Beach master Gibbs styleneedle

[JLH]

Originally Posted by numbskull

Interesting also. That is the primary way I fish them, although only in fairly shallow water without much current sweep (there are also shallow outflow spots where everybody fishes them on top against the current.....which seems unnatural but does work (though you need a tail hook)).

My sense is that you CT guys are often fishing in rivers and outlets. When you are out of your home territory....say at Cutty or Block do you still fish these plugs deep along the bottom?

I fish them pretty much the same way all over CT, RI and beyond. Most of the time I'm using this technique in areas that I know well and I'm targeting specific pieces of structure and using lanes that I know I can work the plug through without getting hung up too often. I sometimes lose quite a few plugs a season fishing them this way but it usually pays off. Not really caring if I get hung up and lose a few plugs on an outing is one of the big advantages of building them. I’m sure that I would be a lot more conservative and catch fewer fish if I was taking a $25 - $40 hit every time I lost one.

[Linesider82]

George, I agree with what Jay said, the price of admission is plugs lost.

In regards to what I referenced in my first paragraph, yes bucktails/jigs is exactly how I look at sinking needles. Yes I lose quite a few each year, which is why I build them each year (to be willing to lose them in numbers). Dropping the tail hook has reduced the number of needles I've lost, and in my opinion hasn't reduced the number of fish I catch in the same scenarios.

In regards to place, I actually learned the second paragraph on Cutty. It has paid off at home and other places as well. Both methods work well for me regardless of location, but I am looking for specific conditions which happen daily.
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[numbskull]

Really helpful, guys. Something new to try this year. Thanks.