Quote:
Originally Posted by SeaWolf
each have their moments and place. my .02...late in the fall when the wind is howling hard from the northwest, or is in your teeth, there is a gale warning, one lure that i have had in my bag in recent years is a loaded habs 1.5 oz or 2 oz needle. more recently, habs introduced the night 'n gale. althought the pocket rockets of old, and now the gag's version, do work in some areas, they would not work where i fish and how i fish in these conditions. they wouldn't cut into the wind as well as i need and get below the surface. the loaded hab's needles and night 'n gales do just that, get just below the surface sometimes and cut into the wind, even if it is 40 in your face. but, those same loaded hab's needles and night 'n gales wouldn't cut it when there is wind less than less than 10-15 knots. the loaded 1.5 oz hab's i have are around 2-2.5 oz and the loaded 2oz hab's are about 2.5-3 oz. the night 'n gales i use are about 2.5-3oz.
however, if you found a protected cove, as coleman did w/ his 67, the wind is at your back, the light pocket rockets might do fine.
a smart surfcaster is versatile and accomodates for all conditions.
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In Spetember we fished Al's version in howling easterlys on the beach in Truro. If it weren't for them it would have been impossible. I have not been a fan of single tail hook type plugs. I find that biger fish, on a beach with minimal swell will strike but not be hooked up. The rockets, like John's Nite-n -Gale fill a void. In places where current is heavy like pond openings that feature shallow sand flats, not too deep cuts and some bars where a swimming plug or needle with multiple hooks create more drag and are constantly hooking up on bottom the single hook of the PR or NNG make more sense as they can be snaked along the bottom contours with very little snag effect.
In the face of towering combers and a stiff wind they excel with little wind resistenace and the single hook is not a handicap as bass feding in tight under the foam and turbulence react more readily and strike with less investigation of the item passing before their eyes.
Lastly, after Al took back almost the entire stock that was found to be defective he investedc in the newest technology for coatings and in my experience it wears like an suit of armor. Minimal scratching and no chipping at all. Great plug for certain situations.