How do YOU work a needlefish?
 

I'm asking this question, which probably has been asked a thousand times, but I would like to hear it from you guys. It seems everytime I fish one, I can't make up my mind how to fish it, slow or fast, twitch or straight in, on top or just off the bottom.

How do you work a needlefish off the rocky striper shoreline successfully?

So far I've managed ONE micro on a white 1.5 oz needle that I was twitching across the surface kind of like a pencil, without the walk the dog action...

have you seen this one?
http://www.striped-bass.com/Stripert...ead.php?t=7445

In my opinion, you just answered your own question.

Whatever it takes to catch a fish in that situation is how you should work a needlefish.

It's a plug that takes time to develop confidence in. When that starts to happen you'll begin to catch many more fish on it.

Keep fishing that 1.5 in a white. It's a great plug.

Definitely check out BM's article..great read. Anybody heard from bubbah lately?

Cast out reel in Fast till line is tight then reel very very slow to fish the surface That is all. If your Fishing a HABS they were designed to Fish all depths of the water colume, You can cast out then wait using a count down method then reel in slow to fish Mid depths, But they work fine on the surface , Try fishing them with teasers also. If nothing is happening experiment try reeling faster or skipping them across the surface..... GOOD LUCK.

Thanks...with my love for topwater, I seem to have confidence issues with working them below the surface. From something I read somewhere I was under the impression they were meant to be worked in the lower half of the water column. I guess it doesn't matter, only what/where the fish are on at the time.

How do you fish them in and around rocky shoreline without getting hung-up?

Personally, I fish all my needles as close to bottom as possible, and creep as slow as I can w/o hanging bottom. Usually a steady pace with some twitches thrown in.

I've always wondered about the best way to wrok needles too. I hear alot of people say they just cast out and reel them in very slow. Do you need to twitch them to give them action? Just reeling them in i noticed gives them very little action and the plug looks rather dead without some movement. Is that how the plug is supposed to look while reeling it in? Dead with no action? or must i twitch it often to make it look more lively?

Yes Krispy THE BIGGER FISH ARE ON THE BOTTOM. Let sink and drag at a Snails Pace...........

This might help you guys:

http://www.saltwateredge.com/miva/me...=SE&Screen=ZAM

DZ

Needles abilites shine in a strong cross current.
Match needle weights, to the sweep rate that will keep them just off bottom.
You want to be able to reel in as slow as possible. Wait for monster hits, smash hooks into fishes maw, land 45lber. Easy :kewl:

I just throw in a twitch every 5-6 turns of the handle, nothing exaggerated

Good Read........thanks.:tm:

Add some pauses into your retrieve. If you are fishing with the rod tip above horizontal, drop the tip while pausing (maintain contact with the lure). Dropping the needle straight back like that will often trigger a bass to hit. Sometimes they'll take on the drop, other times as soon as the plug begins to move again.

Good advice Adam - a true needle secret! The "dropback" is one of the most effective and overlooked technique's to use when fishing needles. Extreamly effective when you get "bumped" and miss the strike - drop it back and the needle will slowly sink backwards - often the same bass(or another) will strike it again. Doesn't always work but on some nights......

DZ

For the longest time, I had little or no confidence in needlefish plugs, yet I knew they worked. So a few years ago, I decided to fish them more often and my confidence in their effectiveness grew. (Confidence is No. 1).

I soon learned that All needlefish are not created equal and the difference between a Gibbs, AL Gag's, Superstrike, etc. can be equal to the subtle differences between, for example,a Redfin, Bomber, and a Rebel- so you should carry at least a floater, intermediate sinker, and heavy sinker-depending on where you fish and the conditions.

Some types, work better twitched, others you can reel in straight w/ an occasional twitch, yet as Adam R mentioned, drop back or let the needle settle works well too. If cross currents exist, I have done well letting the needle "sweep" jsut keeping in contact with the plug (no reeling) has been very effective. (sort of like drifting a nymph with a fly rod).

The bottom line is, you need to use them, use different types, retrieves, etc. and find your own "go to" method. They do work just give them a chance and use them as one of the first plugs out of your surf bag, not your last.

Just my .02 Good luck

Ok this has me motivated I'm using a needle tonight!

Tonight? when ever I see you you're using a needle!

Not a lure that you need just one of or even a dozen. Gotta get all dif kinds and fill one bag with just needles, then watch your numbers drop and your poundage go up, UP UP..

I like to move the rod tip from left of me to right of me as I slowly retrieve. Not a violent thing like making a pencil popper splash , just a a swing of the rod tip from the far right of me to the far left of me. The needlefish changes directions just a little. I think live things do that so I try to mimic it.

I ahve had much luck with superstrike's version which is a sinking needle and has a side to side action in current. When they hit, they hit hard....

I usually look to see what the guy is using, rummage thru his bag with my eyes and then tell him I have never seen one of those and ask if there is any way I can "borrow" one....
That's how I work a needlefish :hee: