Just wanted to know people's experience on them??? It seems like whenever I use them, I don't have much luck. What color's work the best?? I just see or hear about other people catch on them and I never have luck with them..
black or red/black for night. Arkansas shiner, white for daytime use would be good start. Do a search on rigging them with 2 hooks - Steve McKenna a member here did a nice article in On The Water magazine last September ('05) I think - very easy to follow and a effective way to rig the 9" sluggos.
Do guys know if there is any literature or websites out there on how to jig sluggo's. I t sounds like a stupid question but I havent really had much luck with sluggos this yr believe it or not. It is possibly because of lack of experience, but I would like to find an effective way of jiggin them. Thanks for ur input guys
For rigging I like a Pt. Jude Wobble Head. Easy, fast, and effective. Put the Sluggo on the Wobble Head, one sluggo weight in the tail, and you're ready to fish.
With double rigged Sluggos, at least where I fish, I'm constantly hooking and landing bluefish. I just assume not have a second hook and let the blue have the Sluggo. It would have been a lost cause anyways. Rarely do I miss a fish, if it's a striper. It happens, but rarely.
For jigging a Sluggo for tuna, try the 1.5 Owner Seabullet head with the 9, or the 1 ounce with the 7.5" Sluggo. Not sure what the tuna think it is, but they're into it. Rainbow trout color for the tuna.
Do guys know if there is any literature or websites out there on how to jig sluggo's. I t sounds like a stupid question but I havent really had much luck with sluggos this yr believe it or not. It is possibly because of lack of experience, but I would like to find an effective way of jiggin them. Thanks for ur input guys
keep experimenting... i don't have much experience with the either but they sure do produce at the right times... (usually night) when the eels are gone you will be glad you had put the time in with these scrumpcious artifitials. I use the double rig method it seems to work well for someone who still needs to get the feel of them.
From a boat, i'll drift the rips with them. I use a 1 oz jig head at the most and cast up the current then do a very slow retrieve just bouncing it off the bottom. I like white, pink and gray during the day. I use it when the sand eels are around. I also try to use the least possible weight to just get it to the bottom but make it look natural. Also get them back in the boat within 50-75' past the rip or you'll have a doggie and be re-rigging all day. I've had some good days with sluggos but nothing, NOTHING compares to some nice fresh bait rigged right.
Also i use either the 4" or the 6" but I'm trying to imitate sand eels not regular eels.
Tie direct as well. I never ever use snaps for anything ever.
They are my fall back when the sand eels are around. This year I might switch to Ron-z's but they are really expensive so I'll at least give em a try.
I've had some good days with sluggos but nothing, NOTHING compares to some nice fresh bait rigged right.
Sometimes sluggos is all that will work where I fish in the summer. I am also in a tin boat and fishing during the daylight hours. Sight fishing. My canal buddies use them on jigs and do real well. They have basicly given up on eelskins and use them and Ronz. Practice makes perfect.
"A beach is a place where a man can feel he's the only soul in the world that's real"
Where I fish in June in my skiff, sluggos are the only thing we use. I probably catch 3 to 4 hundred fish a year on them between May and July. This is all light tackle fishing with 6 inch sluggos on a 5/0 Texposer hook in 3 feet or less of water.
They are my "go to" lure. I do use other plastics as well as tossing plugs, but I tend to have more action using 9 inch with 1/4-1/2 inch trimmed from the tip, rigged STRAIGHT on no less that a 1 oz. jig.
If I pre-rig a bunch, I'll glue the hook shaft to extend the lure's life.
My favorite colors fall into 2 categories: day/moonlit night or dark moonless night
day/moonlit night - white, bubblegum, green w/metal flakes, blue w/metal flakes and black w/metal flakes (see the pattern?)
Dark/moonless nights - arkansas shiner, alewife, black and red.
This year, the traditional theory (dark colors on dark nights, light colors on moonlit nights) didn't hold true. In fact, it was almost the complete opposite.
As with any new technique, you learn more through trial and error.
I have been teaching my brother the basics, like learning how to tell the difference between the Slug-go bumping the bottom, and a fish s#^^^^^&g it up off the bottom. (I'm SOOOO glad I switched to braid last year.)
The best method for "learning" is to pick up a pack of a few different colors, based on traditional wisdom, and rig a couple of each and hit the water for a little "field trip".
I have had similar success as some of you stated. Sluugo's have some great action. The twitch and pause drives bass bonkers. I have never had any luck with heavy jig heads. I guess I have to put more time in.
The only problem I have had rigging them is sometimes the glue hardens to fast and sort of puckers up the rubber and burns it. I'm going to try the slower setting zap a gap.
The only problem I have had rigging them is sometimes the glue hardens to fast and sort of puckers up the rubber and burns it. I'm going to try the slower setting zap a gap.
I had this problem as well. I'm assuming you're rigging them Mckena style. Try pushing the hook in the head first, then pull it out and add the glue and stick it back in, that way the hole is already there and it goes in much easier.
This is my go to lure at night, I've had great luck with the black 9" rigged and fished Mckena style. Fast retrieve with lots of action, when they hit it they hit it HARD, at least thats been my experience. Go to youtube Mckena has videos of how to rig and fish them on there, helped me out quite a bit. Hope this helps you out.
In my book, it's BLACK Slug-go's and Needles at night. My best fish and the most fish of my last season was caught on the slug, no weight no double hook. Just a SUPER SHARPENED #9 Slug-go hook, is what I see as the best for that neutral buoyancy twitch-ability effect.
Super glue works great, as it bonds the jelly to the hook shaft. But, you need to move fast and be as accurate as possible. Also, you need to apply a little to all the hook penetrations and exits. I have been able to catch several average fish from one glued rig and never more than one really good fish from the glued rig. But at that point, who cares. What a fight!!!
This was my best last season, caught on the Slug! It was released to fight another day!
Last edited by Casting Z's; 02-03-2007 at 05:45 PM..
I use sluggo's & other plastic baits 60% of the time; flies 30% lures and plugs 10%. Plastics range from 4"-9", mostly white. I use very little weight if any. Add a little weight or a larger hook & let it sink if you want to go deeper. I'm fishing in protected water 8'-25'. If Your fishing days, the brighter the day the deeper you go [but not always]. My retreive ranges from a "stop & go" 4"-12" jerk or snap; to a dead drift; to skipping it across the surface. All work at different times [experiment]. You want your bait to look ALIVE & like it's wounded and, or trying to escape. Throw what ever your fishing with out in front of you and see what it looks like with EACH retrieve. There are very few things that I just throw out and just reel back.
IMHO, 9" sluggos may be the best artificial you can use. Bass and bluefish love them. If you are just starting out, keep it simple.
Buy 3 packs of Black (night) and 3 packs of white (AMs).
You can rig them several ways. My favorites are the following
1. rig them with an 8/O Mustad, through the nose and out the bottom. I wrap thread on the shaft of the hook and add a drop of superglue so the hook adheres to the rubber (PM me for details if you need to), or
2.. the method we know that Steve McKenna uses. (2 hook rigging)
I fish each style a little different from slight sweeps of the rod tip (style 1) to faster constant snaps (style 2).
Oh, and by the way, save your money on buying all those fancy plugs. You'll outproduce them most of the time with sluggos.
This summer I was puting heat shrink (the kind they use for elctronics)on my front hooks when rigging my Slugs and it makes the crazy glue hold 100%better.
I learned that ripped and broken sluggos can easily be fixed by heating a knife over a flame and pressing it against them. Get it to melt right back together and it is just as strong as new. Do it outside though so you dont breath in the smoke.
I find that bluefish bite right through the 50lb dacron, and leader material doesnt let them swim natural. Anyone got a better material for rigging the two hook McKenna Method
still by the firelight
and purple moonlight
I hear the rusted river's call
when i just did a search for steve mckena on utube and then clicked on the first video... a related video was britney spears sex tape.... coincidence???