I've never had much success with this plug. Wondering what you guys do for hooks? Bucktail?

Use them just the way they come out of the package ! That's how I use them. Changing hooks adding bucktails ect. will change the action.
Just my opinion !

Change the belly hook to a 4/0 VMC 4x strong and the tail to a single bucktail. Hook changes make this lure bite and work better in a strong rip and rough water.

Interesting comment. I, too, never did much with that plug (whereas the danny/BM darter was very productive). Probably just how and where I fished (a shallow outflow with a hard cross sweep), but it does point out that as a class there are some substantial differences between darters.

Of all the darters I have used over the years I have found the SS to be very consistent in action but my all time favorite is the 2 1/2 oz. darter by Gibbs. Unfortunatly it has srcrew eyes but "swims" well right out of the package. I also change the belly on this one to a 4/0 VMC with a sparse bucktail single rear hook. Both are good in storm seas.

be careful of how much bucktail you put on a tail hook of a darter- too much really deadens the zig zagging motion.
the only major modification i have done to a superstrike that resulted in catching a lot of fish was to remove the tail hook all together and put a small spit ring and a small swivil attached to a willow blade- it didnt zig zag much but the willow blade seemed to attract a lot of fish.

I already have cut 4/0's on the front of them so I'm going to stick with that. I think I remember Z or someone recommending a naked siwash and spit ring on the back. The split ring allowing the siwash to fold into the body when casting. I'm goint to try that but with a sparsely dressed hook.

I think these plugs are a very good, test the waters type plug. If I'm at a spot I'm not familiar with, I'll put on one of these babies, and test the waters.
I too use 'em as is. I've nailed a ton of bass on these plugs.:)

Interesting comment. I, too, never did much with that plug (whereas the danny/BM darter was very productive). Probably just how and where I fished (a shallow outflow with a hard cross sweep), but it does point out that as a class there are some substantial differences between darters.

I fish a spot that has those exact characteristics. I've done well with a 2 oz. tattoo darter here but it's a little rocky on the bottom and that darter gets pretty deep. I just get nervous about rendering a $20 plugs useless after a trip or two. It digs into the ground big time. I've read that the ss darter is popular for montauk because it doesn't run too deep. Also, the plastic is alot more durable.

Interesting comment. I, too, never did much with that plug (whereas the danny/BM darter was very productive). Probably just how and where I fished (a shallow outflow with a hard cross sweep), but it does point out that as a class there are some substantial differences between darters.


metal lips are much better for doing sweeps and darters are much better for retrieving agianst fast moving water.. or at least thats what i have found over time.

Also, when I retrieve the darters, I do a couple of cranks, stop, lift the tip, crank, stop, etc. The lifting of the rod tip, the twitching if you waht to call it that, is important in the retrieve process.

Most of the single hooks rigged it this way should be able to fold against the body and increase the casting distance.
Btw
This particular plug has a very strong casting properties right of the package.Steve is 100% right on a 4/0 hook .If you want a plug to dig in a strong current or rough seas you add a 4/0....but if you want to keep it up as high as possible ,go with cut 3/0
One of my favorite plugs.I'd say that more fish are landed on a darter on any given Montauk night than all other lure combined...btw....the needles,darters or metal lips take a ton of fish too but there is something about that zigzagging motion in a strong current

Speaking of Superstrike today while adding a new plug to my bag I had to move my SS bullet and both of the hooks right at the eyelet broke off and fell to the bottom of the tube.Never had this happen before to any lure!I would say change out the hooks on any SS lure asap.I have one with no hooks on it right now waiting for me to get some to rig up.

i agree w/ what most have said here, the ss darter is one of the most consistant lures i've throw thru the years. there is always one of some color in my bag. as others have said, i break off the junk mustads that come w/ these lures and replace them w/ vmc's and split rings. i still leave the 3/0's on there mainly because i want the action to stay as close to what it was designed for as possible. i want the lure to be more of a surface-subsurface darter. these lures work great in rips moderate surf, but i would pass on them in hard moving inlet channels. a 4/0 belly hook might help, but more often than not i had them lose their ability to stay in the rip and they would roll or come to the surface.

last year, i started using tattoo's 2oz darter when i need to get a medium sized lure down a little deeper than a ss darter and when the surf might be a little rougher. they dig and hold better due to the wider lip and design. when the mullet come around, this lure is deadly. i used to use a bm darter of the same size, but finding them is nearly impossible and the cost didnt justify them anymore.

either way, you should have a ss darter...maybe even a few. they are worth the money.

I finally have confidence in this plug. Had several nice fish to 25#'s last week when nothing else seemed to be working. I rigged it with 3/o's and that seems to be the ticket for me.

Thanks for the feedback. It encouraged me to fish it and I got results.

Not the biggest fish here but a good shot of doing it in the slop.

Super Strike makes great stuff....

So many plugs....so little time.

4/0 in the belly; a dash of flash and bucktail on the cut shank of a hook in the rear.

The size of the hooks isn't as important as replacing the stock "breakaway" Mustad cut eye trebles with something better--like VMC or Eagle Claw.

I'll bet you that if you take 4 brand new plugs, 6 of the 8 eyes on the hooks will fail under minimal pliers pressure, right out of the package :rtfm:

Super strike darter... :love:

I rig mine 2 ways, well two ways that I'll discuss. One is with 4/0 VMC trebles on the front and back, and the other is with a 4/0 treble front and a 6/0 siwash with some feather or hair on the tail. They work great in a cross current, outflow, or in calm water. Some guys won't throw darters in water that is not moving. I never understood that. I have taken TONS of fish over the years on the SS darters and it has become one of my top 5 favorite plugs. Working them is pretty easy too. I like a medium fast retreive, always staying in contact, with a random "pop" to the plug. If you test swim the plug during the daylight, you'll see the pop adds a little extra zig to the zag. Often the hit will come right after this extra movement when the plug sort of pauses and regains its composure to swing the other way. When the surf or curent gets too big to keep the darter in the water, out comes the SS bottle plug. Tattoo's darter has quickly taken its place in my bag as well, but wood just doesn't hold up over time to the rocks. There is nothing more frustrating than banging fish for half a tide, only to have the face of the darter chip off on a rock and suddenly your catch rate goes way down. Tat's darters do dive a bit deeper, but have their applications.

Super strike darter... :love:

One is with 4/0 VMC trebles on the front and back, and the other is with a 4/0 treble front and a 6/0 siwash with some feather or hair on the tail. T

I'll echo that... very consistent plug in the slop.

Bump for a great informative thread.

old thread bumped, same comments as I made 3 years ago

Funny to see this thread now. I live for those darters now.

The reason I don't make many darters is Superstrike, why bother.
The only thing I would add and I don't remember where I heard or read this but it works, is after it lands, pop it like a popper to start, then medium retrieve.

Love darters :love:

very informative thread even three years later....

thanks! i'll go modify the two i just Bought

You've come a long way Luds.:uhuh:

I fish a lot of darters. Love the action. I was afraid of them till I spent some time with them to get comfortable. Had to learn on the Vinyard a few years back as that was the only lure that was catching. A necessary part of the arsenal. Even some good luck on yellow or white during daylight (this can be a daylight plug in fall) when surf is strong, but not strong enough for a bottle. Also casts much better than a metal lip, so wind in face but fish a little further out bring out the darter as well. Black at night.
I have tried all the commercial brands with some success but primarily use some made by my dad (some long and thin, others fat). Watch any darter in the daylight and get used to how it feels and what the action is at various speeds. Also you can see if it runs deep or shallow and the brands do vary on depth and action. The wobble / wiggle is seductive.

I like a single hook in the rear and as Zeno states one that folds against the body adds casting distance. I have some single rear hooks trimmed with about 2 inches of 1/4 wide black rabbit that works well.

Fact is I have NEVER hooked a bass on the rear hook and thus I often fish the darter with no rear hook at as I believe this enhances the wiggle /wobble even more. Trade off one less hook (better at night to keep from me getting hooked) for more wobble.

Even picked up an Albie on the Vineyard a few years back when testing a blue Super Strike darter mid day.
Bill

SS darters rock,,,,, the only thing I did not see was taking the rear treble off all together when your tying to cull bass from within the mix of blues,,,,