Plugs
Plug Choices - a guide to plug performance
All of the following advice is based on personal experience and the experience of friends I have
fished with, and whose judgement I value. I make no attempt to divide the plugs into categories,
because if you jerk a minnow is it still a minnow? Or a Jerkbait? If you crank a jerkbait is it
still a jerkbait? Or a crankbait? I will offer a guide to how I think the plugs can be used to
their best advantage. Bear in mind that I use 100lb test Power Pro braid for casting and 50lb
test Power Pro or TUF for trolling large lures, so bear that that in mind when you read the working
depths that I ascribe to each plug.
Rebel Windcheater
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Body length
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6"
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Weight
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2oz
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Rattle?
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No
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Material
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Plastic
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Working depth
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To 5ft
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|
Designed for surfcasting into a breeze, this strongly-built heavy minnow will cast a long way. Because
of its surf-fishing background the colour choice is limited. I had mine a long while before I finally
worked out the successful retrieve, pulls and twitches followed by a pause.
Bomber 17A
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|
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Body length
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7"
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Weight
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1.5oz
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Rattle?
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Yes
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Material
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Plastic
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Working depth
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To 3ft
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|
This minnow, twitched, cranked, or jerked is a good pike catcher. Shallow running, diving to 3ft at
most, it casts well and is strongly built with a good finish.
Luhr Jensen Javelin
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|
Body length
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5.75"
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Weight
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1.1oz
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Rattle?
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Yes
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Material
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Plastic
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Working depth
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2 to 5ft
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|
A sweet-actioned minnow, catches pike and zander with a steady crank and pause
retrieve. Well made, nice finish and a rattle.
Smity Scuttle Bug
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|
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Body length
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4.5"
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Weight
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1.75oz
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Rattle?
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No
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Material
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Wood
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Working depth
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2 to 5ft
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|
A wooden topwater plug with a face plate (like a giant Jitterbug). It casts well and is aasy to use
simply cranked at various speeds and paused, but with a little effort you can get a lot more from this
plug. It will skip - if twitched with a high rod tip - and can be jumped over weed strands or other
obstacles, or hurried in a series of hops like a bait fish jumping across the surface. Fast, short,
twitches turn it into a kind of mad stick bait. A versatile topwater.
See notes on
Lures made of wood
Muskie Mania Ernie
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|
Body length
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7"
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Weight
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2.5oz
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Rattle?
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Yes
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Material
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Plastic
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Working depth
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To 8ft
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|
Big, shad-bodied crankbait, with a loud rattle. An unusual plug with a violent action, it will run
down to about 8ft and hold its depth right back to the rod, but its buoyancy makes it easy to work much
shallower, strictly a pike lure. It requires a stiff rod to get the best from it and it is a little
tiring to work for too long. Trolls down to 18ft but puts a lot of strain on the rod.
Bucher Depth Raider - Jointed
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|
|
Body length
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6.75"
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Weight
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2.25oz
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Rattle?
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Yes
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Material
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Plastic
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Working depth
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To 10ft
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|
Bucher lures are rightly famed for their build quality and finish, they are tough! For pike only,
the violent action makes it hard work to use for long, cast it will run down to over 6ft, trolled
it will do over 20ft.
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