who's Dmag - Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating

thefishingfreak · 03-18-2014, 08:44 PM

And what gives?

iamskippy · 03-18-2014, 08:47 PM

If you are talking about the plug builder from NJ named DenMag or better know as DMag plugs. Then he is a plug builder from NJ.

I assume you have been seeing the prices of his plugs om ebay?

If so they are in high demand due to low supply, i maybe wrong but.i think he does limited runs and only for surf day in NJ.

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thefishingfreak · 03-18-2014, 09:00 PM

Insane money on eBay
400 plus and selling at that price too.
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iamskippy · 03-18-2014, 09:40 PM

Yes, there are 2 more builders that will do the same money, big rock is one and i can not think of the other off the top of my head.

A few articles out there about the plug poaching going on, sadly the plugs are sold from 25 bucks to 45 bucks give or take.
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numbskull · 03-19-2014, 06:26 AM

Strange how this is so much a part of the NJ fishing culture. First Lefty, then Skippy, then Twisted (who at least was original), and now DMag. The area seems to always need a "hot builder" so they can enjoy competing for and hoarding his product. Does it happen elsewhere and we just don't hear about it?

iamskippy · 03-19-2014, 07:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by numbskull

Strange how this is so much a part of the NJ fishing culture. First Lefty, then Skippy, then Twisted (who at least was original), and now DMag. The area seems to always need a "hot builder" so they can enjoy competing for and hoarding his product. Does it happen elsewhere and we just don't hear about it?

Numby, not to pick on the jersey folks or the culture but its all about tossing around money. Look at the tv shows let alone how competative they are.

I am sure there are some names here in the north east that are legendary builders, stan gibbs for one comes to mind. The difference is clubs and tourneyments are named after him, streets etc.

I hope no one takes that statement the wrong way, i was just providing an example, as i have complete respect for stan gibbs and what he did for the fishing community. Just the point being that different areas do things different, and Jersey is all about the $$$$.
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BigFish · 03-19-2014, 08:13 AM

Gonna be alot of Dmags around cause' nobody is gonna be able to afford to fish them?

iamskippy · 03-19-2014, 08:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigFish

Gonna be alot of Dmags around cause' nobody is gonna be able to afford to fish them?

Sadly in his case its not the seller jacking the price at the point of sale, its what people are doing afterwards. He does have rattles in his canal pencils though.
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BigFish · 03-19-2014, 08:59 AM

I realize its not HIS fault. Its nice to have demand but that greed (on the part of the "collectors") can hurt as well.

*Collectors-people who will not fish the plugs they have due to perceived value given that the plug is brand new and still very much in production!

iamskippy · 03-19-2014, 09:04 AM

Agreed, it funny because there have been some interesting reel deals on Ebay as well, you have to love market control and demand. Post somethig, have the winning bid be insane(thanks to friends), post another one,.do it again. Then have someone else post the item and the watchers will think they are getting a deal at 1.5 timea the actual worth....
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Charleston · 03-19-2014, 12:21 PM

Most of the problem lies in the guys who buy the plugs at shows and only buy them to flip them. They are not really fishermen they are dealers. They have to wait for hours outside to be first in line to enter the shows. They buy up the plugs. Probably 4 or 5 guys buying their limit of 2, then getting together to sell on EBay.
I'll bet DMag hates it when he sees it happening. He is a real nice guy. Just happens to build a small lot of plugs that have taken off in popularity.

Then there is the money thing. It seems like guys here in NY and NJ have a lot more money to throw around. This and there are a lot more guys so someone is bound to buy the plug.

One thing I can't figure out. Once someone pays a huge amount of money for a plug chances are they will never be able to resell it for more. So if you are not a die hard collector you are a poor business man.

Back 8 or 10 years ago we had the very same thing going on with Gary2 plugs. Seems like the new breed of NJ plug buyers just have more money.

ProfessorM · 03-19-2014, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iamskippy

He does have rattles in his canal pencils though.
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Me too

.

I just don't get the prices. I can't imagine anyone paying that for plugs and are actually going to throw them in the water. Seems like they collect them more like folk art than fishing implements. To each their own but it will be a cod day in hell before I'd spend that much on a simple plug like a pencil when a Gibbs pencil will fish just as good and has for many years. Spend away.

eskimo · 03-19-2014, 03:32 PM

Seems like most don't even know what they are paying for. These particular collectors just drop money on them because they are the current "collectable" plug. I'm going to guess if you asked any of these collectors to name 5 of 8 styles of plugs the builder makes they couldn't.

Not really collectors - more like guys who like to wait in line with money to blow.

wader-dad · 03-19-2014, 05:11 PM

I suppose I am a plug collector - but I do not think I ever paid more than $35 for a plug except for Mike Fixter Pike and some Don Musso wood plugs. Those are part of surf fishing history and to me have value apart from the plugs. I cant imagine paying $200 for a modern Dmag or anything else.

I fish Beachmasters, Billy D, Manzi, Fixter, Musso wood, and Habs plugs- I just have extras. I think if you are a surfcaster and fish them but keep the backups and the extras- its more satisfying than just collecting the plugs as folk art.

ProfessorM · 03-19-2014, 05:34 PM

You could buy original wood Musso's and Pichney's for less money than what people are paying for these new flavor of the year plugs and I'd bet they are way better at catching fish too.
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thefishingfreak · 03-19-2014, 06:06 PM

That's an awful lot of cotton cordell pencil poppers
Curious to the value of these in a year or so.
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nightfighter · 03-19-2014, 06:18 PM

Yeah, I remember when Gary's plugs were going for (what I felt was)stoopid money.... I reached up to the one I had hanging in my den, took a photo and listed it for the same price point I was seeing people pay. It was under agreement and gone within 24 hours. I greatly admired Gary's work, but what I got for that plug paid for my Vega duplicator off of the Classifieds.

Mike, your flag plugs are the ONLY plugs I would pay up for. They are that good. (Just not right now......)

johnny ducketts · 03-19-2014, 06:39 PM

That's it I'm running to eBay with a couple of Prof m plugs!

They gotta be up there, if not. They should!
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Guppy · 03-19-2014, 07:38 PM

http://www.striped-bass.com/Stripert...1&d=1354977120

$399.99 free shipping, proceeds to benefit my fishing habit.

ProfessorM · 03-19-2014, 07:39 PM

LOL. I got about 700 plus hanging from the ceiling. I'll give you a cut. We'll probably make a good 800 bucks.

johnny ducketts · 03-19-2014, 08:39 PM

We will call them dprofs, it's foolproof!
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Sgt Striper · 03-19-2014, 09:41 PM

Most of the people you see standing in line for Dennis' plugs are not Jersey guys, they are mostly a certain crew from NY!!!! You know the ones you see at the canal w/ ugly sticks....... Just sayin
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numbskull · 03-20-2014, 05:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iamskippy

He does have rattles in his canal pencils though.

He makes pencils for the CANAL?

Not sure what a rattle adds to a pencil (fish don't tend to track pencils trying to decide, they rush them with their minds made up), but if you see a guy swimming in the canal this year it seems a good bet he is from NJ and just snapped off his DMag.

ThrowingTimber · 03-20-2014, 09:40 AM

The ny/nj guys do seminars teaching people how to fish the canal

I wont begrudge how anyone spends their money... However i do make observations. Its I have this and you dont as soon as they get a hold of one they tell everyone and post pictures... Maybe its just me but its just a fishing lure right?

BigFish · 03-20-2014, 12:49 PM

Hunk of wood with hooks....they all catch!

PaulS · 03-20-2014, 01:21 PM

I think I read that DMag only had like 20 plugs to sell this year.

I like BMs. Those always have blemishes which don't bother me as I have no interest in collecting them. However, if you turn around and try selling one to someone who wants to buy one and says they are going to fish it, they end up not buying it.

The Dad Fisherman · 03-20-2014, 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigFish

Hunk of wood with hooks....they all catch!

Ain't the Plug, Its the Plugger...

wader-dad · 03-20-2014, 02:06 PM

Well lets not go too far the other way. A Bob Pond 40 with the early glass eyes for example is not a hunk of wood with hooks- it is something more because of the historical significance.

So there are some plugs that I would say- yeah that has some added significance and its worth more than $20

wrikerjr · 03-20-2014, 03:46 PM

I will start this response with the fact that I know Dmag personally, consider Dennis a friend, and is a very nice gentleman. He makes a great plug (as do many people on this site), and Dennis would be the first to admit that and admire everyone's work.

I am not sure what makes one builders plugs extremely desireable at one time or another. I wouldn't knock the builder for the prices the plugs demand...even if they charged those prices. It is a transaction, one person pays what they believe the plug is worth.

I do not believe the plug ho concept is limited to New York or New Jersey. Their are many individuals with deep pockets that pay large sums of money for plugs in New England, however, those plugs tend to be mode historical in nature.

There are great plug builders on this site that I have admired for a long time, and if they sold plugs at the fishing flea market shows they would soon have a great following and demand some major money.

Nebe · 03-20-2014, 03:55 PM

This happens with everything.. from Plugs to paintings, to glass ( what i do) and even to obvious things like clothing brands.

People get behind something and then if you don't have it, your outta luck..

Speaking of luck... Luck is usually what it takes to get into the position that dmag is in. Either that, or he knows the right people to make it happen.. ( plug mafia )