with bucktail and they are the tinned ones.