I know we did a thread on plugs for Cuttyhunk in June. So what would you change for the fall?

BigFish pencils and swimmers!;)

I am bringing Needles and I have a brand new Habs Blk/Purple 2 oz. needle to use. also some Pencils, Swimmers, Black Knights, for night time

Tins, and poppers for day light

Pencil poppers for day, Dannys and needles for night.

Any good needlefish in:

White
Blurple
Pink
Parrot

Swimmers (MAC Pikies, RM Smiths, etc):

White
Blurple
Yellow
Parrot

They also have a fondness for Beachmaster Cowboy Jr's in white ;)

Pencils (Any good brand like AH, Habs, Saltys, etc)

Parrot
White
Yellow/red head

Leave the little stuff home too, your going to catch bigfish, and the dinks will smack a 3oz plug as much as a 1oz. Think big!
Last fall out there, I did well in the AM with parrot pencils ;) Dont forget extra flashlight/batteries,it gets mighty dark out there and you'll be in deep **** without a light. Plan on doing alotta walking, I mean alot . So, when we goin? :D

ps, Dont forget to bring eels!!

don't forget darters
ya may want some that do not go too deep, keep it shallow since the water is shallow.

fuul moon so maybe lighter colors
I just picked up a squid white/pink tattoo darter

gonna bring everything

Where's that picture.
:D

Having dug somewhat deeper into the mysterious art of plugging several Elizabeth Islands from shore, may I be permitted to interject the following:

Most of the islands are not conducive to anything that would swim 2 feet or more below the surface. In fact when I am going to land on one of thier rocky shores I carry only two types of plugs: Needlefish and Dannys, period.

Night time is the right time. Fishing from shore in the day is not even close to the opportunitys that await the nighhtstalker. And all my daytime fishing is done from a skiff. Thses fish tend to hug the shore. At night they aren't spooked as they are when you wade down into the rocks under the rays of the sun. Casting from the skiff from outside to inside has proven to be the method of choice in daylight fishing the Elizabeths.

Any needle that stays on the surface, creates a big wake and has the profile of an eel is number one in my very small book of Island fishing techniques. You can bring all the spook, swimmers, poppers you want but the biggest bass eat needles consistently and your needle should be outfitted with a properly tied single siwash in the back and a single oversized treble on the belly. Not garish tying either on the tail. Four sadlle hackles (two each side facing each other) some bucktail and subtle hints of flash from crystal flash or my personal preference, Angel Hair.

And scents. I am totally convinced that added scents catch more fish. Dead slow once on the surface for both plug types, No twitching, snapping of the plug just a straight dead slow retrieve and let the scent and tail dressing do the work.

Oh yeah, on the full moon fish dusk till the rise and then go back to the clubhouse and imbibe in a few snorts of whatever libation you brought with you and hit the suds again in the wee hours before sun up. Full moons suck there.

As for Cuttyhunk itself, I would rate it at third place in Elizabeth Island fishing spots and a distant 3rd at that.

Oh yeah, on the full moon fish dusk till the rise and then go back to the clubhouse and imbibe in a few snorts of whatever libation you brought with you and hit the suds again in the wee hours before sun up. Full moons suck there.

As for Cuttyhunk itself, I would rate it at third place in Elizabeth Island fishing spots and a distant 3rd at that.


wow, thats encouraging! next weekend there will be a bright moon and everyone will be on a "3rd place" Island.

Flap, what are you using for scent?

My fall Cutty bag looks pretty much the same as my anytime Cutty bag
- 3 ounce Habs needle
- 7" Gibbs or Scud needle
- shallow running stubby needle (Tobias stubby works GREAT!!!)
- mid sized danny such as a Beachmaster or a Tattoo danny style
- old school Gibbs darter for the SW point
- a BIG pencil popper for dawn/dusk

I am in no way a Cuttyhunk pro, but for the few times I have been out there, I have put in a lot of time working and learning the island. Like Flap said, nothing that goes too deep unless you have found some of the deeper bowls and have figured out the short window of opportunity available in them.

I dont know what he uses but I love "Seabait" the stuff really seems to make a difference..............

I am definatly looking forward to the last weekend in Sept......

Funny you guys dont mention the sluggo, steve fished while you where there Tlap and caught 30lbers on the black sluggo till his arm's fell off, When we went in the spring he also crushed the fish with the black sluggo, in fact it outfished any other plug being tossed out there and it swims close to the surface.......

wow, thats encouraging! next weekend there will be a bright moon and everyone will be on a "3rd place" Island.


Can always swim across to Nashawena :eek5:

Can always swim across to Nashawena :eek5:


If I go, thats where I am fishing:bounce:

Gonna swim it Bill?

Bill, I was only listing my plugs for Cutty. Steve took 2 30's that night on the slug go, to 5 taken on plugs. I love the slug go now, but it is still lower on my list than many plugs. I am still building the confidence in it out there. It's hard for me to toss a slug go when I have taken so many good fish on other stuff there. Same deal with eels. I've taken some big fish on them out there, but I still have a soft spot in my heart for a hunk of wood and metal snaking sexily across the surface... :humpty: :humpty: :humpty:

Bill, I was only listing my plugs for Cutty. Steve took 2 30's that night on the slug go, to 5 taken on plugs. I love the slug go now, but it is still lower on my list than many plugs. I am still building the confidence in it out there. It's hard for me to toss a slug go when I have taken so many good fish on other stuff there. Same deal with eels. I've taken some big fish on them out there, but I still have a soft spot in my heart for a hunk of wood and metal snaking sexily across the surface... :humpty: :humpty: :humpty:

I'm the same way.I know sluggo's an eels catch but i like plugs so much better.
It's a long time goal of mine to prove all the eel tosser's wrong.
There's craft in both art's.
I just think u can do as well with the right presentation an the right plug.
Tough to beat that slimey creature with the heartbeat though.

Not trying to yank your chain there Tlap, Whatever it was it was, maybe they were not all 30lbs maybe 26lbs to 28lbs but either way he told me in the spot he was at he had 30 fish all good size and then was nice enoght to leave you all a note telling you where he caught them. I agree you use what your comfortable with, however that sluggo is a fish slayer....For me there is no need to switch from the rigged and live eels because they do work on occasion:hihi:

tlab, Do you throw that 3 oz. Habs which is a fast sinker into shallow water ? If you do you probably have to retrieve with a high speed to have it ride high in the column but that would defeat the optimum speed which is slow, no :huh:

I'm the same way.I know sluggo's an eels catch but i like plugs so much better.
It's a long time goal of mine to prove all the eel tosser's wrong.
There's craft in both art's.
I just think u can do as well with the right presentation an the right plug.
Tough to beat that slimey creature with the heartbeat though.
All I can say is this past spring There were plenty of fisherman on cutty and I am sure there were a few of them who new
what ere doing with plugs....I will just say this, there were more than a few of them willing to pay me good money for a snake and kicked themselves for not bringing some out there......A smart fisherman covers all bases.........

tlab, Do you throw that 3 oz. Habs which is a fast sinker into shallow water ? If you do you probably have to retrieve with a high speed to have it ride high in the column but that would defeat the optimum speed which is slow, no :huh:

Sometimes I use the big boy to reach out an touch someone. With a big stick. In other words fishin the outer edge''s of rock points.not sure they actually cast much further than the 2oz. Fish it for a bit an git it in.sometimes the fish will drop out on ya and if u can't get a shot at em ur not catchin.Them smaller ones he's been makin are good for that also.

......A smart fisherman covers all bases.........
I agree how do ya Transport an keep em alive out here.Resources being limited an all.

I agree how do ya Transport an keep em alive out here.Resources being limited an all.

its very easy, I have a system I use with a cooler, ice dripping down on them and draining away from them etc ... I also have them on a bed of seaweed like what you get in a flat of seaworms, once at my Island bed and breakfes, they get transfered to the bathtub, and a do not disturb sign goes on the door:tooth:

its very easy, I have a system I use with a cooler, ice dripping down on them and draining away from them etc ... I also have them on a bed of seaweed like what you get in a flat of seaworms, once at my Island bed and breakfes, they get transfered to the bathtub, and a do not disturb sign goes on the door:tooth:


I have a similar cooler.
When the eels are in the tub how do u shower.Don't tell me u get right in there with the eels.If so U really are #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&...

use the shower down the hall.....eels come first

Flap, what are you using for scent?

My fall Cutty bag looks pretty much the same as my anytime Cutty bag
- 3 ounce Habs needle
- 7" Gibbs or Scud needle
- shallow running stubby needle (Tobias stubby works GREAT!!!)
- mid sized danny such as a Beachmaster or a Tattoo danny style
- old school Gibbs darter for the SW point
- a BIG pencil popper for dawn/dusk

I am in no way a Cuttyhunk pro, but for the few times I have been out there, I have put in a lot of time working and learning the island. Like Flap said, nothing that goes too deep unless you have found some of the deeper bowls and have figured out the short window of opportunity available in them.

Toby, stay true to your plugs instead of real eels or rubber ones. I use smelly jelly and Seabait. The smelly jelly in Menhaden and the seabait in worm, of course. It takes way more in skill to have fish take a plug than a live eel and personally I find that way more rewarding. Almost anyone can chuck a live eel and catch fish. We had the otw boat out one early November night along the Elizabeths last fall. Neal Larson invited a friend who didn't know that much about striper fishing in general never mind in the dark. We threw plugs ( I was using a Creek Chub original Giant Jointed black Pikie) and they were throwing swimmers. Neal was hooking and so was I but the friend was coming up empty. "Put an eel on his rig" I suggested to Neal and as soon as the snake hit the water he was on and caught like he had been doing it all his life. I stayed with plugs and Neal went to eels so he could show his bud what to do, didn't catch as many but there was something to seeing okay bass in the mid 20 pound range come in with that old timer hanging across it's jaws. We didn't get any real quality fish that night but a number in that mid twenty pound class.

wow, thats encouraging! next weekend there will be a bright moon and everyone will be on a "3rd place" Island.

Tis true unfortunately and with all the gabbing on this site about it, it will only get more crowded. Talk about spot burning:poke: :conf:

Toby, stay true to your plugs instead of real eels or rubber ones. I use smelly jelly and Seabait. The smelly jelly in Menhaden and the seabait in worm, of course. It takes way more in skill to have fish take a plug than a live eel and personally I find that way more rewarding. Almost anyone can chuck a live eel and catch fish. We had the otw boat out one early November night along the Elizabeths last fall. Neal Larson invited a friend who didn't know that much about striper fishing in general never mind in the dark. We threw plugs ( I was using a Creek Chub original Giant Jointed black Pikie) and they were throwing swimmers. Neal was hooking and so was I but the friend was coming up empty. "Put an eel on his rig" I suggested to Neal and as soon as the snake hit the water he was on and caught like he had been doing it all his life. I stayed with plugs and Neal went to eels so he could show his bud what to do, didn't catch as many but there was something to seeing okay bass in the mid 20 pound range come in with that old timer hanging across it's jaws. We didn't get any real quality fish that night but a number in that mid twenty pound class.


thats just wrong ....Fishing eels is just like any other form , you still need to read your water, fish the right places , play the wind and tides etc... there is skill in anything.

Tis true unfortunately and with all the gabbing on this site about it, it will only get more crowded. Talk about spot burning:poke: :conf:

who cares....

Maybe it's me but a 20 pound fish is a nice fish for me any night

:hs::conf: :read:

Fact is EEL'S work but THERE are those times when them plugs just WORK Also, Can you Cast a Sluggo or a EEL 100 YARDS or More because sometimes you need to..............You can fish the HABS in shallow water, Cast out reel in fast till line is tight then with rod held at 11 O' clock reel so slow you are bored Plug will stay on or just below surface, I never lose them in the shallows doing that...................Give it a try or do What Works for You. Go get em

You cant teach an old eel new tricks...:uhoh:

:doh: This thread was never meant as a debate of eels vs plugs. It was started as a question of what you use on the island in the fall as opposed to other times of the year. It is a matter of personal opinion, and should not be a source of argument. Sure we all have preferences of what works where/when based on our personal experiences and what we are confident in, but nothing is written in stone. I think some of us, myslef included at times, need to realize that none of our words are gospel. Every aspect of surf fishing from plugging to eeling to chunking comes with different levels of skill. The basic idea of each type of fishing is easy and basic, but the nuances of each is what separates the average fishermen from the consistantly successful ones. If you limit yourself to only one method of fishing, you are possibly losing out on some memorable experiences and catches. If there was one single way to to catch large every time, there would not be so many options available to us in the surf and the challenge many of us hold so dear would not exist.

:doh: This thread was never meant as a debate of eels vs plugs. It was started as a question of what you use on the island in the fall as opposed to other times of the year. It is a matter of personal opinion, and should not be a source of argument. Sure we all have preferences of what works where/when based on our personal experiences and what we are confident in, but nothing is written in stone. I think some of us, myslef included at times, need to realize that none of our words are gospel. Every aspect of surf fishing from plugging to eeling to chunking comes with different levels of skill. The basic idea of each type of fishing is easy and basic, but the nuances of each is what separates the average fishermen from the consistantly successful ones. If you limit yourself to only one method of fishing, you are possibly losing out on some memorable experiences and catches. If there was one single way to to catch large every time, there would not be so many options available to us in the surf and the challenge many of us hold so dear would not exist.


Solid post
for a kid..
:D

Very well put, and so true:cputin:

Tis true unfortunately and with all the gabbing on this site about it, it will only get more crowded. Talk about spot burning
How can you burn a whole Island? And what is the point of a site where you can't refer to the geographic location you intend to fish?

How can you burn a whole Island?


Yes, I need to know also.

So you think your going there to get away huh?

I'm gonna fish the mainland this weekend.
Should have it all to myself.:D

I'm gonna fish the mainland this weekend.
Should have it all to myself.:D


Think again ;)

:doh: This thread was never meant as a debate of eels vs plugs. It was started as a question of what you use on the island in the fall as opposed to other times of the year. It is a matter of personal opinion, and should not be a source of argument. Sure we all have preferences of what works where/when based on our personal experiences and what we are confident in, but nothing is written in stone. I think some of us, myslef included at times, need to realize that none of our words are gospel. Every aspect of surf fishing from plugging to eeling to chunking comes with different levels of skill. The basic idea of each type of fishing is easy and basic, but the nuances of each is what separates the average fishermen from the consistantly successful ones. If you limit yourself to only one method of fishing, you are possibly losing out on some memorable experiences and catches. If there was one single way to to catch large every time, there would not be so many options available to us in the surf and the challenge many of us hold so dear would not exist.
Good post Tlap, it is unfortunate that in flaps earlier post to you he slid in that direct insult towrds me, anyone could pick that up...Whatever the case, you are right and I agree which is what I have been saying all along , go search..."the wise fisherman uses everything at his disposal"

Everybody be happy, it's September for Pete's sake :bgi:

[QUOTE=#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&]Good post Tlap, it is unfortunate that in flaps earlier post to you he slid in that direct insult towrds me, anyone could pick that up...QUOTE]

U should have seen what he posted before he changed it.
If i remember right it was something bout a slime bathing psychopathic girlie man...

Dude U gotta relax..

Fishing with guys who use eels and sluggos makes me a better plug fisherman. From the eel guys I've learned the fish are often there, even if I'm not getting them. I now fish spots harder and with more persistence, changing plugs more often. Likewise, they catch fish in close while most of my hits come out far. Means I'm passing over lots of fish. So I start out with shorter casts. Their offering smells better than mine, so I try scents. Once in a while I do better than them, so I feel like a huge success........ until the next time we fish.
Likewise the sluggo guys. The speed with which they retrieve goes against everything I ever thought you should do, but obviously works. So I try different retrieves, and plugs with more aggressive actions than I used to use. And try to build stuff that acts like a sluggo. I expect it to pay off. Their lures cast like %$%$%$%$ and smell even worse, knowing it gives me confidence my plugs aren't so bad. When I get it right, I'm a big shot. When I don't, I've got an excuse.
Works for me.

So... I digress.....the question....

what plugs would be in your bag on cutty this weekend????

im going to try night crawlers and meal worms on high low rigs .

Ross, I put alot of needles (all sizes), Spooks, swimmers and tins, slug-gos, teasers, Worm Potion
All plugs are 2 tone because of the bright moon. Eels and a couple of Eelbobs.

In my observation there are surfcasters that have alot invested in plugs along with memoriable experiences. It would be difficult to ask them to leave their plugs at home and only use eels or sluggos even if they knew that they produce more fish.

When for a number of years I did nothing but saltwater flyfish I ran the Osterville Anglers Club Educational series with my good friend Capt Ron Murphy, charterboat "Stray Cat" outa Hyannis. I put together a 8 week program of how to get started to advance techniques each year with many, many notable fishermen, scientists, professors etc. I was quite proud of the series over the number of years it ran. Later Gene Bourque and my self did the same for Redington Rod Company. Each year someone would invariably ask the question "How can I catch big bass consistently", I would answer in kind, well for starters you can put away all your fly rods and get a ten foot conventional rod and a big sled dog of an eel", "that's how to get big bass consistently" I know what a live eel can do. I still think getting to get a fish to take a plug is wayyyyy more rewarding.

There was no direct insult, you read to much into it I merely stated that eels, like EarthGirls, are easy. Minimal tackle, minimal care, and once the technique is picked, which is quickly done, the eel does the rest.

I know, I fished nothing but for years and caught many many big fish that way. Stifftip did a 1000 pounds one night back when on Monomoy with eels. But you know what I remember most about eel fishing? It was one night years back with Eric LaFleur, we were drifting eels in Barnstable Harbor at night and had been doing very well. Numbskull had given me a jointed eel he made, (looks just like a Tattoo eel, almost identical the difference being Numbskull made this one ten years ago.) I took that jointed eel plug out snapped it on and the fish totally disregarded the eels for the rest of the night and I croaked them on that plug while Eric just watched. That was my most memorable eel fishing experience.

If you were offended it was purely coincidental, I am merely stating fact and as you so admire the eel and it's fish catching abilities, so do I believe that plug fishing is the most rewarding and demanding of a fishermans knowledge.

If no fisher is present:

And an eel swims alone and a bass eats it does anyone hear it?


D.T. Susuki


some great stuff here :cheers: Thank you

some great stuff here :cheers: Thank you

Where? Whats great stuff? This thread is crap.. How bout some info, if your gonna reply to peoples threads. To much rambling, some members actually want answers