Plug Prices

[Mike P]

Originally Posted by numbskull

LOL. Plugs add another and a significant level of difficulty to fishing. Specializing in one spot or one technique is hardly an indication of overall skill as a fisherman. Nice that he catches fish and can brag about it, though. Got me beat.

The steepest and most difficult learning curve in surf fishing is jigging the Canal. Anyone who is a capable caster can land a popper close enough to a breaking fish to get it to eat it. At night, swimming plugs account for a fraction of what jigs and their ilk catch. If that is what you mean by adding a significant level of difficulty, well, I guess you have a point. But it has nothing to do with one's versatility or ability to fish a plug. It has to do with playing the percentages, especially for those who target large fish. Catching 20-30 schoolies on small swimmers or shads isn't really indicative of any particular skill level.

When it comes to large fish--say over 20# or 40"--10 fall to jigs, skins, or plastics on lead in the Canal for every one that falls to a plug, over the course of a season. At night. The public only hears about a very small percentage of them. Guys fish the Canal at night for two reasons--better shot at a truly large fish for a longer stage of the tide, and no audience.