slab sided mac plug question - Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating

steelhead · 10-16-2004, 09:33 PM

I'm working on a mac plug, as they've shown up in Gloucester Harbor. It's 10 1/2" long, 1 1/2" deep and 3/4" thick. I've got one belly weight right at the balance point of the plug. I know that I'll need more to get the plug to sit vertically on the water. I'm sort of stumped as to where they ought to go. My guess is one up close to the nose. But I'm unsure about balancing it with one more at the back. Any thoughts or suggestions? I flattened the top of the nose, sort like a surfster.

Christian · 10-17-2004, 11:46 AM

that thing looks awsome. i would probly just try it like that. seal (looks like poplar) and prime, dont paint and try it with like 3/0 or 4/0 trebles.
awsome lookin plug

steelhead · 10-17-2004, 11:49 AM

Thanks, Christian, I've put a littler more weight in just in fornt if the front hook location and behind the rear hook locaction. The sealer is drying... Swimming in a day or so... Gloucester State Fishing Pier...

bassmaster · 10-18-2004, 09:15 PM

put it together like it is and test swim it, you will kill action if You weight the tail.
there are many ways to balance a plug via hook size ect
swim it see how it casts and tell me of Your finds and I will try to give You some input

Jigman · 10-18-2004, 09:31 PM

If you want the plug to sit verticle in the water (tail down) you need more weight in the tail and less up front.

I'm wondering what kind of action you are after? The plug reminds me of gliders/jerkbaits that some friends down here use for musky. These baits sink real slow. You work them so they "glide" from side to side, sort of like a spook in slow motion, but subsurface. In this case, you want the weight right at the balance point of the plug.

Jigman

steelhead · 10-18-2004, 10:10 PM

Thanks Bassmaster and Jigman for your comments/offers to help!
I have been envisioning that snakey wiggle that I see when a mackerel swims. That was my thinkng about trying to concentrate weight around the balance point and trying for a neutral bouyancy or a very slow sink, like aslow sinking needle fish. Probably what will happen is that I'll charge up the portable drill, bring some drill bits, weights, hooks and some Marine Goop and head down to a local dock at high tide and have at it... Too bad I can't take some videos... Hmmm...

John E · 10-19-2004, 07:56 AM

Steelhead,

Just some thoughts as I built quite a few poplar swimming plugs in the spring.

- 1/4 ounce in the belly will not allow the plug to suspend or slow sink at rest. My guess is you'll need between 1/2 and 3/4.

- Any weights you add will act a mid point for the swimming action. My guess is you'll get more of a wiggle than a snaking action.

steelhead · 10-19-2004, 08:02 AM

Ended up with three belly weights to get it sitting vertically in the water. The back of the plug is exposed above the water line about 1/2" or so. It sits ever so slightly tail down, with the nose screw eye sitting just above the water line. Plan to find a dock today to see how it swims. I'll bring a bigger treble for the front hook and a single for the tail hook just to see how those changes affect the attitude of the plug in the water.

steelhead · 10-22-2004, 09:34 AM

Took the plug over to the docks in Beverly this AM. Learned a few things. Just tossed and reeled back, it would simply come in, staying on the surface with no movement at all, except for a few twiches on the first few cranks. MAde a nice wake, but that was it. :-( The I gave the plug a good jerk to get it to dig and get subsurface when I began reeling in. The it would get down to about 2' and swim. Tight wiggle. :-)

I'm thinking about trying a few small tweeks. Not sure what to try first. Move the screw eye at the nose of the plug about 1/2" further back up the face of the plug. Add a touch more weight to the nose (either a tiny piece of lead under the nose or a bigger front treble. Also a single trailing hook to lighten the rear of the plug. And finally, maybe a small metal lip, although that would be a last resort.

PASurfer · 10-22-2004, 11:27 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by steelhead
I'm thinking about trying a few small tweeks. Not sure what to try first. Move the screw eye at the nose of the plug about 1/2" further back up the face of the plug. Add a touch more weight to the nose (either a tiny piece of lead under the nose or a bigger front treble. Also a single trailing hook to lighten the rear of the plug. And finally, maybe a small metal lip, although that would be a last resort.

All are good possibilities... ain't experimenting and tweaking fun?

On moving the eyelet, sometimes the slightest change -- one-sixteenth of an inch on small plugs; maybe an eighth on yours -- in it's position, relative to lure length and weighting will make all the difference... so go slow. I'd layout and pre-drill at least six new positions, on the nose, before your take it back out. Directly above the eye is one spot I'd try (if your front weight is directly below the eye, or in that general area... that way, you can just unscrew and move it to a different spot. The lure's reaction will tell you whether you're going the right direction or not.

I'd also loose the tail/rear weight if you're trying to get it to swim freely... better to weight a swimmer in one spot, especially a lipless, and in the front third of the belly... doesn't cast as well, but wiggles much better.

Good luck... like the basic shape you're working with.

steelhead · 10-22-2004, 09:08 PM

Went back over to the docks and swam the plug under the lights.
Single tail hook, with the bigger front belly hook. With the nose under the water a bit I had high hopes of it digging and swimming on its own. Not so... Still have to give it a jerk to get it under and digging. Next, maybe take some of the rear weight out.
See what happens. The play with the front screw eye.

Yes, PA, this part is a lot of fun....

Jigman · 10-23-2004, 09:13 PM

You might also try working it like a spook, Rod tip action instead of reeling it in. Looks like it would make a nice jerkbait type plug.

Jigman

steelhead · 10-23-2004, 09:33 PM

It works like that now and it's pretty cool. When I sweep the rod, it will dive and dart erratically. Then let it rise a bit, do it again, etc. I want to see if I can get it to swim too.

Too bad I didn't have it working last Wednesday. There is a cove up on Gloucester that was hit by a massive blitz of big bass and blues on 15" - 18" mackerel. They drove about 1,500 mackerel up on to the beach!!! Guys were there with tubs picking up the aftermath...

steelhead · 10-24-2004, 10:12 AM

Tried about 6 new locations for the screw eye at the nose of the plug. It's now about 3/4" further back. Has a some longitudinal roll along the length of the plug. Slight wobble the other way.
Will try a bit more weight under the nose and loose the tail weight. Also thinking that I made the nose too pointy...

steelhead · 11-03-2004, 07:20 PM

Followed up on a suggestion from Bassmaster to change the angle of the nose as well as shifting the eye location. After fiddling for about a week, I've ended up with something that I think is sastisfactory for a first pass. This version has lost the lead slug behind the last belly hook (You can still see the edge of the hole). Has two lead slugs between the two belly hooks and an OO shot right up under the nose.

Now, it digs right away with a nice wiggle and a bit of a roll to it. Very Slow reeling puts it right on top with a nice wake. As the retrieve speeds up it digs a bit and gets down to about 2 feet or so. I can still sweep or jerk the rod and get some great twitches and side to side darts out of it. :-)

I'll paint this one up and try a few more.

What I learned was that I was focused too much on a literal interpretation of shape as opposed to action and presentation. When I let go of the shape, and just looked at action and presentation, letting the shape became an impression or suggestion of a mackerel, that was when I found what I was looking for.