Loaded NB Darters

[Surf Caster]

A while back (some years ago) Chef Chris posted about loading the North Bar plastic darters (not bottle darter) and that he was pleased with the improved casting ability and limited impact on the action. Has anyone else tried this with success? If so, how much liquid did you use?

I’ve been a dedicated Super Strike guy but had some success on the North Bar last year and would like to try and load them to improve casting distance.

[tlapinski]

I played around with loading the NB darter when it first came out and was unable to come up with anything I really liked as far as casting or swim. I was surprised as I greatly prefer the NB bottle darter loaded with 1/2-ounce of liquid over the stock version. The NB darters ended up in a box of plugs for several seasons until last year when I dug them out on the suggestion of a friend. I gave them a shot once again in the unloaded form, and much to my surprise the unloaded version quickly became one of my top producers for 2021 with a handful of very large bass to their credit. For me they do not replace the Super Strike by any means but were a great compliment to them in certain scenarios.

[Higgie]

Toby what are you using for liquid?? Been using bb’s in my redfins but don’t always want the rattle. I also started foam filling and thru wiring redfins and both seem to hold a place in the bag for certain applications.
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[t_man7]

If I were to invest some time into this I’d look into HG loading them. The air the body retains while gaining the desired loaded weight sounds to be the ticket for loading a darter.
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[Surf Caster]

Originally Posted by tlapinski

I played around with loading the NB darter when it first came out and was unable to come up with anything I really liked as far as casting or swim. I was surprised as I greatly prefer the NB bottle darter loaded with 1/2-ounce of liquid over the stock version. The NB darters ended up in a box of plugs for several seasons until last year when I dug them out on the suggestion of a friend. I gave them a shot once again in the unloaded form, and much to my surprise the unloaded version quickly became one of my top producers for 2021 with a handful of very large bass to their credit. For me they do not replace the Super Strike by any means but were a great compliment to them in certain scenarios.

It was a similar situation for me. Super strike has always been my go to darter but for some reason last year I put an NB in my bag and caught a number of fish on it. It’s certainly not a replacement for super strike, but it was a nice addition - just wish they cast better.
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[ProfessorM]

Curious do You fish wooden darters? I much prefer a wooden darter over anything plastic but that’s me.
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[Surf Caster]

Originally Posted by ProfessorM

Curious do You fish wooden darters? I much prefer a wooden darter over anything plastic but that’s me.
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I’ve been such a super strike darter addict that it’s been hard for me to pull any other darter out of my bag. I’ve caught more fish on an SS Darter than any other plug by far.

I have a bunch of wood darters from Beachmaster, surf asylum, and some other smaller builders but they rarely make it into the rotation. I’ve caught on some, but i keep going back to super strike.
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[ProfessorM]

No doubt they are a super popular lure and many proven years as a mainstay darter. I was just curious. Always interested in what guys like to use and what they don’t necessarily use. Me personally I have never used one. I think I may have one somewhere. You obviously have great confidence in what you use and that’s half the battle. Keep
Up the good work and good luck this year. P.
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[piemma]

Years ago I found one at Deep Hole. Blue and silver. I fished it for a long time and it was killer. Finally lost it to a Bluefish at the Fire Beach.

[Mike P]

Originally Posted by ProfessorM

Curious do You fish wooden darters? I much prefer a wooden darter over anything plastic but that’s me.
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I stopped using Gibbs darters when I had a few crack lengthwise. When I mentioned it (can't remember if it was here of the SOL), that chowderhead Dan from Gibbs got all bent and called me a liar.

[tlapinski]

Originally Posted by Higgie

Toby what are you using for liquid?? Been using bb’s in my redfins but don’t always want the rattle. I also started foam filling and thru wiring redfins and both seem to hold a place in the bag for certain applications.
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I never use a full load of BB's as I am not a fan of the sound, but i have added a couple to my liquid mix to get just a touch of sound for certain applications. For liquid I either use mineral oil or HG, depending on what I am loading and what I want it to do as they act differently with same loads of different liquid. I think that Dave did an article for SJ a while back comparing different load liquids and had some interesting results.

Originally Posted by ProfessorM

Curious do You fish wooden darters? I much prefer a wooden darter over anything plastic but that’s me.
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As much as I fish in rocks I stopped using wooden darters aside from the Mike's with the metal lip protector as I destroyed far too many of them. All it takes is one errant cast or dart and a wooden darter can be rendered useless. As it is the lips on my plastic darters look like they were chewed on by a dog but they swim true longer.

[t_man7]

As much as I fish in rocks I stopped using wooden darters aside from the Mike's with the metal lip protector as I destroyed far too many of them. All it takes is one errant cast or dart and a wooden darter can be rendered useless. As it is the lips on my plastic darters look like they were chewed on by a dog but they swim true longer.[/QUOTE]

Hate how true this is, all you can really do is use rock maple and make sure there’s a solid finish. Overtime I’ll repair with superglue but it’s never the same as the plug first was made. I am trying now soaking the head in ultra thin super glue, in order to make a solid head that’s more resilient to rocks. This is before sealing.
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[ProfessorM]

True. I put titanium lips on them sometimes if I feel motivated, I think Mike got the idea from me, but if trashed I just throw them away and make more. 😉
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[Surf Caster]

Originally Posted by ProfessorM

True. I put titanium lips on them sometimes if I feel motivated, I think Mike got the idea from me, but if trashed I just throw them away and make more. 😉
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This post is worthless without pics!

Btw another super strike benefit is that since it isn’t the deepest running plug, it can be an effective plug on big but shallow cobble stone bars!
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[piemma]

Originally Posted by Surf Caster

This post is worthless without pics!

Btw another super strike benefit is that since it isn’t the deepest running plug, it can be an effective plug on big but shallow cobble stone bars!
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and thus the reason I found it at Deep Hole on the "rubble bar".

[ProfessorM]

Originally Posted by Surf Caster

This post is worthless without pics!

Btw another super strike benefit is that since it isn’t the deepest running plug, it can be an effective plug on big but shallow cobble stone bars!
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Yes. Good point. Most all the darters I build are lighter than most because I fish boulders and sand beaches and thus don’t drag the bottom so much. If I want heavier ones I use heavier wood. That’s what’s great about building your own you can make what you need specifically. Unfortunately I can’t post pictures from my phone here and my computer died years ago.
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[Surf Caster]

Originally Posted by ProfessorM

Yes. Good point. Most all the darters I build are lighter than most because I fish boulders and sand beaches and thus don’t drag the bottom so much. If I want heavier ones I use heavier wood. That’s what’s great about building your own you can make what you need specifically. Unfortunately I can’t post pictures from my phone here and my computer died years ago.
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I think I’ve got a darter or two that you’ve made (beautiful plugs!). I’m curious if you prefer a more subtle or more dramatic darting action from a darter? The super strike is obviously very subtle and I like that about it, but recently (based on my north bar experience) I’ve begun wondering about when using a darter with a more exaggerated zig and zag might be preferable (full moon nights perhaps?)
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