Does anybody use J-plugs for salmon fishing? I was given a few of them and remembered people talking about using plugs last summer when the pinks were really think in the ocean so that they could target Kings. Does anybody use plugs, and if so what kind?
Thanks
David

J-plugs are very deadly baits. Especailly when fall running kings start to mature and and hit out of aggressiveness. Only problem with running them on riggers is they have a tendency to go back and forth quite a bit and can tangle other lines easly. We use the #4's most of the time for kings but #5's can be deadly when they have quit feeding, they will attack these with force. Also the ones with a the rattle inside seems to make a big difference also.

I use plugs frequently for blackmouth, it seems to keep some of the shakers off. I don't use J plugs though, usually 4 or 5 inch silver hordes, sometimes tomic plugs. Another plus is when fighting a 5 pound fish, you get a much better fight without a flasher. The colors I like are usually some combination of glow green/spatterback with maybe red gills, similar colors you would see recommended for spoons. I usually run them about 20-30 feet off my cables and have never had a problem tangling them, I have however had problems running a plug on one side of the boat and flasher on the other.

Any one ever use these in fresh water? I was considering throwing one out off a rigger, when we are on anchor for springers in the columbia, on the mouth. Kwicks and herring are what we usually run, but I thought a J-plug would be interesting to try.

Plugs are wonderful when a ton of bait is in the area... And, for some reason, when an abundance of squid are around too. For returning Kings, they are my first choice early, early morning. In addition to what the other folks are mentioning, I like them because I can cover water by trolling faster than normal.

My preferences are a 5" all glo rattle, green splatter back, or all white J-Plugs for Kings and a 4" green splatter back for Blackies.. I also modify them by removing the hooks and adding an extra length of bead chain to the split ring and then adding a siwash hook. This places the hook back behind the bait..

Ace-Hi is another good plug that is a solid performer.

Tomic makes a good plug, but you'll need to watch the action. It is a hard tuner unless you free line them (removing the posts)...

It is hard to find a "great" plug. Maybe 1 in 25 consistently produce fish. This can get expensive!!! When you find a plug that catches fish consistently, whatever you do, never get rid of that plug. Never modify or paint it- there is something about it the fish love.

If you are running two rods in the boats, the trick to not tangling is always turn the boat towards the flasher side. This is the "slow" side and your gear will drop deeper while the plug will ride a little higher..

The small 3" and 4" are great Laker plugs over at Chelan

Plugs are wonderful when a ton of bait is in the area... And, for some reason, when an abundance of squid are around too. For returning Kings, they are my first choice early, early morning. In addition to what the other folks are mentioning, I like them because I can cover water by trolling faster than normal.

My preferences are a 5" all glo rattle, green splatter back, or all white J-Plugs for Kings and a 4" green splatter back for Blackies.. I also modify them by removing the hooks and adding an extra length of bead chain to the split ring and then adding a siwash hook. This places the hook back behind the bait..

Ace-Hi is another good plug that is a solid performer.

Tomic makes a good plug, but you'll need to watch the action. It is a hard tuner unless you free line them (removing the posts)...

It is hard to find a "great" plug. Maybe 1 in 25 consistently produce fish. This can get expensive!!! When you find a plug that catches fish consistently, whatever you do, never get rid of that plug. Never modify or paint it- there is something about it the fish love.

If you are running two rods in the boats, the trick to not tangling is always turn the boat towards the flasher side. This is the "slow" side and your gear will drop deeper while the plug will ride a little higher..

The small 3" and 4" are great Laker plugs over at Chelan

If I had a D-camera, I'd like to post a pic of this tomic I use as home decor. The teeth marks are incredible! 6", #608 color. And I only fished with it for a month this past summer. That's it. One month of duty.
Anyway, yup, I like J-plugs, specifcally tomics. They do have some serious disadvantages as well as some positives.

J.D.

hey downriggin, you've been catching any blackmouth lately? what would you think is more productive for trolling, plugs or flies like the grandslam bucktail or just bucktail flies behind a flasher for chinook?

I have used j-plugs for Springers in the Willamette and absolutely knocked the stuffing out of the fish with them. Trolled them at a depth of about 14 feet. I think kwikfish might be better, though.

I like j-plugs and silver hordes in the salt. I don't use them in fresh water anymore, just because I have other things I prefer more. But they would work, I'm sure.

Hey RF... No fishing for me since 29 December... My daughter and I nailed a couple of big ones.. Been floating on the big pond down south in the warm weather.

Not to discredit the GSB (I like them), I would give a plug the advantage when fishing solo; provided I was fishing a migratory route. Reason being, the plug puts off much more vibration (especially with a rattle) and I can really coat the plug with scent. There's something about a plug that really gets a big king going.

Last couple of years, I have been running 5 and 6 inch spoons behing a flasher and doing really well. I am slowly giving the plugs up during the summer.

If the big baits haven't touched a fish by 6AM, I switch over to small baits like the B-2

any experience with the bigger 6 or 7 inch plugs?
Most of the ones I got were silver with a green stipe down the back and 6 inches, but I did get one that is just a pearl color and 5 inches.
who knows.... I'll just try them out sometime. They do have some big hooks.

YES!

I pounded the kings with a 5 inch pearl one in 2003 in the hood canal. Seemed to be the color to use.

During the peak of the ocean salmon season last year, a 6" or 7" plug accounted for most of our largest Kings. I always had at least one, some times four out (at different depths to reduce tangling) at the same time, while fishing for chinookasaurus.
Misses a lot of strikes, but with chinook fishing like that, who cares.
One time this past July, I was trying to fish the deep plug off of 300' of DR cable. It was a problem keeping it in the clip. On the retrieve after a pop-off, I had a big King take the plug right behind the boat on a blue bird sunny day. Missed the fish, but the aggression of that fish still suprises me. It took it in plain sight.
I like big plugs but wouldn't suggest using them inside sound.

J.D.

I don't use the big 6 or 7 inch plugs much anymore... unless I am at Rivers Inlet.

You'll miss more fish on plugs than any other bait unless you modify the hook arrangement. With the Tomic's, add about three inches of fly line backing to the bottom post and a Sampo barrel swivel (then hook). The hook should run about a half inch past the butt of the plug. Take a dental rubber band and secure the backing to the bottom of the plug by placing the rubber band over the plug. As long as the hook isn't touching the plug, the movement should be just fine. Also, when you tie the line to the plug, ensure you tie the line to the very top of the post.

Someone remind me and I'll post a few pix when I get home next week.

Big plugs in the summer 6-7" and smaller in the winter5-6". My plugs of choice are Ace Hi, Tomic, Big and Little Joes and Tatoosh all in white with green, rainbow, pearl or pink.

D R hit it right on about how some plugs will out fish others. I fish mostly Silver Hordes and when I buy a new one there is a certain feature I look for in the plug. If it aint got it it dont get bought! I have also done quite well on J plugs as they have good action. I have a 5" chrome green one that is just killer.

Would you care to fill us in on what that one feature is? or is it a WMD that is so secret it needs to be kept secret from the public... he he he

It's all in the plug. Look at it and it will talk to you and thats all I'm saying

I agree that some plugs, that are identical, don't fish identically out of the box.
And I can't explain why either.
I'll open a box of Tomics, (6 per) and maybe one out of those six will obviously out fish the others.
To me, all six will apear to have identical actions, and have identical finishes. But for some reason, you find one that, for who knows for what reason, is much more producive than the others.
I'd sure like to know why a few of my plugs have this destinction over the others, but I can't even give a good guess as to why.

hey thanks downriggin, do you have to be from pierce county to join the gig harbor chapter of puget sound anglers? is it open for kitsap residents also? thanks

Come on down and join.. I drive in from the far reaches of Pierce County... Can always drive in with me... My schedule should hold for this month's meeting.

ya cool, let me know when it is. thanks Ben

The meeting is this Tuesday evening at 7.
If I can make it, how about meeting at the Park and Ride in Purdy?

The meeting is this Tuesday evening at 7.
If I can make it, how about meeting at the Park and Ride in Purdy?

ya no problem, sent you a pm