"TRL fishcatchers" wooden plugs. - Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating

ivanputski · 02-14-2009, 03:01 PM

Picked up some plugs from this guy at the hartford show yesterday...
picked up some very nice wooden swimmers, needles, darters, and pencils... nice quality, roscoe swivels, VMC hooks, dressed single tail hooks, thick gloss, pearl paint...

show price
8-10$ EACH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anyone ever use any of his plugs? Times are tough ($$) so I jumped
on these right away... if you go to the show, check it out...

Most of the show was the same as every year, but it was nice to check out none the less.....

luds · 02-14-2009, 03:09 PM

BassDawg · 02-14-2009, 05:53 PM

COOOOL smilies, Luds!

jon2465 · 02-14-2009, 06:02 PM

metal lips are nice, darters??? lets just say there are better ones out there for a couple more bucks, the rest i dont know

texican · 02-14-2009, 06:20 PM

I've seen a couple darters but I have never fished one. I am curious if others have. I have fished their pencil. I was not impressed needed more tail weight. The one I had sat horizontal in the water. It was given as a gift to a buddy

.

ivanputski · 02-14-2009, 06:27 PM

Smaller olive/white swimmer, 8$

yellow swimmer & pencil, 10$

Available in many colors, guy told me the pencil has lead in the tail, and you can feel it... this thing feels like its going to cast niiiiiiice.
I have nothing to do with this guy at all... i'm just the type of customer you want if you have a good deal... I tell everyone... but if you sell crap or rip me off, it works both ways.

Nebe · 02-14-2009, 06:39 PM

Thanks for supporting american tackle manufactures.

texican · 02-14-2009, 06:39 PM

The pencil I had did not feel it had a tail weight, maybe a bad one. How much were the darters? Please report back after you swim them. They sure do look nice and from what I remember they were built nice too.

fishaholic18 · 02-14-2009, 06:40 PM

^%$#@!!!!!!!!

ivanputski · 02-14-2009, 06:42 PM

darters, needles, large swimmers, pencils were 10$
Smaller swimmers and bottle neck poppers were 8$

all have VMC's, nice swivels, and dressed single tail hooks... many colors... considering sending
my buddy there with some money to get me more... needles looked nice

texican · 02-14-2009, 06:44 PM

Gonna try their darter next.

Do they have a website?

BigFish · 02-14-2009, 06:44 PM

I don't like the vertical line ties on the swimmers? They may make the plug dive more but the lips look slotted like they were slipped on OVER the wire loop? Looks like the lip could slide right off if it comes loose? Just my .02 cents.

fishaholic18 · 02-14-2009, 06:47 PM

Lets see what it looks like after it hits the salt...I would be willing to bet...not good...But I could be wrong..

texican · 02-14-2009, 06:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fishaholic18

Lets see what it looks like after it hits the salt...I would be willing to bet...not good...But I could be wrong..

I hear ya. Salt destroys.

thefishingfreak · 02-14-2009, 07:08 PM

It looks like I cut that lip slot

I bet that lip will fall out looks like there ain't nothing holdin it in? but for 8 bucks you'd expect to have to "fix it

BigFish · 02-14-2009, 07:25 PM

I like your edit reason FF!

Clogston29 · 02-14-2009, 07:29 PM

if your going to copy a plug, why would you change the line tie of all things?

i saw one picture of these things where they actually made a copy of ryan's plover paint which was done as a joke/novelty.

imitation without understanding, i guess

BigBo · 02-14-2009, 07:33 PM

They're gonna sink like stones once they get saturated with water.
For the money, I can think of several good plastic lures that are made better, won't take on water, and are proven fish catchers.
I'll pass, but good luck with them.

Slipknot · 02-14-2009, 08:13 PM

From the price I could tell they must be chinese knockoffs, then from the pic, I see a direct knockoff of Ryan Smith's bigeye peanut

I am so sick of chinese crap. I am gonna start a thread about their products and what I think about them in the grump forum

BigFish · 02-14-2009, 08:14 PM

Go for it Slip!

ivanputski · 02-14-2009, 08:45 PM

Dont get me wrong... I know you get what you pay for... Its just with my luck, I usually lose my plugs to blues, snags, etc. sooner than I do to poor quality... I am in no way saying these are of equal quality to the plugs that many local builders make (some present) But with my current $ situation (laid off with a kid on the way) I couldnt resist... 20+$ a plug is out of the question right now... many of you raise some valid points... and I'm pretty sure he has them made in China for him. time will tell...

Slipknot · 02-14-2009, 08:52 PM

I know what you mean, I lost many plugs to cast-offs to snags to bail snaps etc, it sux. That's why I make my own, it still sux but I can just make more.

Slipknot · 02-14-2009, 08:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigFish

Go for it Slip!

I did

redneck24 · 02-14-2009, 09:16 PM

why you would wire a swimmer like that i have no clue, must be chinese just by that. for the price of 2 of those i could have a bigfish swimmer that will last through 20 of those. just my 2 cents.

BigBo · 02-14-2009, 10:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by redneck24

why you would wire a swimmer like that i have no clue, must be chinese just by that. for the price of 2 of those i could have a bigfish swimmer that will last through 20 of those. just my 2 cents.