Pilchards

[IronNoggin]

Pretty much the dominant bait presence off WCVI these days. I'm going to run off a batch of plugs over the winter to imitate these little guys. Here's a few pix I'll be basing the airbrush paint selection on:

Might also help in terms of selecting which plugs to purchase next time you're in the mood.

Given today's available selection of paints, methinks I can likely get very very close!

Letcha know as it goes...

Cheers,
Nog

 

[ReelSlim]

Good pictures Nog.........I have to admit I haven't seen any before that weren't half digested. It will definitely give me something to compare to on the next order of plugs and spoons......Cheers!

 

[springnut]

Are their eyes usually red? or did you beat the colour into them :0 I did hear the tomic pilchard plug worked well over in Campbell river aswell but I had no luck.

Will you be using blank tomics for your art work?

 

[IronNoggin]

Are their eyes usually red?

No. The fish actually hit a big spring spoon, eye popped with the # 4 commercial stainless hook. I usually use over-sized 3D eyes on my plugs. The fish seem to orient on the prey's eyes pretty good, and I firmly believe every little bit helps in triggering the strike. Here's a pix:

Will you be using blank tomics for your art work?

I have ~ 300 old plugs that the finish has been literally beat right off them. Many of these are my "Keepers" as they have proven themselves repeatedly out there as Producers. Although they still work to some extent, methinks by Matching The Hatch their catch rate will once again increase to a level I am Happy with.

Fun project, and I do so LOVE it when the designs I come up with work well!

Cheers,
Nog

 

[Shepnoir]

CS,

Love that pattern. Worked really well for me off shore this year! I wasn't a huge plug guy until I dialed that pattern in!

 

[Whole in the Water]

Great pics Ironnoggin - thanks, I have never seen such a good color picture of them before.

I am wondering why all the new pilchard plugs and spoons out now are painted with blue backs and not green like clearly shown in your photos? Also why all the yellow on the belly portion of the plugs/spoons, don't she much yellow in your photos? Just wondering.

 

[IronNoggin]

Great pics Ironnoggin - thanks, I have never seen such a good color picture of them before.

Thanks! Taken many many pix of these guys over the years, these are amongst the best thus far, and I needed them for the upcoming project...

I am wondering why all the new pilchard plugs and spoons out now are painted with blue backs and not green like clearly shown in your photos? Also why all the yellow on the belly portion of the plugs/spoons, don't see much yellow in your photos?

My best producer actually has a black back (interspersed with blue & turquoise dots that is). Will be going with that (can't argue with repeated success!) fading to the blue green, variegated chartreuse stripe above the lateral line, and more yellow than appears in these pictures.

As the pilchards mature the yellow becomes much more prominent in their gill covers, nose and belly. The pictures above were taken right early in the season, and show an immature specimen. The yellow becomes much more pronounced as the season progresses.

Cheers,
Nog

 

[Whole in the Water]

Very interesting, thanks for the info - I may do a little painting my self over these long dark winter months for next season!

 

[hambone]

Are the pilchard plugs mainly an offshore weapon?? Or do guys have good results using them in shallower inshore water?

A few years ago in Nootka we were trolling through piles of bait, which would rattle the lines as we went through. I didn't know if this was herring or pilchards.

 

[ReelSlim]

Hey Nog.......these are the ones that I used mainly offshore last summer. They all caught fish but the Pilchard patterns definitely were hot. If I want to add some spots to some of the other colors like maybe the 500 what is the best paint to use? Or will plain old model paint do the trick? Thanks!

 

[IronNoggin]

Are the pilchard plugs mainly an offshore weapon?? Or do guys have good results using them in shallower inshore water?

They've been all over the Inside Banks and even well up into Barkley Sound the past few seasons. Out on the Big Bank, there were actually more herring about than these guys later into the season.

If I want to add some spots to some of the other colors like maybe the 500 what is the best paint to use? Or will plain old model paint do the trick?

Model paint will work. Permanent Sharpies do the job reasonably well (but will fade over time). You can also get the waterproof stick-on black dots these days, experimented with them last year, and they did OK.

Cheers,
Nog

 

[Whole in the Water]

"The venerable Pippen sent me this photo. The plug is a custom job from the good folks at B.C.'s very own Tomic, up Gold River way. If memory serves, one of the pre-eminnent tackle shops in Vancouver has these made, and yours are not terribly unlike it. Green base color has it's merits. I like the blue-ish in the pilchard alongside the green. Can't wait to see Nog's airbrushing talents when he does his up."
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I called Tomic (250 283 2244) and ordered two. For those interested the name of the plug is 094 BDii RVP2 with a glow chartreuse belly stripe. The ii stands for iridescent insert and the back scale patterns has UV in it. Can't wait to try it out on the west coast next season!

 

[DHA]

How many do you want, or do you want variations too? Regular stock items at Parksville PNT.



DHA.

 

[Whole in the Water]

Too late I already ordered them Rob. I sure wish we had a PNT in Victoria with all the great selection you have up there. Trotac is very good but they don't have the same up to date, range of tomic plugs and spoons that you have so well displayed up there. Whenever I am in the area I always try to swing by and see what is new. Keep up the good work!

 

[Shepnoir]

Hey Rob, do you mind grabbing two for me when we meet up on sat? Both 6" one tubby one reg?

 

[DHA]

Hey Rob, do you mind grabbing two for me when we meet up on sat? Both 6" one tubby one reg?

There are no tubby's or standard six at the moment, just seven's. I am in the middle of doing my Tomic booking and will have them again in the new year. I can buy you some seven's from the store or hold the six's for you when they arrive...what ever works for you.

DHA.

 

[DHA]

Too late I already ordered them Rob. I sure wish we had a PNT in Victoria with all the great selection you have up there. Trotac is very good but they don't have the same up to date, range of tomic plugs and spoons that you have so well displayed up there. Whenever I am in the area I always try to swing by and see what is new. Keep up the good work!

Thanks man, we are working on it...

Ps...the RVP series was developed by me - however, Deryk from Active requested the iridescent insert, prior to that they had the plaid insert - now the series has both. The 500 with iridescent insert in the RVP series kicked butt this year also.



DHA.

 

[DHA]

i too have my own custom irredescent inserts that i have created over the last few years, things of beauty, you are only restricted by your own imagination
.......holmes*

Ya, we'll see about that Holmesy! LOL hehe

DHA.

 

[DHA]

...see how restricted my imagination is. hehe

 

[Whole in the Water]

Rob what is the name/number of the one you have in the first photo? What are the colours - it looks deadly!