Other than nice paint jobs and a cult following for collectors, what the hell is so great about Lefty's plugs? I have seen them, held them etc., very light, lousy hooks. I mean a bass in a bad mood on the Elizabeth's would kill those things. Does anybody actually fish them?:huh: $45.00 for a plug new?

Fire away!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:rocket em:

I agree with most of ur statements the small ones are light the bigger ones are round 2 oz.More of a cult thing he was the first totally custom builder to sell epoxy finish lures.An the first to seal up all the holes.Not sure i like them that way I think I prefer a swivel as a fish can trow the lure on a fixed hook.They have great action being very light for there size.They don't cost 45 he sells em at some club functions an at the asbury show for 30 only recently up from 25 each.His son Wade makes a similar plug but is more meticulas with his finish an is a better painter.Wade was only sellin his stuff in the past few yrs to a local tackle shop that has since closed.They where gettin 40 $ per there.I have more wades then lefty's.I got them yrs ago for considerably less.I think the fact he only makes like 300 for the show creats his own short supply like the gas coMPANY'S

I wouldn't worry Flap....sounds to me like your just dumping gasoline on a forest fire......$45.00 a plug????:smash:

He can keep em'!:hs:

I never understood what the big attraction to them was either.

Flap... being born and bred here at the Jersey Shore; I find your question amusing and well deserving an honest answer. I usually try to refrain from posting on all the internet message boards because most people do not like what I have to say. But I have a feeling you might in this case.......

First off I would like to say here in Jersey we do not have the deep water or the amount of big fish you have up north, hence most Jersey Makers built plugs to catch little fish.

When Lefty first started building plugs he just epoxied the hook hangers in the baits; that was fine for most of the fish caught, but many big fish were lost, the whole hook hanger ripped from the bait. The design has since changed from what I am told, but not before pissing off a lot of people.

Did you ever see what happens to a totally sealed plug after the lip hits the rocks a few times or a couple of decent fish bend the lip around a little? THEY LEAK! The wood swells, paint peels, etc. :faga:

Don't get me wrong I have a couple of boxes full of Lefty's and Wade's, I have been saving for collector value or when I become a very old man and want to catch little fish.

I find it very dishearting to walk into the Asbury Park Show every year and see so many Lefty clones. We have so many talented lure makers here at the Jersey Shore, I just wish they would be themselves and make and perfect one model of their own. :doh:

Bob Hahn Plugs, Flap you might also want to hear what I think about them. They suck to fish, but have great collector value now. Did you know that most of the sharpies down here wouldn't fish them, but you New England boys loved them, go figure. :hee:

If you are going to the Asbury Show and want a good fishable plug, buy a McFadden, his plugs have caught more big fish than all of them combined. :kewl:

:hihi:...



BM, come back, read Surfsters post :kewl:.. I thought of you, and what you have said, when I read it.. :D
I'm sure you know what I mean Flap :D

[QUOTE=Surfsters].

Did you ever see what happens to a totally sealed plug after the lip hits the rocks a few times or a couple of decent fish bend the lip around a little? THEY LEAK! The wood swells, paint peels, etc. :faga:

??????? if the blank is properly sealed prior to paint and epoxy they should'nt.

[QUOTE=Surfsters].

Did you ever see what happens to a totally sealed plug after the lip hits the rocks a few times or a couple of decent fish bend the lip around a little? THEY LEAK! The wood swells, paint peels, etc. :faga:

??????? if the blank is properly sealed prior to paint and epoxy they should'nt.

I agree, if the blank is properly sealed before the paint, you are ok. Some of the first plugs I did, I fully encased them in epoxy. Unfortunately, I did not seal them. Once I got a crack, they were junk :blush: The other problem that could happen is that once they crack, you allow water in, but maybe not out as easily. Changes the weight of the plug, and the action. That said, I still prefer handcarves or crankbaits that are fully enclosed. Bomber types, for example, seem to work better that way.

Have never seen a Lefty up close, so I cannot comment on them.

Jigman

Surfsters...great reply and much appreciated. Nice to hear from someone with knowledge of these plugs. Got any pics of any McFadden plugs?

Flap... being born and bred here at the Jersey Shore; I find your question amusing and well deserving an honest answer. I usually try to refrain from posting on all the internet message boards because most people do not like what I have to say. But I have a feeling you might in this case.......

First off I would like to say here in Jersey we do not have the deep water or the amount of big fish you have up north, hence most Jersey Makers built plugs to catch little fish.

When Lefty first started building plugs he just epoxied the hook hangers in the baits; that was fine for most of the fish caught, but many big fish were lost, the whole hook hanger ripped from the bait. The design has since changed from what I am told, but not before pissing off a lot of people.

Did you ever see what happens to a totally sealed plug after the lip hits the rocks a few times or a couple of decent fish bend the lip around a little? THEY LEAK! The wood swells, paint peels, etc. :faga:

Don't get me wrong I have a couple of boxes full of Lefty's and Wade's, I have been saving for collector value or when I become a very old man and want to catch little fish.

I find it very dishearting to walk into the Asbury Park Show every year and see so many Lefty clones. We have so many talented lure makers here at the Jersey Shore, I just wish they would be themselves and make and perfect one model of their own. :doh:

Bob Hahn Plugs, Flap you might also want to hear what I think about them. They suck to fish, but have great collector value now. Did you know that most of the sharpies down here wouldn't fish them, but you New England boys loved them, go figure. :hee:

If you are going to the Asbury Show and want a good fishable plug, buy a McFadden, his plugs have caught more big fish than all of them combined. :kewl:

Surfster, thanks for your concise and completely honest answer. Your points are valid and well taken. Please do comment more here!
As far as a Mcfadden got any pics? Thanks Again, Steve Shiraka, aka Flaptail.:claps:

Oh yeah, one error. We don't have the big fish up here. (We got Bigfish though!)

here is one of my so called lefty clones. it is 7" weights 3.5oz. it swims much better then lefty and with 3 coats of epoxy i dont think there is any worry about swelling and splitting. at least the over 300 that i have sold no one has every come back with a problem only great things like this . my plug have caught 42 fish over 30# and 27 fish over 40#. oh ya lets not forget about the 5 14# blues i caught last year without a problem.

First off I would like to say here in Jersey we do not have the deep water or the amount of big fish you have up north, hence most Jersey Makers built plugs to catch little fish.

I like this comment ...lol
vb

ps.hi tom

right on it :bl:

Surfcaster`s reply was informative and concise

Carling Black Label...remember that beer? Brewery in Natick or Framingham off route 9

Black Label`s plugs are the balls!

Carling Black Label...remember that beer? Brewery in Natick or Framingham off route 9

Natick, "on the shores of Lake Cochituate" as their ad went :D

Half of the Asbury Park club makes lefty copies. :rollem: I'll snap some pics at the Asbury show this year and post them.

I find it very dishearting to walk into the Asbury Park Show every year and see so many Lefty clones. We have so many talented lure makers here at the Jersey Shore, I just wish they would be themselves and make and perfect one model of their own. :doh:

some nice points. i have to say surfster, cant the same be said for many of the custom lure builders that have come up today? how many have copied an idea of someone's lure and really done little different, but change the name? yes, some have come up w/ new ideas, and i applaud them for their creativity. but, too many are jumping on someone else's inginuity. i am very curious to see what this "custom wood" lure market looks like in 5-10 years. who's left, what changed, demands, etc.


Bob Hahn Plugs, Flap you might also want to hear what I think about them. They suck to fish, but have great collector value now. Did you know that most of the sharpies down here wouldn't fish them, but you New England boys loved them, go figure. :hee:

i remember many years back when i walked into a tackle shop, you had one choice for wood (custom or mass prod.) - gibbs. hahn's came into a few NE shops and they were a nice alternative to gibbs. hahn produced a few "unique" lures that had their place, which was something that was not available, except thru older lures they copied. but, you had to go thru the whole row of that lure and pick thru the ones that were crude - bent lips, unstraight drilling, unstraight cuts, etc. the percentages were surpisely low for a "true" lure. i still have many hahn's and they sit on the wall or drawer. there are better lures out now that cloned the same lures hahn cloned.

[QUOTE=SeaWolf]some nice points. i have to say surfster, cant the same be said for many of the custom lure builders that have come up today? how many have copied an idea of someone's lure and really done little different, but change the name? yes, some have come up w/ new ideas, and i applaud them for their creativity. but, too many are jumping on someone else's inginuity. i am very curious to see what this "custom wood" lure market looks like in 5-10 years. who's left, what changed, demands, etc.

only point I can add to this is the fact that there's not much left in the way of shape's that havn't already been done and have proven themselves in battle...so it's going to be copy city from this day forth...being shorter,larger,fatter,longer,smaller..he same shape is still there.

Bob Hahn Plugs, Flap you might also want to hear what I think about them. They suck to fish, but have great collector value now. Did you know that most of the sharpies down here wouldn't fish them, but you New England boys loved them, go figure. :hee:

:
your on crack, send me ya hans, the %$%$%$%$ing things work in falmouth big time
Thanks

It's warm out he has come out of his cave! A little grumpy though.:hidin:

Bob Hahn Plugs catch in N.J as well BM. Ok so their finish was not the best but they caught fish.

Bob Hahn Plugs catch in N.J as well BM. Ok so their finish was not the best but they caught fish.
The only problem I ever had wioth Hahns was the lips started to loose the finish. I think it was just chromed and they flaked off. They caught though, that's for sure.

If you are going to the Asbury Show and want a good fishable plug, buy a McFadden, his plugs have caught more big fish than all of them combined. :kewl:

I have no idea if they have caught more big fish or how many, but McFadden makes a plug exactly as it should be made.

I always like Billy's plug yes they catch and they are alittle cheaper than some of the custom stuff at the shows , stick on eyes, swivels ,great action and 15 and 20 dollars :bgi:

Im way ahead of my time, good to see some fianlly catching up :doh:

Anyone hmmmmmm? :heybaby:

here are a few billy McFaddens

some lefty's:eek:

:btu:

I like that last one Jomlt9.....I have not forgotten you...finishing up a batch in a couple weeks! Stay tuned!:eyes:

Flap would make a nice war rm. general.
Lots of guys did very well with Bob Hahns plugs.There are guys that would kill for some of his bottle plugs I have.
I don't own alot of Lefty's But the ones I thro work very well.I never paid anything close to 45 dollars for em.More like 2 for 45 dollars.I also have lots of Billy MacFaddens Plugs he is a good friend of mine. I have Billy's plugs from when he usta package em with his likeness an the Mc Duck.If i had to chose one topwater swimmer to throw at a good fish no question my large white lefty would be in my top five.Flap I hurd u praise the troublemaker lure up an down these threads a while back.
IMHO a Lefty is much better than them lures.no question its not even close.
Are there better lures I think it gets into circumstances.But to say a lefty or a Hahn is no good is foolish.
To each their own.

Tony, I don't think Lefty's are made with fishing in mind anymore, like I said it's a collector thing now with all the crazy colors and such. I don't own one, never fished with one but what I saw didn't impress me past the paint job and it was obvious it was to hook the fishermen (or more correctly the collector) than the fish. Opinions are like assh*les, everyone's got one. I guess that opinion is mine.
Never seen a beater Lefty, anyone I have seen was pristine and the owner wouldn't think of putting it in the water. 30 bucks x 300 lures at Asbury makes Lefty 9 grand. If you are retired thats yer quota for extraneous cash for the year with social security. Nice quick hit and a sure seller. What could be better?

You fish with them, your probably in a minority these days. Good for you though. I still fish my Capn' Bill's and Creek Chubs, especially my giant jointeds, I got plenty of doubletakes at the Race last fall ch#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&g a mint black giant jointed. Wooden Atoms make great eelskin plugs, I know because I made two last year from some of Ponds original plugs. Capesams would have a coronary.

The only Hahn's that ever impressed me were his surfster knock-offs. I know Numbskull has great affection for a large yellow/brown one he would throw to bass at a Falmouth site to be left un-named.

To bad you couldn't amke it last week. We could have downed my special Kielbasa/ bean concoction. I know you would have enjoyed it!

He would have had fuel for the long ride home!:rotf2:

Oh yeah, Steve Francescan's Troublemakers are still the finest and closest surfster knock-off I have ever seen. My friend Art Crago can attest to that. I gave him a pogie color one to fish last june. In Quicks' Hole he happened upon two guys live lining pogies and cleaning up on very big fish. Everyone else was s#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&g wind and watching. Ol' Art just pulled up, shut the boat down, reached down and snapped on the pogie Troublemaker and let it fly so it hit the water with a flop ( hint, could be a lesson here boys) like a pogie hits the water. Two cranks and he is on as well. Couple fish in the mid to high 30 pound class. Thoise plugs work and they work very very well.

When did Bob Hahn start and stop making plugs?
I know he is still alive and may be starting up again? (rumor)
I also know that the NJ guys have ton's of Hahn plugs that they are sitting on :)
VB

I only have 3 leftys a yellow one ,, a gold one that lefty fishes himself often and a spoonbill I'm told is one of twelve he made .. I think the plug is what it is ,,light tackle ,, schooly plug .don't make it a bad plug .. I like the whole Lefty story . Just a guy that liked to fish .. had a wife and kids and couldn't afford $2 for a plug . I read the thought behind the plug was it would be totally sealed and fish the same thru-out the season. The hooks are the 4x strong eagle claw so when the sweep back and forth they don't tear up themselves..The lips are molded into the plug as clean as a whistle .I like the fact Lefty is a fisherman first . He only makes so many plugs , when the fish are back he stops building until they leave .He could sell as many as he could build . Look at all the Lefty knockoffs and wannabees.I 've swam them off season and they swim very well . Could I fish them at my honey hole .. NO I can't fish a mustad 3x strong anymore .. there to soft, straightening out..opened a split ring . switched to triples ..no I wouldn't think my little lefty would stand up to this..Nice little plug ,, wish I had more,, Lefty sounds like a good guy ..

John how come yo:walk: :walk: :walk: u didn't show the famous lex plugs?

Plugs are for fishing.I have thousands an there might be 5 i don't thro.they are in my livin rm.More sentimental value than anything.I see these guys with these big Lefty collections I know alot of em.Most of em couldn't catch there ass with both hands anyways.So they may as well save em.I have a friend who loves fishin with lefty's they got this great wiggle on top.They shine in a offshore wind which brings the bait in close first light topwater.hard not to like it.we get some better fish here in NJ.In fact the past few yrs NJ has had some of the best concentrations of good fish on our coast.Lots of 30-40 lb fish have fell to his creations.Not to say other lures wouldn't work as well.One of my new favorite sayings is "Its the Indain Not the Arrow".

NIB,:btu:

[QUOTE=Jigman][QUOTE=afterhours]

I agree, if the blank is properly sealed before the paint, you are ok. Some of the first plugs I did, I fully encased them in epoxy. Unfortunately, I did not seal them. Once I got a crack, they were junk :blush: The other problem that could happen is that once they crack, you allow water in, but maybe not out as easily. Changes the weight of the plug, and the action. That said, I still prefer handcarves or crankbaits that are fully enclosed. Bomber types, for example, seem to work better that way.

IMO, if you use AYC, you don't have to seal and don't have the cracking/swelling/peeling problem. I have never sealed my AYC plugs I turn and have never had a paint problem.

Ronkm did u mean the tony spina plugs sorry I dont have any:wiggle: :wiggle: