Metals (a.k.a. “tins”) are under-utilized by surfcasters. For deep water and wind-in-your-face conditions, I pull out the heavy metal.

My go-to heavy metals are: Kastmaster (3 or 4 oz), Deadly Dicks (3, 4, or 5 oz), Crippled Herring (3, 4, or 5 oz), and Hopkins (3, 4, or 5 oz). These metals are available in various colors and finishes. I like chrome, chrome/blue, chrome/green, green/yellow, and yellow. I dress all my metals with custom tied tails. The tails enhance the color profile and give more action. On my all-chrome metals, I change the color profile by simply replacing the tail. My journal entries confirm that metals with tails catch more fish than metals without tails. 😉

A Kastmater, Deadly Dicks, Crippled Herring, and Hopkins each has its own unique shape and weight distribution, which determines how far it casts, sinks, and how it moves through the water column.

Once for ounce, the furthest casting is the Deadly Dicks because it’s thin profile offers the least drag as it moves through the air. Once for ounce, the Kastmaster has the slowest sink rate because of it’s large surface area.

The running depth of a Kastmaster, Deadly Dicks, and Crippled Herring can be controlled by your retrieve speed. A fast retrieve will bring these metals to the top and a slow retrieve will swim these metals down low. When fishing from a sloping shore line, as your metal moves in closer, the height of the water column is reduced, so be sure to pick up your speed as the metal moves in to keep it at the desired depth.

The Kastmaster and Deadly Dicks have an top-to-bottom s-like swimming action. The Cripple Herring has more of a side-to-side swimming action. The Hopkins gives a wounded bait fish falling action as it’s jigged in the lower portion of the water column.

A metal lure costs less than a custom wooden plug. A metal out-casts a wooden plug, in any condition. Metals are more durable than plugs. Metals can fish the entire water column. Heavy metal catch BIG fish. Why are metals not over-utilized by surfcasters?