pluggin - Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating

staltershoal · 06-26-2005, 09:26 PM

this is probably a big no no, but im gonna do it anyway. i must be doing something wrong. i cant help notice that all the guys around me are picking up fish.. be it stripers or bluesm and i always go home empty handed. most of the time i see guys picking up fish on chunks or eels, but i seem to be the odd ball plugging away. chunking is just not thinkg from shore. i would much rather watch the fish hit my plug. lets take tonight for instance. i was at gooseberry on the causeway, guys all around me picking up stripers(small ones) but none the less picking up fish, on chunks. i plugged my arse off. i threw every plug i had in my box with not even a swirl. i tried both sides of the causeway with no luck. the guys with chunks were getting them on both sides. i even threw some pearl fin-s swimmers......nothing.

Is it too late in the season to plug or am i doing it wrong. i tried a fast and slow retreive, i tried diffrent patterns of popping, i tried no patterns of popping, and nothing worked.

I know there is some luck to it but i cant help thinking that there is alot of skill involved which i lack. i had always figured that a lot of trial and error would give me skill but sadly it hasnt. so after 6 or so years of having less that mixed results i throw myself to the court and ask for hints or tips on plugging. pm's will be greatly appreciatedor if anyone wants to share with everyone thats good too.

thanks in advance

BigFish · 06-26-2005, 09:40 PM

Stick to what you like...plugging, and work at it. I love the top-water bite also and will pass on fishing chunks even when others are catching with it! Not fun in my opinion....just find it boring. You can't beat working a plug across the water and having it swallowed up in a violent, splashing attack! That is my idea of fun! I like to run and gun not stand around waiting for my rod to bend! Keep changing your plug selection from time to time and vary your retrieve speed and method to find "how the fish like it"!

staltershoal · 06-27-2005, 05:24 PM

part of my problem is i feel like everytime i see a bait store i need to stop in and see what they have for plugs, and given the money every time i saw a new one i would buy it. granted i dont have many compared to some of the pics i've seen on here but i feel like i always need to get a new plug to see if it works better than the ones i have now.

Bass Babe · 06-27-2005, 09:22 PM

You could try to figure out what's around for little guys -- mackeral, herring, mullet, whatever stripers would be eating -- and try to match what's in the water at the time. The stripers will spy your "injured" little "fish" and be on it like spandex on Prince.

striprman · 06-27-2005, 10:18 PM

When in Rome.............

Diggin Jiggin · 06-28-2005, 06:55 AM

If you know the fish are there and they're not hitting your topwater plugs you gotta mix it up a little. If they are chunking they are getting em on the bottom, you gotta try and get down there too. Try some strom shads, or fin -s fish on little ball jigs, maybe some sluggos with small lead heads.

One other thing you can try is using a teaser up in front of your plug, I have been using them 2 1/2 - 3 feet in front of the plug and doing very well with them. I had one day pluggin this year during which I caught a LOT of fish and every one of em was on the teaser.

Pete F. · 06-28-2005, 08:28 AM

Just remember the 3rd dimension, you might not be deep enough. Sluggo on a jighead slow with a few twitches. Jig with curlytail. Add some smelly jelly. Add a teaser. Sometimes ya gotta be in their face.

protty31 · 06-28-2005, 05:15 PM

First off wth are you doin on the causeway there.you need to walk a little and explore.Nuff said,if you look you'll find em

staltershoal · 06-30-2005, 10:17 PM

all good points and i thank you for them but i guess my biggest problem is lack of experience, and lack of a "secret spot". and with the causeway i figured with the big drop off on the side there would be something there, but from what i have heard from all the posts and pm's is to move around. i have been trying to find a happy medium with casting enugh to make sure there is nothing around and just moving too fast to cover alot of ground.

and what is a "teaser" i thought i knew but now im not sure what it is. ther was a post saying add a teaser to a plug? insite on a "teaser" would be appreciated.

hooked · 07-01-2005, 10:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by staltershoal

and what is a "teaser" i thought i knew but now im not sure what it is. ther was a post saying add a teaser to a plug? insite on a "teaser" would be appreciated.

http://www.striped-bass.com/Stripert...ad.php?t=10477

staltershoal · 07-03-2005, 08:20 AM

thnaks for the link.. looks like i have been missing out on a verry important feature of plugging. now i just need to find out how to rig this up on a 7 foot shakespear rod.

also how dose the plug pop with a swimmer on the line. i would think the added weight would sink the plug and ruin the pop?