Fat Head & Needle Question

[MarshCappa]

I bought a couple of Fat Heads & Needle fish and haven't had any luck yet. All my fish have been caught on finnese and shad's. I love the casting distance I get on the fat heads but I think I'm working them wrong. This is the first year I've fished with a needle and I also think I'm fishing that wrong as well. Should the fat thead be retrieved rapidly to get that side to side motion as opposed to poping it along? What depth should the needle be fished? I've kept the rod tip down on the needle with a slower and occasional twitch kinda like a sluggo retrieve. Any help would be appreciated. I know these work but so far not for me.

[UserRemoved1]

slow pop on the fathead marshcappa. Erratic. Keep at the needles. Try mixing it up and work it bip bap like a pencil also. They work but the fish got to be there and they got to want to eat

[MarshCappa]

Thanks SB,

Though I haven't been out a ton the times I fished them from my favorite rock and I was casting those fatheads a country mile. It got the attention of a couple of guys I was out casting by a good 20'. Although I didn't hook up they wanted to know what the hell I was throwing that far. I've given your packaging out twice to guys who asked me where I got them. I put myself in harms way retrieving the squid colored one after it snapped off on a weed bed. The conditions weren't that bad but one big wave would've put me in the drink. That's got to give that plug some good karma now, right?

[UserRemoved1]

I'd say

[UserRemoved1]

Olive/White as far as the eye can seeeeeeee

[flyben24]

I got a #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^& crazy bugger swimmer olive color, and have tried different retrieve styles in about 10-15 ft. of water with tons of schoolies there, and havnt got anything. whats the best style of retrieve??

[baldwin]

Keep varying it until the fish take it. Depends on their mood. Sometimes nothing does it, but you should get some action in a school of small bass. More competition usually means less hesitation. Try working it relatively slowly until a fish is looking, then speed it up.

[UserRemoved1]

Loop knot tie to the front, slow steady retrieve, pause, twitch, retrieve, pause, retrieve, rip, pause...hold on

[flyben24]

k thanks, ill give that a try

[plankton]

This is also my first year fishing with pencils, got a couple of salty's and some from sol, so many people have good things to say about them, but so far I haven't had any luck with them. I just don't get the concept for some reason and I don't think I'm working them right. A guy told me to just reel them in slow and steady and let them make a wake on the surface, but I don't fish alot of spots where the water is that calm. Are needles useful in rougher and/or fast moving water? Is there a different way to fish them other then that slow retrieve? As for the fathead, awesome, the thing casts a mile and cathes fish like mad. It's running a close second as my new favorite lure this season, just behind the ronz soft baits. The ronz were catching fish this weekend when nothing else would, my buddy was even using sluggos of the same size and color and getting nothing. I of course offered him a ronz to use, at a very reasonable rate.

[flyben24]

yea the ronz have been working excellent for me.... but im still trying to find a place to buy them in bulk.

[UserRemoved1]

plankton which size/model lure? On the needles you can walk the dog like a pencil popper, you can dredge the 2.5's off the bottom, you can dead retreive them while twitching once in a while, they are pretty versatile and DEADLY. If you are not catching doesn't mean they don't work, theres got to be fish around #1, and they got to want to eat it #2.

[UserRemoved1]

needles don't work

[likwid]

With needles you definitely have to mix it up with retreives/colors.

Right up with the nose popping through the surface sometimes.
A little deeper banging side to side....
Down deep same deal.

Read in the howto section Dave Manzi's howto on fishing needles and GET OUT AND FISH!

[zimmy]

I have done best with a bit of walk the dog thrashing action on the fatheads and olive and white was it till I lost the bugger in the rocks. Now its pink and white and they still like it. Don't be afraid to fish it like you'd fish a spook, especially in a good rip. Is that new batch of olives on the way or did they go on Friday? Gotta replace mine...

[UserRemoved1]

Olive is coming zimmy. I'll have some ready probably next week some time.

[plankton]

SB, I didn't mean to imply that they don't work, I'm sure it's just my own inexperience fishing with needles that's the problem. I've got a couple of the 2.5 ones, a white patriot and a blurple with the dressed siwash, I just need to get out and play around with them more, try some of the different retrieves you suggested. Thanks for the reply and keep the great lures coming, I love my round noses and knuckleheads and I'm eagerly anticipating the lipless fathead!

Originally Posted by #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&

plankton which size/model lure? On the needles you can walk the dog like a pencil popper, you can dredge the 2.5's off the bottom, you can dead retreive them while twitching once in a while, they are pretty versatile and DEADLY. If you are not catching doesn't mean they don't work, theres got to be fish around #1, and they got to want to eat it #2.

[UserRemoved1]

no problem plankton I didnt take it as that. Always willing to help if I can. Keep plugging dood you'll slay. Light the eyes up very softly on the blurple. Absolute killer. Cast reel tight, retrieve, pause, retrieve, twitch, retrieve, pause, set the hook

[zimmy]

I'll be watching

[UserRemoved1]

some wrecked wood

[UserRemoved1]

Today's porkers brought to you by #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^& needles and Riptide Charters...nice fish Terry and looks like some HAPPY anglers

[UserRemoved1]

Riptide Terry had a ~80lb tuna on a stubby yesterday for 3 hours and 15 minutes. 14 lb test and a bass rod. Lure held but the line broke. that would have been a nice fish.
Thems the breaks

Today they had bass to 40" and several 15 lb bluefish out off the Race all on stubbies.





Nice

[UserRemoved1]

you guys keep up with them needles they work. Twin toona today.

"I was scheduled to take a friend from Florida out yesterday as a thank you for his fishing with me for tarpon this spring. The weather forecast made Chatham look like the best choice to stay protected from the strong SW so we headed east on 6 for the first Chatham launch of the season for me. Gordon was intent on makin this a light tackle trip so I had the 10wt, some 15# class spinning gear and a couple of 25-30# class rods for hopefully casting to tuna. We explored some new areas along the backside finding lots of fog early but life was scattered out to 140'. As we worked closer to Nauset inlet, the winds picked up and we tucked closer to shore. We began spotting fish slashing on the surface and decided to set up a drift and watch, Gordon began practicing firing the spinning rod right at the boils but all we had were bluefish.

Around mid-day the tuna began to show in earnest. We set up a drift and shortly had the first real pod slashing on top, Gordon fires a yellow #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^& needlefish right in the middle and he's tight. Great until I realize he grabbed the bass rod! "Gordon you have the wrong rod!" "No, I thought I could cast this one farther!" No more talk because this fish is about to spool us, Gordons on the bow and DH is chasing. Fish make a very nice first run then double back right through the middle of the lobster trap fields. We circle, back up, pull sideways and for the first 15 minutes we amazingly keep it clear of the warp hanging all around up. Finally the fish hangs one and I'm hand hauling to unwrap. As I bring the warp up I see the leader/fish/plug are right at the line. We pass the rod under the warp to free the fish and I hand gaff it right in the lower jaw. Gordons first a 44" in the boat.

We continue to pound this area and begin raising bass in the 36-40" size range. They would come in waves of 10-12 at a time, pounding the plug as hard as any bluefish ever has. Bass, bass, bluefish, bass and then Gordon hooks up on what I think is a very large bass. About a 50yd first run, just a steady pull. We get on top and start fighting it hard and then it wakes up and takes off. Oops, not a bass! Gordon does another great job of putting on as much pressure as the light tackle can handle. We stay clear of the minefield this time and once the fish goes into it's death spiral I back the boat away slowly to slide it up to the surface. 2-for-2 on 15# class spin gear. Second fish is 48" and revived/released in the water. (of course I found out that my tag-a-tiny kit was arriving at the house that very day)

We finish the day by teasing bass to the boat with plugs and Gordon roll casting a white death to the followers. I'd pull the plug away 20' from the boat and we watch them turn and crush the fly."

[tattoobob]

Wow, nice story/fish

[Vogt]

#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^& plugs come pre-packaged with a pretty hefty dose of mojo.