Once again this week I come to you frustrated, irritated and edgy thanks to so many hours of rain (and even snow), and far too few hours of fishing. This is prime time for fishermen and farmers and we are all getting hosed. On the other hand, my gear and my tackle box are in the best shape ever. Like the old saying goes, “Here we are, all dressed up and no place to go!” While we wait for better weather, which is actually supposed to start today, and run through the remainder of the holiday weekend, let’s discuss lures and plugs.
My recent article on favorite streamer flies for spring trolling precipitated a number of contacts via e-mail, phone and chance meeting on the street regarding my pet plugs and lures for May fishing. First, I think it’s important to differentiate between these two types of baits. Lures are made of shaped and painted metal, often bent or twisted so as to provide a fish-attracting motion when retrieved through the water. Plugs are formed from either plastic or wood, often in a form that resembles a bait fish. Lures usually cast further and sink if not kept in motion, while a plug of the same size will cast half to three-quarters of the distance but will dive during the retrieve and float when forward momentum is stopped.
To be clear, there are a few specialty plugs that either sink or suspend at a certain depth. Plugs also offer the added incentive over lures of having at least one more set of treble hooks, and several styles include mechanisms inside that produce a fish-attracting noise and an erratic “injured minnow” motion during retrieval. Plugs also offer a wider variety of exterior color combinations and holographic appearances to imitate real bait fish. There is a tremendous assortment of plugs specifically for bass casting, and another specific line for salt-water angling, but all of the lures and plugs I’m about to review are tried and true for trout, togue and salmon.
One of the first lures I ever owned was a gold Al’s goldfish, and it produces action today, cast or trolled, just as consistently as 40 years ago. A lot of folks swear by a silver super duper and a gold Kastmaster, but my Al’s goldfish has always outperformed this pair of well known lures. When water is off color, that old standby, a red and white Dardevle, the 3/16- or 1/2-ounce weight, always produces action.
For lakes I often use a little larger lure with a good bit of flash and sparkle, and one of my newer favorites is a Mepp’s Syclops. The 2.5-inch is a half an ounce and the three-inch model weights 5/8-ounce so they cast a big distance if you’re not trolling. Hot firetiger, hot orange and gold are really dazzling in the water. Mooselook wobblers and Williams Wobblers are two more dependable lures for lake trolling, and hammered silver or the gold/silver combo should draw strikes.
Over the last three years, size 8, 44 and 16 bronze Sutton spoons have produced a lot of trout action for me on the Aroostook River, and they also work on Square, Cross and Long Lakes. All silver or silver/bronze on opposite sides are better choices for these lakes and more productive on landlocked salmon. Finally, one last lure that is often difficult to find in northern Maine, but excellent all year long, is a DB smelt. These small lures catch large fish by casting, trolling or even on downriggers during the summer.
Topping my list of favorite plugs has to be a size seven floating Rapala in orange, blue/silver or black/silver. Almost as good is a red and white colored Rebel that also floats, but when trolled will dive and twitch between two- and four-feet deep. Mystic company produces a plug named ghost minnow with a light-bending holographic finish that imitates a small smelt. It’s a real go-to choice for salmon.
Yo-Zuri company has really come to the forefront over the last five years with some truly realistic, shallow running plugs. Their Crystal Minnows are deadly on local lakes, especially the quarter-ounce, 3 and 5/8-inch version in holographic purple, green, and green/silver. Another Yo-Zuri fish getter is the Pin’s Minnow. This floating plugs dives between one to three feet and has a set of internal round weights that make noise and move about during trolling or a reeling retrieve to cause a tight wiggle to attract gamefish; gold with an orange belly, and silver with a light purple belly, work well on regional lakes and rivers.
There are literally thousands of lures and plugs for fresh water fishing, but many of them are more attractive to fishermen than to fish. Color, shape, and motion are the three features that create a dependable lure, and with high, cold and off-color water conditions it often takes a bit of experimentation to find the right one. To make matters more difficult, what works one day, may not be the “lure de jour” on the next outing.
Spring fishing requires patience, perseverance and a wide selection of likely lures and potential plugs. When trolling, put out a variety of colors and sizes on two or three lines, and change at least every hour if results are poor, until one bait produces regular action. All the lures and plugs I’ve mentioned have worked well for me over the years and have taken some nice fish so far this spring, when I’ve gotten out between the rain storms. Stock up your tackle box and get on the waterways now, the fish are taking and metal and plastic are working far better than feathers so far.
My recent article on favorite streamer flies for spring trolling precipitated a number of contacts via e-mail, phone and chance meeting on the street regarding my pet plugs and lures for May fishing. First, I think it’s important to differentiate between these two types of baits. Lures are made of shaped and painted metal, often bent or twisted so as to provide a fish-attracting motion when retrieved through the water. Plugs are formed from either plastic or wood, often in a form that resembles a bait fish. Lures usually cast further and sink if not kept in motion, while a plug of the same size will cast half to three-quarters of the distance but will dive during the retrieve and float when forward momentum is stopped.
To be clear, there are a few specialty plugs that either sink or suspend at a certain depth. Plugs also offer the added incentive over lures of having at least one more set of treble hooks, and several styles include mechanisms inside that produce a fish-attracting noise and an erratic “injured minnow” motion during retrieval. Plugs also offer a wider variety of exterior color combinations and holographic appearances to imitate real bait fish. There is a tremendous assortment of plugs specifically for bass casting, and another specific line for salt-water angling, but all of the lures and plugs I’m about to review are tried and true for trout, togue and salmon.
One of the first lures I ever owned was a gold Al’s goldfish, and it produces action today, cast or trolled, just as consistently as 40 years ago. A lot of folks swear by a silver super duper and a gold Kastmaster, but my Al’s goldfish has always outperformed this pair of well known lures. When water is off color, that old standby, a red and white Dardevle, the 3/16- or 1/2-ounce weight, always produces action.
For lakes I often use a little larger lure with a good bit of flash and sparkle, and one of my newer favorites is a Mepp’s Syclops. The 2.5-inch is a half an ounce and the three-inch model weights 5/8-ounce so they cast a big distance if you’re not trolling. Hot firetiger, hot orange and gold are really dazzling in the water. Mooselook wobblers and Williams Wobblers are two more dependable lures for lake trolling, and hammered silver or the gold/silver combo should draw strikes.
Over the last three years, size 8, 44 and 16 bronze Sutton spoons have produced a lot of trout action for me on the Aroostook River, and they also work on Square, Cross and Long Lakes. All silver or silver/bronze on opposite sides are better choices for these lakes and more productive on landlocked salmon. Finally, one last lure that is often difficult to find in northern Maine, but excellent all year long, is a DB smelt. These small lures catch large fish by casting, trolling or even on downriggers during the summer.
Topping my list of favorite plugs has to be a size seven floating Rapala in orange, blue/silver or black/silver. Almost as good is a red and white colored Rebel that also floats, but when trolled will dive and twitch between two- and four-feet deep. Mystic company produces a plug named ghost minnow with a light-bending holographic finish that imitates a small smelt. It’s a real go-to choice for salmon.
Yo-Zuri company has really come to the forefront over the last five years with some truly realistic, shallow running plugs. Their Crystal Minnows are deadly on local lakes, especially the quarter-ounce, 3 and 5/8-inch version in holographic purple, green, and green/silver. Another Yo-Zuri fish getter is the Pin’s Minnow. This floating plugs dives between one to three feet and has a set of internal round weights that make noise and move about during trolling or a reeling retrieve to cause a tight wiggle to attract gamefish; gold with an orange belly, and silver with a light purple belly, work well on regional lakes and rivers.
There are literally thousands of lures and plugs for fresh water fishing, but many of them are more attractive to fishermen than to fish. Color, shape, and motion are the three features that create a dependable lure, and with high, cold and off-color water conditions it often takes a bit of experimentation to find the right one. To make matters more difficult, what works one day, may not be the “lure de jour” on the next outing.
Spring fishing requires patience, perseverance and a wide selection of likely lures and potential plugs. When trolling, put out a variety of colors and sizes on two or three lines, and change at least every hour if results are poor, until one bait produces regular action. All the lures and plugs I’ve mentioned have worked well for me over the years and have taken some nice fish so far this spring, when I’ve gotten out between the rain storms. Stock up your tackle box and get on the waterways now, the fish are taking and metal and plastic are working far better than feathers so far.
