Alternatives to loading plugs

[fcap60]

I know a lot of you load your plugs and there's a great post going on right now about loading redfins. If you really want a heavier plugs to get a little extra distance or get a bit deeper in the water colum, I'm just curious if anyone has given thought to:

1.Putting plastic lips on Needlefish plugs,
2. Using plugs designed to cast further and get down deeper (bottle plugs, darters, etc); or

3. Using painted metal to get extra distance and depth.

Wouldn't that accomplish the same thing as a loaded plug (i.e. redfin) ?

Just curious on your thoughts.

[Flaptail]

Not really. Redfins loaded still have the wiggle fish like. Lips on needles make them swimming plugs and Tins like PT.Jude's are way more effective than painted metal.

Back when in the good ol days of the seventies the boys on Nantucket used to wrap the tail end of 7 inch rebels with Solder. Glued in place it kinda tightened the wiggle a bit but it cast like a rocket and would help the plug dig.

Atom Lures made a loaded version of the venerable plastic P-40 which had two large steel balls inside in response to guys who were drilling and weighting their own. Plug sinks like a rock and is only good in faster alongshore current and rips.

A good Montauk style darter with a teaser will work when the water is foul and acting up if you can't or don't want to load your plugs. Need that Montauk style wide body to dig down to drag your teaser where it will do most good. Gibbs, Beachmaster and Tattoo's tackle make them in that style.

[libassboy]

Heres somthing i did years ago to make a rudimentary spook..
Took some big bombers, took the lips off, and sliped the top portion of a lead weght around the tail loop. I cut the end off(where the hole is) and taped it onto the plug. It sat in the water with just the head peeking out and caught fish, cast alot better than without it.
Where ure on Block youll do some crazy things to catch bass...

[fcap60]

If the intent of a loaded plug is to get extra distance and a little more depth, do we care what we call it ? So, Wouldn't a Needlfish modifed with a plastic lip (to give it a little more swimming action) fit the purpose, regardless of whether you call it a Needle or a swimming plug ?

[Nebe]

Hab's needlefish swim without a lip.. not erraticly, but they wiggle.

[Flaptail]

Originally Posted by Nebe

Hab's needlefish swim without a lip.. not erraticly, but they wiggle.

So don't SuperStrikes. The swim well at slow speeds. ( I know, their plastic)

[Clogston29]

Heavy needle (habs, beachmaster, etc.), darter, tattoo deep swimmer, superstrike bottle plug, bucktail, beachmaster conrad or cowboy, etc.

There are a lot of options, its a matter of figuring out what the bass want and what will hold and cast under given circumstances.

Most needles are tail weighted so I wouldn't think that adding a lip would make them swim well.