The needlefish is a hot plug right now. I was out several times in the last week and have taken good numbers of keeper stripers and big blues using this plug. It will far outfish a popper which is the plug most fishermen are using. I think its subtle movements mimic the movement of bait much better than a popper. It is also an effective plug to use in both daylight and nighttime.
Many fishermen have no idea how to work it. On the retrieve, you want to give the rod tip a lot of action, but with multiple quick jerks of the tip to get the plug to move and dip. Avoid the long strokes that you would use when fishing a popper. The plug also works real well in rough water.
I make my own needlefish plug and I make a "fat" version and a skinny model. I especially like a white belly and a yellow back on my versions. I also like to add a buicktail/hackle tail. The biggest blue I caught from shore in recent years fell for a needlefish. Some of the biggest stripers I have caught have also fallen for this plug. Get rid of the poppers and become a needlefish fishermen if you like working the surface.
