[Mr. Sandman]

Personally I have always found the bottle plug to be a must have in your bag, even today. I use the larger size plug and I would replace the hooks with VMC's. I never had that much more success with a bucktail on the rear but you might have different luck. I think a dropper (or teaser) ahead of it is a better possiblity.

I generally used in in rips and drop-offs or where there is good moving water and deep water nearby. After it lands I reel it until the line gets tight then generally pull it once to "set" it in and get its lip to bite and the plug swimming with its wobble and start reeling. Then I just reel it as slow as I can but just fast enough to keep the action going. It depends on how fast the current is. But you can figure it out after a couple casts. You want the plug to get swept along with the moving current but appear to be in trouble or injured. These cast much better then a light weight balsa or plastic lipped plug...esp into the wind. They have a more lumbering motion then the rebels, redfins, mambo's hence work better in rougher water.

If you jig it like Flap suggests you will feel a rapid "heartbeat" like tug from its motion and then pause. Sometimes this works too. I would mix up your retrieve and find what works for your conditions.

This is a proven plug (and one of the best wooden plugs during its day) and many a surfaster mowed a lot of big fish with it. There was a time when just before the initial needlefish craze where everyone used these from the surf at night. Yellow, white and black were the ones to have.

The only problem with these plugs is the wooden lip will wear out if you use it going over bars and muscle beds like I do. I have a many with worn out lower lip that I retired to a box somplace or the trash. I tried putting a little epoxy on there and it helps a little, but it still gets beat up. They swim best when new.


good luck with it.