Rigging Tomic Plugs for big feeder springs.

[Haze]

Yes I have read through almost all the topics on Tomics already but I couldn’t find what I was looking for.
Here’s the scoop…
I’ve been a fisherman for quite some time, but my weapon of choice over the years has always been bait, spoons or hootchies. Not long ago I discovered the joy of catching fish on Tomic plugs and have realized that I have a couple that work pretty good and catch consistently.
What I am wondering is if there is a way to rig plugs to fish for bigger fish. This may sound silly but with my other choices of gear I know exactly how to target larger or smaller fish but with my Tomics so far it feels like they catch fish or they don’t, and most of the time if I am running both sets of gear my flashers (if rigged for bigg’ons) catch me bigger fish than my plugs.
This seems the opposite of what I thought was going to happen, especially since I am using 6” classics and 6” tubby plugs, and sometimes 5” classics.
I pull the pins on my plugs and I’m trolling tubbies about the same speed as I pull flashers, the classics I go a bit faster on to get them darting around better. I run the line through put a bead (or two) and then the hooks that come stock with the plugs.
Any thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[trophywife]

i fish slower with a longer leader 5' to 6'or no flasher at all. sounds like you got the pin pull down,, have you watched the action on your plugs in the water with no flasher and felt the fast bobbing tip? adjust speed to current? i might say slow down?? 1.8 to 2.2 for lazy pigs

 

[Haze]

I fish on the inside so I don't really fish speed I fish the action of the lure and the angle of the rigger.
When fishing my hootchies for hogs I run the Tomics at the same speed which is really pretty slow but the current does make them swim pretty good. I'm not actually running a leader I just attach them right to the mainline and then put them back about 15-30' behind the rigger depending on how hard the water is pulling.

 

[trophywife]

sounds good. now go slay some hogs

 

[TenMile]

When I fish plugs, I've found good success running the rod with the plug without a flasher stacked about 8-10ft above a rod with a flasher (with a spoon, hoochie or bait). I run both lines about 8 pulls back. Seems to work pretty successfully and doesn't get tangled.

Alternatively, I've tied a flasher about 15' back directly off the downrigger ball, and then run the plug about 8-10ft above it. This method is a little bit more challenging as there is a higher degree of likelihood that the fish you catch can get tangled in the mess behind the ball. If I'm fishing alone, I tend to leave the downrigger all the way down and just swing it out the way. If I'm with a buddy, I'll remind him to get the ball and flasher out of the water completely.

Either way, there is nothing like fighting a big hog without the flasher on the line.

 

[xavier]

My experience is that plugs work great on aggressive springs. Not so great for targeting lazy lunkers in warm, inside waters. Lunkers like tight roles, not the erratic movements of a plug. Too much effort at that stage of life. Although... I am sure there are many on here who have caught the fish of a lifetime on a plug.

I have had success running plugs in and amongst a million boats trolling chovies, when everyone else is standing still in the current. A few boats look at you and think you are nuts, until they watch you setting hooks. I remember a smart-butt once yelling at me, "hey buddy, you fishing for tuna?" About ten seconds later I jumped for the rod and landed a 25 lb'er, while everyone else was staring at their rods waiting for a bite to come on. It was very satisfying!

When the current is ripping, I find the fast tack with a plug helps me cover some ground while everyone else is standing still. Besides, most places I fish there are enough flashers in the water already!

 

[Yak]

Ive always run my plugs without a flasher but a long way back off the clip, 40-50 feet. Ive caught some of my largest springs (only on the westside though mind you) on plugs this way.

Yak

 

[Haze]

Roger all good info so far...
I know folks around here catch staging chinook on plugs and often quite big ones, but I am at the moment targeting feeders, they are on their way back home but still actively feeding at the moment. Probably the most helpful so far is what I already suspected I might need to go slower and perhaps put them further back. I've been quite surprised that little gaffers will try to, and successfully eat such large plugs.
All said and done it's been a riot figuring out which plugs to use where and which of those ones work better than the others on certain conditions. And the fight you get out of a plug...I had a fish leap twice at the side of the boat getting over 4.5 feet of air, it's second leap we got the net under it as it spat the hook in the air and proceeded to land in the net. I don't have many flasher stories like that.

 

[Bassblaster]

Roger all good info so far...
I know folks around here catch staging chinook on plugs and often quite big ones, but I am at the moment targeting feeders, they are on their way back home but still actively feeding at the moment. Probably the most helpful so far is what I already suspected I might need to go slower and perhaps put them further back. I've been quite surprised that little gaffers will try to, and successfully eat such large plugs.
All said and done it's been a riot figuring out which plugs to use where and which of those ones work better than the others on certain conditions. And the fight you get out of a plug...I had a fish leap twice at the side of the boat getting over 4.5 feet of air, it's second leap we got the net under it as it spat the hook in the air and proceeded to land in the net. I don't have many flasher stories like that.

Where's a video camera when you need one? That would have been a great one!

 

[cuttlefish]

X2 with holmes' recommendations. You could also try a little bigger hook. #7 Mustad 9510 XXX. It'll slow the action a bit.

 

[Haze]

So what I'm looking for then is a really slow wobble with the odd dart from side to side? At the moment my plugs are swimming pretty good and darting all over the place every few seconds.

 

[spring fever]

If I fish plugs I only fish plugs-nothing else-ie hootchies or spoons on another side and certainly not chovies. Have had good success with running a Kone zone daisy chain as a dummy flasher ,then a plug usually 4-5 ft above and behind the dummy. I favour a 7 " tomic with the pin pulled and a 7/0 hook-really like 509(hope that's a current colour, my plugs are 30 years old)

 

[Haze]

Spring fever, I have a kone zone and I've thought of using it lots do you run the whole daisy chain or just a section or two from it?

 

[spring fever]

Spring fever, I have a kone zone and I've thought of using it lots do you run the whole daisy chain or just a section or two from it?

No I run the whole thing-but only off-shore where there is little danger of hanging the bottom. It really hurts to lose that and a ball!!!