A couple 10" 4.5-5 ounce pencils.

nice Dan.

Neat. How do they swim? I've got some old Gibbs like that, but they've never seen water. Does the extra hook deaden things, or will they glide with a slow retrieve?

Neat. How do they swim? I've got some old Gibbs like that, but they've never seen water. Does the extra hook deaden things, or will they glide with a slow retrieve?

Not sure yet, I weight my pencils to sit straight up and down so they should bounce and thrash more than glide. If i want something to glide I think a spook is a better suited.

If i want something to glide I think a spook is a better suited.

Re-think that. Pencils are very effective lures when worked slowly and allowed to slap and glide, with an occassional pause, then some fast thrashing, a pause, twitch, and restart a slow gliding retrieve. In the canal you can't appreciate this very well, particularly as the current gets moving. Your pencils look to be modeled on the Gibbs, which are excellent lures. I'm sure they will fish well, I'm only curious because I've never fished one of the big three hook Gibbs ones and this year I have a friend who has taken/lost some appreciable fish using a long (9") skinny spook so I'm thinking about bigger plugs for this winter. I like your stuff very much.

I can see where you are coming from there. I built these particularly for a running current in the canal. For me I have my best success in the canal, just throwing them out as far as possible and letting them sweep across the current constantly thrashing. Beach fishing I feel that pencils that can glide as well as bounce as you described are more effective. And you are correct these are a rough take on a Gibbs pencil. Here's a pic to give you an idea how these sit.

I can see where you are coming from there. I built these particularly for a running current in the canal. For me I have my best success in the canal, just throwing them out as far as possible and letting them sweep across the current constantly thrashing. .

It may also be worth going the other way. I was comically outcast and outfished during my desperate canal forays this year by Flap and Stiff Tip, who were using a small heavily loaded 4" Cordell pencil. It cast like a bullet (because its size to weight ratio was so small) but would come to the top quickly and swim with just a little nose slap (you could hardly see it out there). Fish of all sizes, feeding on small bait, just killed it. I think active thrashing retrieves (with pauses and twitches thrown in) are best when fish are reluctant, or need to be drawn up from depth. When fish are already on top actively feeding they often seem to just cruise around casually s#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&g in whatever they come across. Then, a slow subtle retrieve with the right sized plug can be deadly, particularly on the larger fish.

Those are some nice pencils, good knock-off of the Gibbs 5-1/4 oz. I have caught fish on those monsters. They are the reason I learned how to use and went to strictly conventional for canal fishing. I almost took off the top of my finger tossing them with drag slippage on the cast.

The big Gibbs worked best at slack water. Especially when we had the spring (Late May/early June squid run) oddly enough the Flo. Orange color was best then.

Working one slowly with a side to side aweep as it came back. I have caught fish to 30+ pounds and as little as five pounds on 'em.

For fast water, because distance is the key to canal plugging success, we would go to the Gibbs canal special and let it arc across the tide while just working the rod tip and not reeling until the plug was paralel to shore. Nowadays, we use the plastic loaded Cotton Cordell's with even better hook up ratio's.

I don't beleive you could work those and chuck them far enough with a spinning rod, for big pencils like that you need convench gear.

If the mackerel take up residence next year like they did this year, you'll do well on them, especially in late may/June.

Don't forget to post some pics when you do, which I am sure you will, really nice work!!!!!

attached is a pic of the loaded Cordell Numby mentioned. You have to hand decorate them with Sharpie markers.

Interesting comments guys. These were built for when big bait (pogies/macs) are around but wouldn't have thought these would go along with squid. I've seen a number of people using those loaded Cordells and they work no doubt about that. My goto plugs have been a batch of sinking canal specials that I made which will cast just as well as anything I've come across even the loaded Cordells.