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How To's, F.A.Q.s, Tips, & Tricks How-To's, Tips & Tricks plus Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) **** Please Do Not Start Discussions or Ask New Questions in Here **** This is for popular Threads To be moved here for easy access & discussion. Post all new questions in main Stripertalk Forum

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Old 05-06-2003, 04:05 PM   #1
TheSpecialist
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How to work a needlefish

Here is a how to for everyone. It was written by Bassmaster, of Daves Guide Service. Please post all questions on this subject in this thread. DO NOT, I mean DO NOT PM or Email Bassmaster directly. It is on how to work a needlefish plug, enjoy:

A needle is a basic lure, It makes a wake.
But there are times when You have to use a needle different, As in Heavy water You would want a large needle the pushes water,
A fast sinker, it will come up top in moving water....
some times the bass will want them sub surface to, with a twitch here and there...
for Now for the most Part let Yac about needles in regular surf conditions...
A stubby is a great one to work just under the water and on top..
One thing I do is either add a porkrind to the tail hook(Hi Slip) to give it action..
Or You can add a colorado blade th the end with a ball bearing swivel. Was Killer last Year. (I need to Make More,But now Im tossing needles with a prop on the front and they are hookin Me up)
There are 3 types of needles Ya should have.
One that plunks down in water and floats.
This is good for calm water...
One that sinks, fow windy and heavy water and when the bass wont hit on top...
and one that is weighted to verticle float
(for gettin it out there)
Its also good for the twitch and doubles as a pencle popper at dusk
For colors Black is tops and Ya cant loose on that color...
then from there You can go to colors say a Yellow In say a bay or in Half Moon building, Heck even in the new Moon, What do I know..........
Black and purple is killer here and a white or a silver black back is awsome....
Black and pink is awsome to.
You Guys should know by now I turn My own wood, so If I blab sorry..
the white stubby is a good sand eel imitation as is the larger needle....
A good size for a needle is from the stubby to 10" at times, for the most part I would say 8 or 9" is the Magic Numbah...
In slow water Your sinking needle will have to be retrieved faster, But May get You more strikes, If not then jump to a slow sinker or floater and reel slow and twitch here and there.
NOW IF YA GET BUMPS> )))'>
after the Hit.... reel 2 or 3 feet fast, then slow it down again, find out how they want it. Most times You will nail the Bass this way or on the next cast.
When You feel weight set the hook.....
some nights they will come up behind plug and hit it, Most hits come that way, Hence "The Bump"
when they Hit from the side its usually always a set fish.
I run needles with a treble in the rear of the plug. and when its Stupid out there I run with a siwash in the back.
Dark green was an awsome color, Forest green rustolium ,,,
Just a change in color will put out.
and dont forget Parrot on the new moon and on the full moon.
so Get say 3 to 5 Big needles and the same on the stubbie's and cycle through them.
Note If You are tossin plastic and they Hit it slow, Jump to a needle and they should go right at it and go up in size...
Dave


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Old 05-06-2003, 10:15 PM   #2
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I pm'd BM will He get mad at Me
a few side notes I would say 8" is styling for needles
and found that a blue and purple needle smoked them last fall.
along with an OJ olive and white.
for those making a few try this olive back gold sides and silver or pearl belly and a tad of black around the eyes with a dot of red on the bottom of the plug, or If You have an air brush that can do hair lines You can do gill plates in red to make it look sweet.
I would say You can needle here on the sands starting in mid June....
Hi Bill

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Old 05-07-2003, 05:35 AM   #3
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Thanks for the update.
No I don't think he woud get mad, I just don't think it is appropriate thats all.

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Old 10-03-2003, 12:24 PM   #4
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I am going to try a needle today for the first time
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Old 05-12-2004, 11:56 AM   #5
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On that needle You want to paint that Yellow and silver and weight it so it slow sinks, Your going to Use it like a pencle popper, only You dont know it Yet...
You need to slim the middle down a bit and get a nice taper in the front of the plug.
You want to make a floating needle in black, it will just barely float level with a slight angle so it will cast, The color shall Be Black and Black shall Be thy color, You will paint it black and only black untill further notice
You want to make a set of floaters in black,,, black and purple,, black olive silver belly with red fogged in around the eyes or on the nose.
Purple and silver is good to....
then You want some slow sinkers in solid black and make some in the above colors and some with blue around the eyes with green fogged in on the sides,Killer last week,,,
then fast sinkers in forest green,,,
black,,,, black and Yellow,This color for another type of floater a verticle floater, Killer, Lost Mine 10" plug to....
allso on the fast sinkers Make them skinny to cut through the water and look like sand eel as far as the profile go's
well You make Your own plugs now so now comes the barely legal plugs as in a super slow sinker, Ya know the type that says I aint goin down there,they will eat Me.
It sits in the water then Pukes slow into the depths of the water Like a slow sinking fly line....
toss this into skinny water and on a bar and let the tide move it while You only keep Line Tension on it.......
when the Plug comes close to the waves breaking on shore reel it slow..
a verticle floater is good for Big wood that You want to cast far But still float and doubles as pencle popper. You want the nose to poke out of the water..
Make stubbie and small needles, Make a set of colors and sink them little suckers, they need to Die in the mouth of a fish.
You can use pork rhind on the end with kille results to...
allso make Yellow and white on all needles You make and a green back yellow Belly.
and Make some pink needles to, Not Rude pink, try to tone the pink down, You can pearl it with Peal x pigment, Mix with epoxy.
OH DID I FORGET BLACK AND GOLD!!!!!!
U must have black and gold allso..
the fast sinkers are for fast nasty surf or for faster water where fish are not coming up..
tune Your plugs for Your working enviroment.
Rember thats why U build plugs.......
Hope this helps

If You are going to experiment with needles.
Make a set of 3 all the same size and paint them all black.
weight one to float with half the body in the water.
weight the other one to sink slow.
And the last one to sink fast.
This way You will learn faster on how You want the lure to work, Plus Black is a good color. make all the bodies the same and make the lures 8" long.
Now You have a set for all types of water.
You can Make the loop wire that You put in the nose longer to add some nose weight. it helps a little to get the nose down.
a great needle is one that plunks down in water and half the body is showing
the reason for the weighting of the needles is not only to cover the water column in different But to WORK THE LURE SLOW when they want it slow in a very slow moving current, You could bring that fast sinker up to the top, But the bass may not want it at a high speed retrieve. or they may want it slow about a foot under the water and the current is cranking so that fast sinker will slam the bass for You.
Now You can move on to shapes, A needle with a wider nose is going to do two things.
Push water and Have a bigger profile, Plus the weight will go up and You can make it float easy with less weight to balance it out.
Again the 3 types of needles apply fast slow float, and now You can make some that will barely float or sink at a different rate. Remember its to match the current and when You know what the bass want You can zone in on them, Like in white water and jerking the rod to make it look like a sand eel. Hi Eel Punt,,,,,,on the bottom...
You can make a sand eel type needle and add a French blade to it, make it sink fast and paint it green with either black scale or mustard yellow scale. and Put a barrel on the blade, I think the French blade is the best due to its shape and how it matches up to the plug. For some reason they like that color combo. and a solid black and You can paint the blade black to...
Another blade that works great is called a delta Blade, Mike Fixter turned Me onto this blade, They sell them In Moors Lures.
Make a fat profile needle and add this blade to the front crimp up some tubing so the blade turns and does not Bind Up. Make the needle a moderate sinker, it will come right up. and the blade makes a graceful wake, Nice and slow with out that rude splashing, Hi Wee Wee...
Paint the lure Black for starters, But Me thinks black and Yellow rocks on it, Me need to make more. Gone with the wind....

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Old 06-28-2004, 10:00 PM   #6
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the other night, If they did'nt slam it.
I would get a bump, I would rip the lure pause and start twitch and get smashed

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Old 09-17-2004, 08:03 AM   #7
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BM.......
Thanx for all dat...took lots-a-notes..and I am all over it...so did I get it right? BLACK or Black or maybe even BLACK ?

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Old 09-17-2004, 08:39 AM   #8
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black and black

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Old 09-17-2004, 09:01 AM   #9
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But seriously, thanx man-great thread

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Old 09-18-2004, 10:30 AM   #10
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thanks

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Old 09-20-2004, 04:17 AM   #11
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YoBubba
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Old 10-04-2004, 08:30 AM   #12
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White White and White give it a TRY

Over the Last Several Years HAB'S NEEDLEFISH Have Caught More "Confirmed" 30, 40, 50, and even 60 pound Striped Bass than any other Wooden Needlefish on the Market today. 2 Over 50lbs. and 1 Over 60lbs. in 2005 alone........... "HOOK UP WITH HAB'S" Your Best Bet For BIG BASS.....
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Old 12-19-2006, 11:10 AM   #13
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I know man, Ive been useing white at night, and Im finding it much more productive

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Old 03-22-2008, 01:42 AM   #14
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BassMaster:

Are you fishing treble hooks front and back or tails with singeledressed siwash (feathers or bucktail ?) or are you mixing them up-some trebles and some single siwash ?
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Old 03-19-2009, 10:09 AM   #15
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yes mostly trebles .ometimes a siwash i also pop on a frenchblade, this works awsome for going super slow and levels the plug out also an ass heavy plug will pull level with this also. i got the idea from old man stezko like 10 12 yrs ago
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Old 03-19-2009, 01:38 PM   #16
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took you long enough to answer him. Give me a frenchblade plug will yeah.

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Old 02-24-2015, 07:22 PM   #17
FyshhTrap
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you guys are over-loading my circuits with all this info, what a great site, my question is , where is or where can I buy well made needles? I've just inherited a lathe and wouldn't attempt making one without seeing what a well made one looks like, I've bought a few before from fishing shows, but being a newbie, I'm not sure if I even bought the real thing, thanks
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