Had a week off. Finally started building this winter. All sorts of stuff yet to be finished, but including a bunch of darters in small sizes. I posted this over on SOL........in part because I asked a guy over there for a single width measurement and was ignored so I wanted to pop his bubble. Whatever, the picture might prove helpful to anyone fooling with small stuff. I just copied and pasted the text.


The flat white plugs are all prototypes that have been built and tested this week, the finished plugs stuff that has been fished.

The little fella is a one off proto. 3.3" and 5/8 oz. Close to a baby Musso but wider. Swims the nutz.
The one beneath it an attempt at a Musso 4" 7/8 oz darter. Subtle action like the SS darter, but not what I was hoping for, needs more width in my opinion.
The 1st green is a 1.5 oz Musso clone. Runs deep and I don't have much use for them.
The flat white beneath is a 1.75 oz Musso clone. I build these in different weights and woods, 1.4-1.75 oz, and do well on them.
The long green is a Musso 2oz clone (the plug the SS was based on). Like the SS itself it leaves me blah.
To the right is a 3oz Musso clone. The most useful darter out there in my opinion. No reason to carry a SS if you have some of these.
To the left is a 3.5 oz Pichney/BM clone, what you want when you fish serious darter water for serious fish (distortion makes the tail look fatter)

Top is a 1.2oz Gibbs clone. I have a cellar full of originals that I ignored since my memory from 40 years ago was that they stunk. WRONG AGAIN. Took one out in daylight to test and was amazed at its action so I copied it to try this year. These little plugs carry 3/0 hooks. A testament to Gibbs' genius to get a plug that small swim so well with hooks meant for serious fish. Anyone looking for a small darter ought to hunt a few of these down at a yard sale.

PS.....Paul turned the bottom green one......yeah the sucky one. ;)

Nice job. I got one I tried in the in between size of the large and the med. one hook and 2. Have not yet swam them yet, protos. Neat to hear about the Gibbs one. I said to my self the bottom one looks like crap but I thought you made it. Hope you made more than one.


I will say I can't fall in love with the large Musso that you like so much but I luv the large Pichney. I made a bunch this winter. Don't know why I don't use the Mussos, probably cause I am stupid. I have confidence in the large Pichney and that is probably the reason. I will try to give it more use this year as I made a bunch a few years ago.
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I think the big Pichney is a better canal plug. Outside the canal the Musso gets more use. They are versatile. You can fish them deep in current and shallow in still stuff.

You turned the body on the 2 oz, I gave it the crappy paint job.

Flap was after me to build a Gibbs copy the fall before he passed. He'd done well on one at Scorton. Instead I built the 5.3" Musso and did well with it so I never bothered with the Gibbs until now. It looks every bit as good as the Musso. Flap would know, I should have listened earlier.

They look Pissa George!

I could make use of the 1.5 oz musso clones
:drool:
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They look great to me George, as well.
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Nice stuff George, as allways.
Anybody ever dupe the Creek Chub surf or spin darters?

Nice stuff George, as allways.
Anybody ever dupe the Creek Chub surf or spin darters?

Yeah, I tried 2 different sizes and both line tie positions on the larger one last winter but couldn't get them to work........which puzzled me since CCBC typically put out good stuff.

Although I've probably sinned by bringing the smaller darter with me on a few nights while fishing eels it has been good to me to otherwise. :)

I know the 3oz is a Pichney but is the 1.5oz a Musso?

Yes and No. You have a 1.5oz version of his 1.75oz plug.

That looks like my version of Musso's 5 3/8" darter. The original I had weighed 1.5oz rigged so that's what I aimed for. Turns out they were supposed to weigh 1.75 oz so I must have had a light original. Worked out well, however, since they fish very well and the one you have should do the same.

Musso made a shorter "official" 1.5 oz darter (the green one in the picture with the bucktail). I made a few but was not overly impressed. Mine ran deep and tended to roll out a bit. The originals were popular with the LI guys so maybe mine were not close enough. I only fished mine with a siwash and maybe that was an issue, too. I should revisit that plug next year.

Nice stuff George, I really enjoy hearing your take on the different sizes/styles and the action they have. You have made a real science out of it.

Darters are probably my favorite night time plug but I really have not noticed much of a difference in catch rates when I switch styles although I will say I personally prefer a more subtle action to one that thumps back n forth in current. On a slow night I tend to switch up colors more than styles.

Good to know. I measured it out of curiosity and it is the 5 3/8 version.
I switched the 3oz to a siwash and a flag before but went back to the treble with crushed barbs.

They look fantastic! Beautiful work

great looking darters....wow

Paul, I think the Creek Chubs are weighted. If you look at the hole where the ring is attached on the big ones you can see what looks like lead there.