I will get my feet wet here!:biglaugh:

I like to fish "Big Plugs" 4oz. and bigger. I was wondering who else likes to fish big plugs and if you do:uhuh: "Why"?:)

Hi Gary! How are you! Having casted a few Big Water Lures I can attest to their beautiful swimming action.......love them! I do however prefer a plug in the 2.5 oz.-3 oz. range. Having a bad back is the number one reason. I can cast more easily without having to heave a larger plug. If I throw anything bigger than 3 oz. my back goes south quickly and can only hold up for about 2 hours. However....given certain locations I would like to try something on the larger size! At least for a couple hours!:btu:

Nice to see you post Gary! :cputin:

had a ball throwing huge plugs with my conv lami and tica w 7000....pikies to 9oz....spooks to 6.50z...pencils to about 5oz poppers to 5oz.....I found that the over sized plugs held there own vs the smaller plugs....theres nothing like loading a conv and blasting a plug out for distance

had a ball throwing huge plugs with my conv lami and tica w 7000....pikies to 9oz....spooks to 6.50z...pencils to about 5oz poppers to 5oz.....I found that the over sized plugs held there own vs the smaller plugs....theres nothing like loading a conv and blasting a plug out for distance

I just picked up two used Abu 7000 with bushing instead of bearings(easier to clean I am told) to use wetsuiting. I have not use conventional as much as I would like because of the swimming. So we will see how this works out. I like the conventional for the big plugs Pikes 4 to 8 1/2 oz. This should be fun!:jump: Anybody swim with their conventionals?:eek:

Hi Gary!:wavey:

I like big plugs, because big plugs mean big fish! So i am told.

Hi Gary! How are you! Having casted a few Big Water Lures I can attest to their beautiful swimming action.......love them! I do however prefer a plug in the 2.5 oz.-3 oz. range. Having a bad back is the number one reason. I can cast more easily without having to heave a larger plug. If I throw anything bigger than 3 oz. my back goes south quickly and can only hold up for about 2 hours. However....given certain locations I would like to try something on the larger size! At least for a couple hours!:btu:

Nice to see you post Gary! :cputin:

Hey Larry, Don asked me to hunt up a picture from Cutty, I came across a pic of you holding a nice striper, You weren't using a Big Water than, might have been a Big Fish!:btu:

hi gary, i like the big stuff too, 4 - 5.5oz :bl: i think that there is a time and place for all sizes..

Gary, 2 years ago you were kind enough to give me 2 of you plugs to use. I use them and can tell you the action is excellent but wish you would make smaller versions to meet the needs of regular or common surf tackle , say 1 to 31/2 oz. Your standard plugs are huge and lend themselves to conv. tackle which I use when throwing your plugs. Also,How can I get one of your jointed Pikies. Keep up the good work? Thanks , Steve

Jointed pikies:drool:

OK I built a couple BIGGIES but need HOOKS anyone have a few I can BUY :err: llooking for 4 trebles about 9 or 10/0 if so Ill will POST
when I GET THEM.:humpty:

ALSO could you PLEASE POST PIC'S of your BIG PLUGS w/ weights
would like to build some more.:err:
GOOD LUCK GOOD PLUGGIN:cool:

Love throwing the big plugs 5oz+

must be tough casting conventional with sideplates full of water....

hi gary, i like the big stuff too, 4 - 5.5oz :bl: i think that there is a time and place for all sizes..

If you are looking for bigger fish I think any time or place is good for big plugs! That is my philosophy around fishing and plug building. The one exception to that thinking you were witness to. It was at Cutty two years ago and there were some big fish around. The night we fished by each other the fish were keyed in on sandeels. I determined this by the amount of big fish caught that night on needlefish. At dusk you got a 39lber on one of your needles or pencils. All I managed that night was a 20 on medium diver(8" 5 1/2oz.). I could not buy a fish on a big plug, while big fish were landed on each side of me. I felt fish pulling on my plug, but they were just after the tied tail. That also happened to me at Block this spring. Three sides of the island were covered with small sand eels. I had to move away from the sandeels to catch fish I big plugs. If you catch a fish on a plug 4oz. or better 9 times out of ten it is worth the effort! Stripers are very aggressive, you can catch small stripers on big plugs its just harder. :D

Hi Gary ... good to see you here.. I fish everything and most everybodys plugs .. Yea .. Thats tough in June when they're on those pin head sand eels . I think a 4" blue back sluggo rules then . If I swam I could probably get them out there ..

Gary, 2 years ago you were kind enough to give me 2 of you plugs to use. I use them and can tell you the action is excellent but wish you would make smaller versions to meet the needs of regular or common surf tackle , say 1 to 31/2 oz. Your standard plugs are huge and lend themselves to conv. tackle which I use when throwing your plugs. Also,How can I get one of your jointed Pikies. Keep up the good work? Thanks , Steve
I do make a Junior at 6 1/2" 2 1/2 oz. but in keeping with the mindset of "Big Plugs" I use it in freshwater. I have two spinning outfits that I throw the big Pikes with. My favorite is a custom graphite 10' from the 80's that use to be my eeling outfit so it has some feel to it. I am getting it refinished and just found out the blank is a 1321m. It throws the Giants and the Divers (4oz to 61/2 oz) just fine and I can even lob the Trollers (71/2oz to 8 1/2oz) with it. I have a VS 250 on it. I love that rod!! The other outfit is a 11 1/2'
lami that will throw a small car, I can lay into the Trollers with that one, have an old Crack 300 on that one. When I came into surfcasting in the early 80's everybody used big rods. :spin:

I do make a Junior at 6 1/2" 2 1/2 oz. but in keeping with the mindset of "Big Plugs" I use it in freshwater. I have two spinning outfits that I throw the big Pikes with. My favorite is a custom graphite 10' from the 80's that use to be my eeling outfit so it has some feel to it. I am getting it refinished and just found out the blank is a 1321m. It throws the Giants and the Divers (4oz to 61/2 oz) just fine and I can even lob the Trollers (71/2oz to 8 1/2oz) with it. I have a VS 250 on it. I love that rod!! The other outfit is a 11 1/2'
lami that will throw a small car, I can lay into the Trollers with that one, have an old Crack 300 on that one. When I came into surfcasting in the early 80's everybody used big rods. :spin:
11 1/2 foot with a Crack 300, boy does that bring back memories.
This thread may force me to get one of your giants:o
Ed

Hi Gary :wavey:,

I like big plugs. Bigwater Giant + 1201m +50# braid = no problem + big fish.

Just wear a glove.

Hi Gary,
You've seen that yellow pikie of yours I fish with. Even though it's the smaller version, it's been my favorite plug to fish around rock piles up here in the North Shore. I beat that thing pretty good last season as you could tell, it got slammed off many rocks, and it's still swimming strong. Whatever finish process you use on the plugs holds up really well. Can't wait to wet that deep diver you gave me. I have a few coves that are just begging for it.
I too like to fish big plugs but feel like I can cast and work them much better with conventional gear which I haven't been using much of lately. This year I'll be tossing some bigger stuff and will just have to deal with the damn blow ups.

Come onnnnnnnnnnn June!:hihi:

5-6oz plugs on a 10-11 ft graphite rod? All night? :shocked::shocked:
I find 4 oz gets old fast. 3-3.5 is all I can handle for an extended time. If I was going with bigger stuff I'd drop down to 8.5-9 ft and overload something soft. Once casting gets to be work, my interest drops off fast.

I have noticed the more concentrated I have become in targeting large the average size of the plugs I carry has gone up accordingly. The main reason behind this is, I've been much more willing to forgo numbers of bites to get the one quality bite which is the general result of the larger plug. This has led to me building a lot of plugs that are 7"+ and 3-5 ounces recently.

Love throwing the big plugs 5oz+

must be tough casting conventional with sideplates full of water....

I may have the first "drilled" Abu 7000!!:eek:

Trust me you wont be dissapoint if you get one of Gary's giant. They truly are a great plug and catch too!

I have noticed the more concentrated I have become in targeting large the average size of the plugs I carry has gone up accordingly. The main reason behind this is, I've been much more willing to forgo numbers of bites to get the one quality bite which is the general result of the larger plug. This has led to me building a lot of plugs that are 7"+ and 3-5 ounces recently.


:btu:

i agree with you 100% the old adage... big plug=big fish

is it spring yet?? :ss:

I try to fish 3 to 4 oz plugs but a few years back at the east end of the canal with the wind blowing 35 plus knots I was throwing 6 oz diamond jigs to get to the bottom and the fish were hungry.

Gary has some of the best paint job i've seen on a plug also. Sometimes I feel they shouldnt even be fished.

Gary has some of the best paint job i've seen on a plug also. Sometimes I feel they shouldnt even be fished.

I put a lot into my plug, as do I'm sure the other plugmakers! Nobody handmakes plug unless they love it. When I am making a plug I am thinking about fishing and little else. That what makes it special. My plugs were made to be fished!!

I may have the first "drilled" Abu 7000!!:eek:

Let us know how that works out.

I put a lot into my plug, as do I'm sure the other plugmakers! Nobody handmakes plug unless they love it. When I am making a plug I am thinking about fishing and little else. That what makes it special. My plugs were made to be fished!!

This is not helping my cabin fever, as my first GRS Pikie was obtained AFTER I was done for the season.:splat::wall:

I may have the first "drilled" Abu 7000!!:eek:

When i was younger during the summer we would swim to fishing spots with one arm and keep the pole out of the water with the other... what a pain in the a$$

worked out 10% of the time :rollem:

Big plugs are great and definetly have their time and place.

I remember all to well the huge sticks of the 80s. I had my first custom wrapped in 82 after I got out of the Army, 13' 1 piece Lami.
Cost me 125 bucks back then and my dad thought I was nutz. :spin:

I don't think I could throw one of those now. 11' ers get heavy after a night now.

5-6oz plugs on a 10-11 ft graphite rod? All night? :shocked::shocked:
I find 4 oz gets old fast. 3-3.5 is all I can handle for an extended time. If I was going with bigger stuff I'd drop down to 8.5-9 ft and overload something soft. Once casting gets to be work, my interest drops off fast.


You need to go jigging with Slipknot some night.... Just make sure you don't have to work the next day. You'll be sore for sure.

Mr Soldati,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

absolutely LOVE yer bigwater line.
i purchased your bunker pikie last year from Kay.

GREAT action,
EXCELLENT paint job,
SWEEET bag that they come in, and i've
CAUGHT sum 15#-25#ers with it!!!

thanks a MILLION for such fine craftsmanship.
:kewl: :kewl: :kewl:

Those giant plugs have a great action and actually cast very well. I really like them for spots where I can let them swim in the current.

The key for me, being a compulsive plug changer, is to have gear that will allow me to fish either big or small on the same walk. Last fall I experimented with a new rod/reel/line setup that allows me to fish plugs from about 1.5 to 5 oz, which is quite a range. The big pikies fit easily in my AS large pouch (I only cary a small 3-hole surf bag).

With this new rig, I can make the walk with both my beloved needlefish and the big pikies. This may be more for me than for the fish, because I change lures every 5-10 casts if I don't get any hits.

-Ty

i like 'em

gary, i'll finally get around to sending you that plug this weekend - i've been lazy

The key for me, being a compulsive plug changer, is to have gear that will allow me to fish either big or small on the same walk. Last fall I experimented with a new rod/reel/line setup that allows me to fish plugs from about 1.5 to 5 oz, which is quite a range.

-Ty

What is your set-up?