to spook or not to spook?

[SeaWolf]

some of you may have seen the "lure of the month" writeup by joe lyons in this month's on the water magazine. it is of tattoo's sea spook. it was a good writeup of the 15 year history of how tattoo's sea spook came to be what it is today. now, my question, how many of you have used it, been productive with it, or now grab it as one of your first lures in your surf bag?

the striped bass comeback from the moratorium has brought many old ideas back again and some new technology, such as soft plastics. spooks have been around for years, mainly in freshwater. as the article said, no one made a spook capable of handling the conditions we face in the surf, nevermind a serious fish capable of straightening hooks. thus, the evolution of tattoo's sea spook.

my first time seeing this plug was nothing out of the ordinary - ok, another surface lure. you see, i rarely throw any surface plugs, so i didn't bother giving it any thought to adding to my bag. then, i find myself fishing next to tattoo on a couple of sunsets and there he was throwing this sea spook. needless to say, he caught fish when i maybe took one. ok, it works, but it still didn't change my ideas, yet. this fall, were fishing next to each other one morning and he puts on the spook just after sunrise. i was throwing sub-surface lures. i had a fish here and there, but he was taking fish with more frequency than i was. ok, i put the one i had in my lure bag on my line. now, we both are taking fish, a couple in the mid-high teens. nice! yep, but i'm still too stubborn to throw it. this year comes and i pull a tattoo sea spook flaptail (soon to be released) demo out to try it. i'm taking fish when others aren't now. a few proven fishermen around and most are throwing pencils, which i used to do a lot more when i would throw surface lures. is it coincidence? does the lure really work that good? well, let's say i may throw a sea spook more often and it will be the first surface lure i'll throw if i am to grab one.

what makes this lure so productive? well, i know that i do not tire from throwing it, as you would with a pencil popper. a normal popper may attract more blues, but this lure pulls in bass and at times nice fish! 4/0 VMC hooks, wire-thru, fish attracting eyes, and a z-wake that is cake to produce. i've read how some have taken bass at night on darker colored ones. impressive. i may not throw one at night myself, but i do not on those sunrise or sunsets days, i may throw this lure a little more.

http://www.tattoostackle.com/plugs.php#seaspook

so, let's here your experiences with tattoo's sea spook.

[fishweewee]

I was fishing with JohnR and BasicPatrick one night in Rhody.

I was throwing a darter and John was throwing a white Tattoo spook (forgot what Patrick was throwing).

John was hammering bass on the spook all night (yes, night).

The next day John hooked up with a ferocious bloo that deep-throated that spook - the fish wanted it real bad and it almost split the plug down the middle.

It's probably my favorite Tattoo plug - I find myself using it a lot.

[tlapinski]

I loved the idea when Tattoo first told me it was coming out. I am a topwater junkie in the spring, and have taken fish into the 40#+ class on pencils. I have taken a few fish on the spook, but it still falters a bit in the main places I toss pencils; fast moving current with bass targeting herring. I just need to put down the pencil and adapt my technique a little to the tricks of the spook. I see great potential in the lure and will continue to work with it. Waiting on a few to show up in the mail any day now...

[Clammer]

I have Mike,,s in my bag / but its large for how I fish ///

years ago // take the front hook off the Zara spook //& watch it work//
Benzy has a couple of sizes & they work a little different that Tatoo,s but one smaller one fits my needs //////

the first item I ever sold on e-bay /was a beat-up half /hook missing Zara Spook ....

[capesams]

39 years ago the only plug I carried in my pocket was the phlueger ballerina..she'd skip, walk across the water's..BANG! anything in that shape today should and does work well.....and can be made to any size to fit your needs.

[theSURF121]

Used it with great success in Montauk last fall ! Havn't tried them in the dark yet.

[snake slinger]

why arnt top water plugs more popular at nite.

[In The Surf]

They are for some. Location, conditions and the fish dictate what to use with success.

[Pete_G]

Originally Posted by snake slinger

why arnt top water plugs more popular at nite.

I think it's a RI and MA thing. Seems like the NY and NJ guys don't think twice about it.

I look at it like this; if a bass will hit a surface Danny at night they sure as hell wouldn't swim away from a Spook or a Polaris. That said, I rarely fish any true topwaters at night. Don't know why. I should probably experiment a little more.

[snake slinger]

pete thats exactly the way it is with me.

[Breezy]

a popper slowley swimed on the surface can be deadly at night :-}

[stripercrazy]

nice plug.I hope he comes out with a smaller one around 2 0z

[JohnR]

I was fishing with JohnR and BasicPatrick one night in Rhody.

I was throwing a darter and John was throwing a white Tattoo spook (forgot what Patrick was throwing).

John was hammering bass on the spook all night (yes, night).

The next day John hooked up with a ferocious bloo that deep-throated that spook - the fish wanted it real bad and it almost split the plug down the middle.

That one white Tattoo Spook probably caught me 100 fish, almost every one a keeper, that year. I nearly cried when I lost it. I remember Tattoo was a little suprised how many I caught at night in that color.

The first night I ever tied on a Tattoo spook was when he was just starting to release to shops. I took a bunker pattern spook and casted off a So County beach. On my second or third cast I had one of the most solid takes on a plug I have ever had. SLAM. It was a good fish, felt like in the solid 30#s. Had it on for several minutes before the plug and the bass were "released" by the first of many blues chasing terminal tackle that evening , even tiny spro swivels

The times to fish a spook can be tough as certain conditions seem to push the plug too much and hamper the tenuous hold that the plug likes best. I like it with a slow, barely taught line that can get the dog walking slow as in not covering much ground....

Love that plug and there is always two in my surfbag... And my second favorite color is the yellow for a Rhody sunrise or set . My other second favorite color is the blue and my other second favorite color is the pogie, and my other....

[Tattoo]

Guys and Girls - I'm glad you like the Spook. Even though I do make them, it is certainly one of my favorites lures to fish and normally the first one out of my bag.

Clammer and Fishfearme, You'll be happy to know that there is a smaller version in the works right now and should be done sometime soon. It should weigh in around 1.75 - 2.0 oz. A perfect size for those of you who like to plug with smaller plugs.

As far as I know, the largest bass caught on the spook is 44lbs from the RI shore. One hell of a fish one topwater for sure. Hopefully that number will be bigger this year.

[Tattoo]

John, almost forgot, white at night last year with that plug, stupid fishing at it's finest.

[Clammer]

Mike /let me know ==so I have a shot at getting some //Thanks

[bloocrab]

Mr. Tattoo ...

Would you be willing to give a class on how to properly fish a Spook for those of us who do not own dogs?

Someday I will fish again, and on that day I would like to be prepared.

why arnt top water plugs more popular at nite.

\

In-Experience...and listening to what others tell you as opposed to trying something you haven't tried before.