Beach Master Plugs

[fishermanjim]

can someone tell me what is soo great about these plugs,,, my brother-in-law can't stop talking about them,,, i haven't seen one yet,,,are they like danny's? 25$ per?

[Flaptail]

They are quite possibly the best made Striper plugs available problem is you can't get them and when you can the styles and amount on hand is relatively short of choices. Just before Tahnksgiving I tried to obtain 2 yellow medium Danny's on an expected shipment to a New Bedford Tackle shop. Hah, the expected couple hundred ended up being way less and by the middle of the first day in shop they were gone. The collecting thing has gotten way out of hand, guys buying anything for way more than they are worth in the Beachmaster line.

I used to tout thier fish catching abilities but now the collectors and some ner do wells by them all up and stash them or put them up for resale for big bucks on e-bay. I can't get them to fish with because of this and the amount of plugs being produced is no where the levels of a just 2 years ago. Orders are placed for 1500 plugs and the shop recieves 120 or so.

If you ever fished a Beachmaster you know how well they produce. Now, if not willing to pay 3 times what they would normally retail for or plan your life around an expected delivery and be Johnny on the Spot, your s#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&g pond water. The whole thing has left a bad taste in my mouth. The situtaion sucks and it seems that Beachmaster is producing more for the collectors and quick scores on cash rather than for serious fishing which was what they were originally known for. I no longer view them as I once did.

Now I make my own copying them and they come out very close. All I need is one and I have all I want by firing up the lathe and air brush. Best of all they ctach fish like the originals.
If I need a plug I don't make it's Gibbs, Gag's, Tattoo Bigfish or Ryan Smith's extrordinary creations.

No more Beachmaster envy for me. It's gotten way to ridiculous.

[Back Beach]

Flap is correct; I can't add anything more of value.BBBBBBBButtttt,

all of the retailers face the same dilemma with plug availability, there's no conspiracy on their part. It’s equally frustrating for them too.

[leptar]

I won't knock (BeachMaster)... that store (CMS) gave everyone a chance to get some... pre-order...

From what i heard it was their (BeachMaster) only source of income and that their fire was light again for Striper fishing.... They (BeachMaster) have more shops to stock and still make the plugs the same exact way they always did...

It sucks, but one must do what one must do... pre-ordered and 7 months later or so....

Still waiting on another 10 or so but i'm not holding my breath.
Like what was said by Flaptail, They work, not the prettiest plug in the business but they hold their own, for me consistency is what works... now if you ever fished a Troublemaker danny... muhahaha.... It's too bad he stopped, I was fortunate to get a MAC danny... nuff said there...

[luds]

Yup.....the whole beachmaster thing sucks. I got a bunch of dannies through trading and preordering but it wasn't quite worth the time and effort. It was nice when you could just go to the shop and by them. I do tend to over buy them now when I have the oppurtunity because I don't want to deal with the hassle of hunting them down later when I need more.

[Ake G]

I'd just like one Cowboy.

I'll then put it through my meticulous "reverse engineering process", lock that guy in my duplicator and crank out hundreds of them at will for personal use....

I will give BM all the design credit.

And I'll give the new creation a clever name with the name "Ake" somewhere in it.

[Slipknot]

Originally Posted by Flaptail

.

The situtaion sucks and it seems that Beachmaster is producing more for the collectors and quick scores on cash rather than for serious fishing which was what they were originally known for.

.

Flap I still can't comprehend how you come to that opinion that ,that is what it seems to you What reason does it seem that way? That makes no sense at all to me.

please enlighten me

I wish he would make the danny's and juniors without the eyes

[Joe]

Maybe their true value is just now emerging?
For years, I've heard people tell me their Beachmaster would outfish other plugs 3 and 4 to 1 - so now, they're worth three and four times as much - sounds perfectly reasonable.

[Mike P]

Originally Posted by Slipknot

Flap I still can't comprehend how you come to that opinion that ,that is what it seems to you What reason does it seem that way? That makes no sense at all to me.

please enlighten me

I wish he would make the danny's and juniors without the eyes

If that was the case, that BM Bobby was "making them for the collectors", you'd think he'd be charging the shops that sell them collectors' wholesale prices.

Seems to me that the shops are selling them for about what they should be selling for--$20-$25. Even the highly prized Cowboys were going for less than $25 at the SWE booth at RIISA.

[Slipknot]

this thread has gone downhill

sea dangles, flap pm'd me his reasons and I will not go into it but you and he both probably should have kept quiet, I know it's your opinion but he said he never asked for any plugs, it's just that he was promised plugs and I'll leave it at that.

yep it's winter

[Tagger]

I'm going out on a limb here ... I predict so many people have squirreled away unfished beachmasters that there will still be plenty come the next ice age .. Only reason baseball cards are of great value is we trashed them all in are bike spokes years ago ... same thing . low blow on Larry and Flap .

[Krispy]

Originally Posted by Mike P

If that was the case, that BM Bobby was "making them for the collectors", you'd think he'd be charging the shops that sell them collectors' wholesale prices.

Seems to me that the shops are selling them for about what they should be selling for--$20-$25. Even the highly prized Cowboys were going for less than $25 at the SWE booth at RIISA.

The shop prices havent changed much from 6-7 years ago when I first started picking them up. Dannys were $17 and the A-40's were $20 back then

[Tagger]

Originally Posted by Flaptail

If I need a plug I don't make it's Gibbs, Gag's, Tattoo Bigfish or Ryan Smith's extrordinary creations.

Yea right ...a little bird told me you fish Numbskulls ...

[Skitterpop]

Originally Posted by Tagger

Yea right ...a little bird told me you fish Numbskulls ...

He is a plug slut are`nt we all?

[numbskull]

BM makes excellent plugs, always has, and I've caught more quality fish over the last twenty years on his plugs than any other brand (never had access to Musso/Pichney wood), BUT anyone who claims BM are plugs are "consistent" please tell me which of the following is a BM medium danny.

[numbskull]

Maybe this will help.

[piemma]

About 5 or 6 years ago I traded a jointed Habs, from before John was selling (circa 91, 92) for a very large jointed Beachmaster. It has never been fished or even out o my basement.
What's it worth today?

[numbskull]

Originally Posted by piemma

About 5 or 6 years ago I traded a jointed Habs, from before John was selling (circa 91, 92) for a very large jointed Beachmaster. It has never been fished or even out o my basement.
What's it worth today?

This week, or last week? Saw some a month ago for about $80.

[Pete F.]

Originally Posted by piemma

About 5 or 6 years ago I traded a jointed Habs, from before John was selling (circa 91, 92) for a very large jointed Beachmaster. It has never been fished or even out o my basement.
What's it worth today?

If it's this one
It's at over $150 now.
That's what I call an expensive BM

[MAC]

Originally Posted by piemma

About 5 or 6 years ago I traded a jointed Habs, from before John was selling (circa 91, 92) for a very large jointed Beachmaster. It has never been fished or even out o my basement.
What's it worth today?

It depends on if the GOTTA HAVE IT crowd bid. Could be worth 40 to 50 bux may go for over a "C" note...

[Vogt]

Ive spent the past month or so trying to hunt them down for a reasonable price ($30 or less), and so far Ive only gotten a hold of three. But from what I hear about these lures, it is worth the effort that is put in to finding them.

[Pete_G]

Production has been slowed in the past couple of years by back problems, people in the hospital, and more important things on the home front for the guys that build the plugs. And then it has been compounded by popularity and collecting.

[RIJIMMY]

i saw a bunch of those cowboys at the RISSA show last year

[Chris in Mass]

The action on the Danny's and Wad's are great. In New England you have to haunt CMS and SWE to get these plugs. It's is like working a bucktail, the moment you become bored with the process, that's when you dig in

[Spiderman]

They catch fish.
They are swim consistent.
They more durable than most other custom wood plugs.

There production has remained pretty consistent over the years.
They are still a 2 man part time operation.
They only make one body style at a time.
They are perfectionists and refuse to put out inferior products.
This run of 6" surface swimmers should number about 5000.
More and more shops coastwide are looking to carry them so when a shop wants 1500 they may not get them all at once if at all.
When the shops do get them the owners and help often skim, cherry pick before offering what is left to shop regulars and eventually maybe to the public. These are generally presold or sold out within hours.
Up until about 4 years ago there were several shops that had a few pieces on their shelves. Now that they have become collectible
you wont see that unless they have a fat price tag.Several shops did not even display them and kept them in a box in the back room.
They have become "THE" plug amongst new plug collectors.
All these reasons have made them harder and harder to find.
I have no solutions except if you see them, buy as many as they allow you to, because you may not see that body style for a few years. Or like flaptail, make your own.
Ive been buying and fishing them for 15 years but it kills me to throw a plug worth $50 and have a bluefish chomp on it.
Since I do make my own plugs, I try to use those more, but some situations and conditions call for a particular Beachmaster.

[Flaptail]

Originally Posted by stripermatic

They catch fish.
They are swim consistent.
They more durable than most other custom wood plugs.

There production has remained pretty consistent over the years.
They are still a 2 man part time operation.
They only make one body style at a time.
They are perfectionists and refuse to put out inferior products.
This run of 6" surface swimmers should number about 5000.
More and more shops coastwide are looking to carry them so when a shop wants 1500 they may not get them all at once if at all.
When the shops do get them the owners and help often skim, cherry pick before offering what is left to shop regulars and eventually maybe to the public. These are generally presold or sold out within hours.
Up until about 4 years ago there were several shops that had a few pieces on their shelves. Now that they have become collectible
you wont see that unless they have a fat price tag.Several shops did not even display them and kept them in a box in the back room.
They have become "THE" plug amongst new plug collectors.
All these reasons have made them harder and harder to find.
I have no solutions except if you see them, buy as many as they allow you to, because you may not see that body style for a few years. Or like flaptail, make your own.
Ive been buying and fishing them for 15 years but it kills me to throw a plug worth $50 and have a bluefish chomp on it.
Since I do make my own plugs, I try to use those more, but some situations and conditions call for a particular Beachmaster.

The consistency point is a junk excuse. I know it and you know it. In fact many of the Beachmaster plugs I have bought in the last few years have many defects on them that would not have passed muster a few years ago. Paint splatters, dings, dents. I know of his personal situation and hopefully it gets resolved quickly ( I hear it may have already) As of the moment thought they arte being thrown together and out the door as needed. Yes there are a bunch turned but they sit in boxes waiting for prime paint and sealer. Only one guy does that of the two, the other is a machine turning them out and drilling etc. His work is way ahead of the other. I did a lot to promote them over the years in various columms and articles in OTW which had an impact on thier popularity here in southeast mass and never recieved one plug in thanks. I didn't care as long as they were available. The current situation is totally f()cked up. Collectors think they are going to be worth huge money someday. Actually the designs are mostly copied from Pichney, Gibbs, Pond and Creek Chub.

The most desirable thing was that they were no frills and you could count on them to fish just out of the package and they could take a beating and caught fish. What good do those attributes serve if they just hang in a room on display? They were built for fisherman at first now they are built for collecting. It's a damm shame.

[JoeP]

Wow - not too much of an axe to grind... Seems like your statements are a little biased to be so inflammatory.

Originally Posted by Flaptail

The consistency point is a junk excuse. I know it and you know it. In fact many of the Beachmaster plugs I have bought in the last few years have many defects on them that would not have passed muster a few years ago. Paint splatters, dings, dents. I know of his personal situation and hopefully it gets resolved quickly ( I hear it may have already) As of the moment thought they arte being thrown together and out the door as needed. Yes there are a bunch turned but they sit in boxes waiting for prime paint and sealer. Only one guy does that of the two, the other is a machine turning them out and drilling etc. His work is way ahead of the other. I did a lot to promote them over the years in various columms and articles in OTW which had an impact on thier popularity here in southeast mass and never recieved one plug in thanks. I didn't care as long as they were available. The current situation is totally f()cked up. Collectors think they are going to be worth huge money someday. Actually the designs are mostly copied from Pichney, Gibbs, Pond and Creek Chub.

The most desirable thing was that they were no frills and you could count on them to fish just out of the package and they could take a beating and caught fish. What good do those attributes serve if they just hang in a room on display? They were built for fisherman at first now they are built for collecting. It's a damm shame.

[Nebe]

If you ask me Beachmasters are the most durable plug out there. Whatever they use as an epoxy is tough as nails. that is the # 1 reason i would pay more for them.. they last a loooong time.

[RIJIMMY]

You guys should just see the light and stop using plugs, you'll catch more on eels anyway......

[eastendlu]

Originally Posted by RIJIMMY

You guys should just see the light and stop using plugs, you'll catch more on eels anyway......

I'll never see the light ,i fish at night