Best Plugs and Lures for Catching Stripers (Fish on 8)

Fish on 8 Scaled Series Plugs
Go back in time. Not way back, but, to October 5th. That, dear , avid and dedicated reader is the date that you became enlightened. I brought you into the light and made you, if you were not already, aware of Fish on 8 handmade wooden lures.
Fast forward to the present day and time and that beam of enlightenment is about to get a whole hella lot of brighter. Throw on those Ray Bans and get ready to have your world rocked just a little bit. The fine fellas at Fish on 8's just created a custom scaled wooden plug series for those lucky dogs at Fisherman’s World. How do those guys always score the primo deals?!
There are a multitude of colors and the photo running with this article can give you an idea of what’s out there. (Want a better look? Click on the photo to supersize those bad boys.) Every lure is handmade, and therefore; hand painted and unique. Uniquely a work of art to store in your collection. Remember, as I’ve said before, Fish on 8 is not a huge company. It is one man, one dream. His dream is these lures, and Bob takes the time to create and perfect each one individually. That alone should make them more valuable to a collector. I believe that Bob is one of the finest wooden plug makers in the market today. Make a savvy investment, score some scaled editions for your plug portfolio. The days of the DOW 10,000 may be fleeting. Commodities work for you in a recession.
Some of you out there say,”Psshh! Collector, schmollector! Gimme a lure that catches fish!” You are in luck. These exclusive scaled pattern plugs are the sweetest striper candy out there. All you surf rats go out and score some scalies, too. Call the boys and Fisherman’s World 877-643-6011, or go directly to their online store by clicking here. As of now, these plugs are exclusive to Fisherman’s World. We’re not name droppers, but drop our name, the Eastcoast Angler, when you order your scaled series. Act fast, because Bob is one man, and one man can only work so fast.

The Fall Run, Fishing at its Best! (Best Fishing Methods)

This past weekend I was lucky enough to cross paths with and meet Mark Sedotti, a nationally renowned fly casting instructor. Otherwise known as a “Master Caster.” As I watched Mark’s casting lesson, many things were of value. A few of these little gems just stuck in this sea-water logged brain of mine. First, and foremost, Mark says, that every single year, for the past eighteen years, throughout the east coast waters, and especially in Montauk, there exists a natural phenomenon. It is something so cool, that even a non-angler would respect it – the sacred – cue harp music and golden beams of lights … wait, are you sitting down? Take a seat, here it comes, it is the, the … fall striper run. Let me allow you a few seconds to catch your breath and regulate your heart palpitations. I understand, I know, it is like God’s nectar. Even typing those words gets me weak in the knees.

Here is what I mean by “fall striper run,” it is basically peanut bunker and other baitfish smashing the surface of the water, and landing onto the beautiful shores of the east coast in a feeble effort to escape my beloved striped bass and other big game fish like albies and blues.
This season for me, has been a personal fishing best, and I would like to keep it going. We anglers have a limited time left to land those sought after species. Right now is the time to baton down the hatches and get ready for these next few weeks when it is as good as it gets and before our season fizzles down into being over for a mini winter hibernation. Over the next month, we here at the Eastcoast Angler would like to focus on the winning methods to score that catch of the lifetime. Those beasts are out there, lurking in our east coast waters, and as they say, if you got ‘em, smoke ‘em. Get those Fish – On 8s lures ready, clean out the Yeti cooler and get ready to fill it up with afore mentioned catch. Stay tuned for upcoming articles on the most productive methods of fishing to score big.
Think you have some pro – worthy tips to catch a beauty? Email us here to pass on the good word.

The Bluefish Blues- A Guide to Catching Bluefish (Fishing)

The Bluefish Blues - Paul Arbitman
Eastcoastangler.blogspot.com
Many a fishing report includes a geographic play of where the stripers are, sadly followed by the reports that, the stripers are at the bottom if you can get through the blues. While I love me some stripers, my adrenaline pumps for the fight of a blue. Soon the blues will be filling up our waterways until the fall. Read on, reader, to find out how to catch a bluefish.


First, a little blue-ology. Bluefish are a bottomless pit of burning hunger, consuming up to twice their weight in baitfish every day. They are the only member of the Pomatomidae family, the Pomatomus saltatrix, or bluefish, has a reputation for being the hardest fighter of any fish its size. The word ‘saltatrix’ means ‘leaper.’ And – they l-e-a-p, leap. A bluefish may dive into the depths, speedily wiz across a sand flat or jump clear out of the surface. It is strong enough to shake its head hard enough to throw a 6-ounce lead jig right back at the angler. Head’s up!

Bluefish often feed in large pods that gorge on schools of bait. When in a feeding frenzy, these voracious choppers will bite anything in their path, including floating soda cans and their own young. When a “blitz,” as this frenzy is know, occurs, a blue will hit almost anything. A soda can, a silver spoon, a sparkly diamond on a woman’s hand … On some occasions, they have even attacked swimmers.
Here is the first of some valuable info on catching a blue: Make sure to use a heavy mono or wire leader. These fish have razor sharp teeth that will make cole slaw out of 10 - 15 lb mono or - your hand. Cuidado when getting the hook out of the fish. (It's best to use pliers or some type of hook remover.)

On to bluefish fishing methods …
1. Chum, chum, chum, chum, CHUM! Chumming from an anchored boat is the most time honored way to fish for blues. Pay out bunker chum to attract fish while dropping pieces of cut bunker on your hook.
2. What’s my m*&%er f@#$ing name? Jigg-ah! Jigging for blues is most effective when there is a large body of fish concentrated in one specific area. Diamond jigs tipped with surgical tubes are dropped to the bottom and reeled up quickly. They can be bounced off the bottom as well. Find out at what depth the blues are picking up the jigs and concentrate your jigging at that depth. Larger fish will be underneath the smaller ones or at the very edge of the school.
3. More on jigging tactics … Some anglers tie 40 inches of 80-pound-test monofilament abrasion leader to their jigs. This setup handles the bluefish on the hook as well as other fish that graze the leader while swiping at the lure. When fishing diamond jigs, it helps to change treble hooks to singles to make unhooking blues simpler and safer, for your hand and the fish’s life. (I often will use a circle hook.) The rod types recommended are medium to medium-heavy action, fast taper, 6-foot graphite boat rods fitted with a medium conventional levelwind reel. The reels should be loaded with 30-pound-test superbraid.
4. The secret bunker. Another popular technique of fishing for blues is using bunker or even mackerel. Bunker is an extremely valuable commercial species. They are the primary forage species for striped bass and bluefish in the Northeast. Bunker 12 to 18 inches long. They are easy to find - massive schools dimple the surface in estuaries of southern New England, and many an angler can even smell the bunker by their oil. Bunker looks a large, deep-bodied herring or shad can be snagged with a big treble hook and spin-casting outfit. After snagging, cut the bunker into chunks; they make excellent bluefish bait. Some of the biggest blues are caught on bunker.
5. Trolling. Trolling tubes, jigs, bunker spoons, plugs and umbrella rigs work fine. This is a highly effective method for locating the blues. Some anglers will first, troll to locate the fish and then anchor or drift in the area with bait. To keep your trolling lures down at the right depth it is necessary to troll with heavy drail sinkers and wire line. Wire line trolling is the most effective. Some anglers also use down riggers.
Pick your poison; I gave you lots of methods. You want more? You want to score the big blue? Get out there and fish. Post your bluefish photos and reports here in the comment space.

Are you looking to find the finest fishing locations along the East Coast? This blog is for all of you Anglers from the Southern shores of New Jersey to the rocky coasts of central Maine, and every fishing hole along the way. Whether you like to fly fish or surf cast, you will always find exactly what you need right here at East Coast Angler. FISH ON!

Artist Spotlight: Robert Yudichak (Fish on 8 Custom Wood Plugs)

EastCoast Angler: Artist Spotlight, Robert Yudichak

Fish on 8 Custom Wood Plugs- Best Striper Plugs for Fall '09

Thirty years of experience of general contracting plus a lifetime of fishing plus one stealthy antique wooden lure collection equals eight. What, you ask, in God’s name am I talking about? Fish on 8, and our latest Artist Spotlight Feature, Mr. Robert Yudichak. Robert is the brains, brawn and beautiful artistry behind Fish on 8 custom wood plugs. Here, my fellow angler is his scoop:
Everything is in a name and with this company that holds true. We all know the frenzied, ecstatic angler cry of, “Fish on!” Use these plugs and that will be your mantra. And speaking of things spiritual, the later part of this company name, 8. The number eight is considered an extremely lucky number in most spiritual and religious cultures dating back centuries. Fishing with a Fish on 8 brings the luck right to you.
Now, about the artist, Mr. Robert Yudichak. Robert, along with his two sons runs Fish on 8. They are, as their art proves, die hard fishermen. Bob began making his own lures and would fish them. He recalls losing his handmade plugs many times only to go back the next day to his favorite spot to see another angler fishing his plugs. He would tell his fellow anglers those were his lures, the anglers would ask where he got the lures and that got that little light bulb illuminated in the mind of another artist.

Back in 2006, faith had it that Robert came across an ad in which a wood lure maker was selling his whole wood lure building shop. Luckily for us anglers Bob took advantage and purchased the shop and the rest is history. Almost four years later, after bouts of trial and error Bob is now cranking out some of the finest custom wood striper plugs that this Eastcoast Angler has ever seen. By fine I mean they are fine on two fronts; aesthetics and practicality. These are some sexy old school wooden lures that actually land some big pesce.
I have the honor of chatting with anglers up and down the East coast, from Maine to Delaware. The most serious of the angling fanatic species know of and fish Fish on 8s. The feedback I hear most often about these plugs is that they cast further. When I asked Bob about their construction he explained that, “the tail section is weighted just enough to give even the novice surf caster a supernatural ability to cast them out like a bullet.” Wowza! Want more to the perfectness of the lures from Robert “Perfectionist” Yudichak? Here ya go …

Robert’s attention to detail is sacred. Every plug that he puts out is totally and completely constructed by him. He personally picks the wood, designs the body, carves the lure, turns the lure, attaches the wires, seals the piece, air brushes the paint, ties the tails, attaches the hooks, labels the masterpiece and bags each and every lure with his own hands. These lures are fully sealed, meaning the whole lure is salt water tight and through wired with stainless steel to ensure a reliable connection while hauling in that catch of a lifetime. They are also constructed using stainless steel custom lips, Krok swivels and Wolverine split rings. Want an apprentice, Bob? You’d make a grown man’s dreams come true.

Every lure must meet his specifications of the finest quality. Lastly, before any of the Fish on 8 plugs go to market they are tested, tested and tested again. A word to the wise, go out there and own some of these lures. Add them to your surf bag and you will land some big stripers. And most importantly to a kooky lure collector like yours truly, add them to your non – fished collection of art. Who knows one day these little pieces of wood could be worth some decent coin.

ures
Fish on 8s current lure styles include danny, diving danny, pikie, spook, needle, swimmers, jointed swimmers, pencil poppers and divers. All styles come in a myriad of different colors.

Click here for more information on Fish on 8 by visiting the boys at Fisherman’s World.