One of my best artificials that was responsible for the catching of hundreds of stripers this year was not really a plug. It was an egg float. A float gives shore and boat fishermen one of the most effective means to deliver a small offering. The float is merely a casting weight. At the end of the float you want to attach about three feet of heavy mono (suggest 30 lb. test) and at the end of that comes the small and lightweight offering. You can tie on a fly, an unweighted plastic fluke (with a hook of course), a small Hogy or Slug Go, a small bucktail jig, a Storm shad, a Cocahoe on a small jighead, etc. The possibilities are endless. Using the float last year, I landed hundred of stripers, a load of bluefish and many false albacore. It is one of the deadliest combinations to use in saltwater when small bait is around.
About the most aerodynamic float you can make is actually a wooden egg. You can buy these online at
http://www.craftparts.com/eggs-fruits-c-249.html or in some craft stores. I especially like the 2 1/2 inch "hen" egg with a flat bottom. You can even buy them painted (the way I do it). Once you have the egg, attachments must be put on. I like to use a through wire construction for long lasting durability. Some fishermen use stainless steel screw eyes. Here's how I do it. First drill out the egg with a 1/8 inch drill bit (top right). As you can see from the photo, I use a drill press. If you have a steady hand, you may be able to use a regular drill. Next step is to pass a pre bent wire through the hole (top left). I buy stainless steel annealed plug wire from
http://www.njtackle.com/ It's fairly soft and really does the trick in plug making. Once the wire is in, I wrap the opposite end several times around a small Philip's head screwdriver to get the end loop (bottom left). Once that is done, cut the excess and tuck the wire end in neatly with pliers. A final option here is to bang a nail into the float at an angle. This will be the jig holder that will prevent a helicopter blade effect on the cast and will allow for longer casts. Once the nail or piece of wire is banged into the float, clip off so that only about a quarter inch comes out from the float (bottom right). Now, we're finished and have just made a must have artificial for next season!
One of my best artificials that was responsible for the catching of hundreds of stripers this year was not really a plug. It was an egg float. A float gives shore and boat fishermen one of the most effective means to deliver a small offering. The float is merely a casting weight. At the end of the float you want to attach about three feet of heavy mono (suggest 30 lb. test) and at the end of that comes the small and lightweight offering. You can tie on a fly, an unweighted plastic fluke (with a hook of course), a small Hogy or Slug Go, a small bucktail jig, a Storm shad, a Cocahoe on a small jighead, etc. The possibilities are endless. Using the float last year, I landed hundred of stripers, a load of bluefish and many false albacore. It is one of the deadliest combinations to use in saltwater when small bait is around.
About the most aerodynamic float you can make is actually a wooden egg. You can buy these online at http://www.craftparts.com/eggs-fruits-c-249.html or in some craft stores. I especially like the 2 1/2 inch "hen" egg with a flat bottom. You can even buy them painted (the way I do it). Once you have the egg, attachments must be put on. I like to use a through wire construction for long lasting durability. Some fishermen use stainless steel screw eyes. Here's how I do it. First drill out the egg with a 1/8 inch drill bit (top right). As you can see from the photo, I use a drill press. If you have a steady hand, you may be able to use a regular drill. Next step is to pass a pre bent wire through the hole (top left). I buy stainless steel annealed plug wire from http://www.njtackle.com/ It's fairly soft and really does the trick in plug making. Once the wire is in, I wrap the opposite end several times around a small Philip's head screwdriver to get the end loop (bottom left). Once that is done, cut the excess and tuck the wire end in neatly with pliers. A final option here is to bang a nail into the float at an angle. This will be the jig holder that will prevent a helicopter blade effect on the cast and will allow for longer casts. Once the nail or piece of wire is banged into the float, clip off so that only about a quarter inch comes out from the float (bottom right). Now, we're finished and have just made a must have artificial for next season!
