Ok, so I just finished reading Zeno's book (great read), and he's gotten me all excited to try fishing some deeper rips with metal lips. My problem is that I can't seem to find any suitable plugs that are available for a reasonable price. It's just not in my budget to spend $60 on a Beachmaster Cowboy, and other older models like Danny's Slopehead and Conrad and Donny Maples are hard to find and equally expensive. Does anyone know of any commercial builders who are making these types of plugs and are available for less than $30? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

What about Tatto's Deep Diver?I just did not fish them enough this fall and when I did they casted great and man,did they thump and swim deep in a current.I plan on using these plugs more next year.Especially in inlets.

Tattoo and gibbs both have diving matal lips available.

The top two are Capt Andy's. I think they have been re-released under a different name. Perhaps someone else knows. The medium blue one is maple and will go deeper than even a Conrad. The big one doesn't cast well ( like the danny and gibbs slope head it is weighted forward of the balance point), but it has worked very well for me at the outlet I fish. The bottom ones are plastic Magna Strike Equalizers. No longer made, but can be had cheap at flea markets etc. Theyll hold deep in fast flows as well.

Zeno's OTW Darter article talked about a new 3 oz, wide body, Gibbs darter that would go deeper.

What about Tatto's Deep Diver?I just did not fish them enough this fall and when I did they casted great and man,did they thump and swim deep in a current.I plan on using these plugs more next year.Especially in inlets.

but did they catch? i think the biggest fish i've caught on the deep diver was only 15lbs. i've done much better with his darter or a superstrike bottle in similar conditions.

but did they catch? i think the biggest fish i've caught on the deep diver was only 15lbs. i've done much better with his darter or a superstrike bottle in similar conditions.

Hell No!! But don't blame the plug.Ask anyone who knows me,I couldn't catch a fish if you threw one at me.This is why I will put more time into this plug next year.As for the darters and bottles,I too did much better with them,especially when there were stupid fish in the surf.:grins:

I make a copy of a floyd roman nike that LOVES rips and dives like a mo' :devil:

Thanks for all the replies so far guys. I like the look of the Tattoo diver and I plan on picking a few up, but I was under the impression that they were more of a medium-depth plug, in the 5-6' range, wheras I'm looking for something like10-15'. I do fairly well working deeper rips with bucktails, and I've got some 3 oz. Tattoo darters but I haven't become confident using those yet, just don't have the feel for it, need more practice.

you can also just bend the eye of the plug up to give it more depth....

can a medium tattoo reach 10' and greater in depth with the eye bent fully up???

I have tried and found that it is not capable of that depth. Has anyone else gotten it to reach those depths.

i still think its a great plug but not designed for 10 foot plus depths.

Most metal lips will swim deeper if your bend the nose wire up

John - JN-SKI's Slopehead Swimmers dive well also...

I make a copy of a floyd roman nike that LOVES rips and dives like a mo' :devil:


That man was a genius, Vic you are right on what a cool plug

I thought I'd check out some musky plugs and see if there was something that might work. A lot of the stuff striper guys use today originated as musky lures. I don't know if these would work well in deep rips, but these guys make some sassy plugs, too bad they're not through wired, but I think one of those grub tail jointed things might find it's way into my possession. ;)

http://www.bigforklures.com/reefdigger.shtml

lol... boy was my idea of "deep" waaaaaay off.. guess i can stop hitting those 30' - 40' deep holes.. :angel:

and here i was thinking all my 10'-15' spots were too shallow.. :huh:
of course i still wrestle with the concept of "what is slow?".

back to the drawing boards..

lol... boy was my idea of "deep" waaaaaay off.. guess i can stop hitting those 30' - 40' deep holes.. .

Crippled Herring/Bucktails

I weight my own swimmers so some dive deep, but I don't sell what I make.

Sounds to me like there's a niche here that needs filling .... Salty's Slopehead has a nice ring to it! :btu:

Crippled Herring/Bucktails

i've never been any good with jigs or spoons. and by no good, i mean i have NEVER gotten a hit let alone caught anything on one. i avoid them like the plague. so do the fish when i use them..

then again.. this past season they avoided everything i used like the plague.. lol. :rotf3:

i really cant figure them out though. i know they produce.. i just cant figure it out.