We finally got a boat . Now we can pull plugs. What kind of rod would we use? We have a couple of Abu 5501c reels. What kind of line? Drags set strong or light? Anything else? Thanks

before you concentrate on gear,learn the safe use and navegation of your boat,that said I use 12lb trilene xt,loomis mbr941 rod,5500 reels,set drag tight enough to set the hook but loose enough to let line if the fish needs it,set the plugs out 6crosses on a short slot,8crosses in colored water, 10 in clear water, some guys may not agree but if the rowing against the current is tough,move on the fish don't hold there

I agree with everything skydriftin said. You might want to try some of the new super braids. Low stretch, small diameter and strong. I add a five foot mono leader off the end because I run the high visibility colors. High visibility line helps keep track of where the plugs are. Another thing I do is pull out about fifty feet of line on each rod and mark the line with a black magic marker. Plugs need to be the same distance out to work best and this helps those that can't seem to count consistently. Get a book or look up some information on tuning plugs also. Really makes a difference!

8-12lb medium rod with a 5501 or 251 calcutta
lined with trilene xt solar green high vis with a 5' ultra green 12lb test leader.I'll run 45 - 55 feet of line out in most conditions.Having your plugs tuned is probley the most critical part of plug pulling.Set the drag medium to medium tight so it will get hooked but still take line if needed.Do not touch rod till buried and don't set the hook to hard either if at all.Good luck,
STRIKE ZONE

I also use the MBR 941 rods for pluggin'. They are one piece with a very fast tip so you can see the plug work.They also have enough backbone to get a good hookset. High vis mono(15#) helps keep the eye strain down.I run a 6' ultra green or Izor leader (10# or12#) depending on if we are into hatchery or native fish.
To mark 50' on the main,I have a pink bobber knot to contrast the yellow line.You can also feel the knot on the spool as you are thumbing out the plugs.
Kent (now at Three Rivers) set me up with these rigs a few years ago and I am very happy with them.
I always try to run at least one bait diver.
You need to row just enough to give the plugs action.
If you can't keep the boat straight,you are probably in too fast of water.
At first just run straight down the slot.You can learn how to slide across later.

Practice..Practice..Practice...

Don't worry how you look just try to keep the boat straight.

At first you're going to flail away at the water and wear yourself out. Relax and take shorter.eaiser stokes more often.

I mostly fish plugs with 9' Browning Gl6 rated 10 to 17. I have 17# Ande on it. Works great.

We have been playing with the 10-20 mooching rod with the knucklebuster on it lately. With 4 on the boat , the extra couple feet makes a big difference. I still have two fingers and a thumb left!

PS 5501's have the handle on the wrong side. They won't work. :p Everytime I pick one up I just stand there with the Rod in my hand trying to figure out what to do next. By then the Fish is gone

Being that I am a fisherman on a budget, I have a Southbend rod/reel combo I bought at Fred Meyers. It is a spinning reel, cost me $29.00. I don't know what model, it doesn't have one! Like I said, on a budget. I took the cheap line off that it came with and put on some 14lb abrasion resistant Stren. I can cast it pretty damn good and I pull plugs with it also. My avitar shows the last two fish I caught with this pole- big one is a 40" 29lb king. I don't reckon the fish know what kind of rod and reel I use, but I am not a guide either just a weekender at best. If I fished more often, I might spend more money for a decent rig but can't afford to. My partner went to SportCo and bought a Rapala rod, about 9' or so and loves it. When I can afford one, I will too. Looks like a Lamiglass but half the price, quality is on par. The guy at Sportco is really knowlegable and give great advice. He will set you up with a good rig at a great price if you let him know what you are after.

Oh yeah, I set the drag pretty light, just so it has good tension yet I can spool some off by hand with a little effort. I like the hood to set good but line to spool off if he runs. I am primarily a plug puller, haven't mastered the jugging or fly fishing yet. Need more time, man, need more time!!

Apparently I haven't mastered spelling or typing yet, either! You have good reels, just get a good all around type rod to go with them. $.02

Lots of good advice. You can get by without a top-notch plugging rod, although it will cost you a little of the ability to really see what's happening down there (you'll learn to read your tips over time!).

I prefer the Maxima Fibreglow over the Trilene .. but go with a high vis to run the seams and such correctly.

Also, set your rodholders either real ones or whoever's in your boat to hold the rods as straight forward and with as little bend as possible ... that allows the plug to work better and the fish has a chance to turn before hitting the meat of the rod!

Good luck!

Just wondering if I am the only guy that uses line counting reels (Okumas). I can run the plugs out to any length and still know they are running side by side.

Bob

Steve,

While I tend to spend too much money on my equipment (I must be insecure about the size of something), you sound like my kinda guy. Any time you want to bring your SouthBend gear over to Eastern Washington, look me up.

Dan

I have pulled plugs for probably 30 years now. All the advice is good. One more thing I learned over the years is this. The best rods for pulling plugs are glass rods. They have no memory and when a fish pulls the rod down, the rod stays with the fish, allowing the hook set. Trouble with todays graphite is that it wants to rebound and pull the plug "away" from the fish. Try E-glass for a guaranteed increase in % of hookups!

Tarponman speaks very wisely .... I too am a 30+ year man..... what he said is very good advice.. A 8-9' E glass fly rod blank, 8 wt makes an excellent 'bug' rod. Use a braided line (power pro), medium priced level wind, and go for it.....

I look for a rod thats not too heavy for the fish I'm after, and a more moderate action (think 'glass here). Most plug rods have fast or x-fast actions. I don't think that is the best for plugs. I want the rod to flex enough so that the fish can hit the plug and turn its head without the rod yanking the plug back out of its mouth first.
The 5500 and 5501 reels work great for me loaded with #10 line (12 for bigger fish). Although some might call this line light, the combination of it and the more moderate action rod means the plug can dive deeper and really dance compared to the same plug on a heavy, fast rod with heavy line.
I set the drag about the same as drift-fishing. The fish can take line but their is tension. A locked down drag will either break the line or turn the fish back so that it is facing straight at the boat where it has the best chance of popping the hook.
Depending on the size of the plug, you might look at Excaliber or Triple Grip hooks over the factory ones. Small light plugs like the Triple Grip better (lighter weight) while hot shots, etc will keep their action and still tune with Excaliber hooks. Can't say it will work for you, but I've landed 20 of the last 21, compared to 7 for 13 before.

I have been plugging for over 20yrs and I like a rod with a soft tip with lots of backbone.I use Izor line hivis 20lb straight to the hotshot clip(so I can use my plug
retriever if I hang one up)and make sure your hooks are sticky sharp!!! If the water is lower I will go lighter on the line to match the plug size and water conditions. <img border="0" alt="[eat]" title="" src="graemlins/eat.gif" />

Thanks for all the pointers - it saves alot of time and $ learning from this format. Bring on the rain!

Hey SteelieDan, if I come your way, you will be the first to know! Visa Versa, if you get this way, we'll load the South Bends in the Bayline and hit the sound, ya? Open Invitation!

There seems to be 2 schools of thought here:

1) Those who are "old school" and prefer glass rods because they work more fluidly without the stiff rebound of graphite. I have friends who swear this is the way to go.

2) Everyone else who leans towards the modern graphite rods designed specifically for plug fishing. I fall into this group.

The "glass" guys make very valid points but my question to them (or anyone for that matter) is if those actions are the time-tested rods to use, why don't the graphite rod makers follow suit? These graphite plug rods are designed by fishermen just like us. Yet, they invariably design sensitive tip, fast action rods.

I just find it interesting looking at the 2 schools of thought and how very different equipment can (debatably) produce similar results.

If I could afford a different rod for each application, I would have every rod made. Unfortunately, I use glass rods because I can only afford a couple of different rods that must perform in every application. I have a little super ultra light Shakespear for bass trout or crappie, a good size off-brand spinning rod I use in big water shooting for big kings and my SouthBend for all around salmon fishing. I have been flirting with fly rods at WalMart recently. I certainly have left my share of drool all over the new graphite rods and noodle rods and level wind reels and someday I will have a few! Probably when I retire and take my grandkids fishing, if I ever have any. My 12 daughter tells me I'll be dead by then! Over the hill at 36..........