Mike's Custom Plugs

You want to see some saltwater plugs that will leave you staring in awe.  Take a look at this website: Mike's Custom Plugs.

There is an interesting story here behind the scenes.  Mike, who makes these jewels, is an avid follower of mine.  In fact, Mike tells me that years ago he read some of the stories I wrote for the magazines about plug making, and that led him to begin making plugs. I got a chance to see many of his creations recently at the Springfield Sportsmen's Show.  He makes dozens of different models of plugs with loads of custom coloring.  The finish on his plugs is the very best I have ever seen and the detail that includes glass eyes and scale patterns is stunning.  I asked if he sells his plugs and indeed he does (from the website above).
So, do these plugs work?  If you look at the photo gallery on Mike's website, you will be amazed at all the big stripers and bluefish that were taken on these plugs.  This is a real testament to the effectiveness of these beautiful handcrafted lures.

This is one example of Mike's Custom Plugs.  It is called the "Baby Beast".
It is a two ounce darter.  The detail and finish are beautiful.

Enjoying This!

My son Matt and I are at the top
of Wachusett Mountain after a
major snowstorm.  Even with
temps in the teens, it was a great
day of skiing.

It's been a striper-less winter so far for me. There seems to be few or no fish in the upper Bay spots where I have caught tons of stripers in previous years.  In addition, the snow and ice have made it near impossible to park, walk around or even fish.
So, I've been living on the ski slopes. I've been skiing since I was a kid, and I feel as comfortable zipping down a steep ski slope as I feel walking around a park.  I spend my weekends teaching skiing at Yawgoo Valley, RI, and ski during the week at Wachusett Mountain, MA.  With over nine feet of snow in the last month and the totals piling up by the week at Wachusett, the skiing has been great.  I've been hitting the slopes 4 or 5 times a week and enjoying it immensely.  There's something about a ski area that makes people happy. You meet a lot of pleasant people on the chair and on the slopes.  The air is crisp, the scenery is breathtaking and the runs down the expert slopes are exhilarating . Who wouldn't enjoy those things?  It's similar to fishing a scenic surf spot on a beautiful day with the place all to yourself  and loaded with fish.
So, I'm looking forward to doing this for at least another month or two.  After that I'll retire the skis and break out the fishing gear. The beauty of living in New England is that it never gets dull if you are an outdoors man.

Next Seminar....Springfield Sportsmens Show

My final seminar at the big winter shows will be next Saturday, Feb. 21, at the Big E in Springfield, MA. My latest seminar is called "Shore Tactics for Stripers".  The Springfield Sportsmen's Show is a massive outdoor show dedicated to fishing, hunting and outdoor activities.  You would be amazed at how many saltwater fishermen are in this area. As of right now, the seminar schedule is not set so check the website this week at Springfield Sportsmen's Show for updates.
I have been getting many e-mails and questions about whether I will be doing seminars at the NE Saltwater Fishing Show in Providence at the end of the month. The answer is no. I was not contacted to do seminars there.  Their seminar schedule is packed with boating/fishing seminars presented by charter boat captains with a few shore fishing seminars presented by well known out -of -staters. I know many RI saltwater fishermen love this show and look forward to it. I wish RISAA good luck and good weather with this venture.

Making Plugs, Jigs, Teasers, Flies

I never seem to have enough bucktail
jigs.  They are my best fall lure for
schoolies.

I've been busy as a beaver in my basement making plugs and other artificials for the upcoming season.  In the winter I generally make what I think is going to hot in the next year based on my success in the previous season.  So, here is a list of what I  have been working on:
1. Plugs- My hottest wooden plug last year was a white needlefish.  That homemade 5 inch plug was very good in late summer and fall for stripers.  I've made a bunch of them in the last week and hopefully they will prove to be hot again this year.
2. Bucktail Jigs- They are always good along the oceanfront.  I've made a number of different models for the upcoming season with the flathead, spearhead and minnow head being my top producers.  Most of them I make are between a half and 1 ounce.  I make them in an all white color and use red thread for the most part.

These homemade white needlefish
plugs have just been painted.
They were my hottest wooden plugs
last fall.

3. Teasers- Shrimp fly teasers have been hot in the spring and fall and I have replenished my supply.
4. Blue Deceiver Flies for Albies-  These were also hot last fall.  I've made a couple of dozen of these as I anticipate albies will be the highlight of the upcoming season.
If you are looking for more detailed info on making any of the above artificials, do a search of the site. Past posts were devoted to all these topics.