I first saw High Hook Lures at a Plum Island Surfcasters fishing show.  Mike Mullen showed me the “Biggie”.  I had never seen a 15″ long plug before.  I had to have one!

During this past June’s new moon, I was on the porch of Pete’s Place on Cuttyhunk Island rigging up for my next trip when I saw Mike Mullen.  OMG.  Total coincidence!  I showed Mike the first generation of my DIY Side Arm for the Biggie and B1.  The conversation quickly shifted to tides, plugs, and fish.  He asked me: “Have you caught anything on the B1 yet?”  I said, “I am fishing it for the first time tonight!”

Latter that night, I was standing on a rock under the black blanket of night when I noticed a shadowy figure on the rock just to my left casting a really big plug.  I yelled out: “Mike….is that you?”.  Mike shook his head to confirm and kept casting.  OMG.  Total coincidence!  I pulled out my blurple B1 out of my first generation DIY Side Arm and began fan casting the small section of open water in front of me (from 11 O’Clock to 1 O’Clock).  I got bumps on every other cast.  I then made a long cast right down the middle (at 12 O’Clock)…fish on!

The fish fully arched my 11′ 2 – 8 oz St. Croix Mojo Surf Rod. The fish pulled line off my ZeeBaas reel faster than I could reel it in.  Without warning, the fish stopped.  I could not move it. The fish then began swimming left towards Mike’s rock.  Our lines got crossed.  Mike removed his line off his reel’s roller.  I finally got the fish to my rock.  I quickly grabbed the fish with my free right hand and hoisted her out of the water.  Mike’s line was wrapped around the fish and my blurple B1 plug.  I turned my back to the surf and started the unhooking operation.  My back broke the waves as I successfully unraveled Mike’s line from the fish.  I could not remove his line off my B1 plug.  I yelled to Mike “I have to cut your line…I do not want to kill the fish”.  He shook his head in confirmation.  I cut his line and removed my blurple B1 plug from the fish.  I skipped weighing and measuring the exhausted fish.  As I revived the fish, I could see and feel that she was built for speed!

Bottom line, I owe Mike a spool of 50# braided line.  That’s true.  But! More importantly, High Hook Lures are high quality, fish catching plugs.  In addition to the Biggie (15″, 3.2 oz) and B1 (15″, 4.4 oz), Mike also turns other needlefish plugs: Dinner Catcher, Lil’ Brother, Needlefish – Sinker, and Needlefish – Floater.  All of his plugs are constructed with stainless steel through wire, Spro swivels, Wolverine split rings, and VMC hooks.

While fishing the surf one night, sand penetrated the gap between the rotating head and the main chamber of my flashlight.  When I rotated the head to turn on the light: snap!  Terribly inconvenient. :-(.  The next day I ordered a StreamLight 2AA Propolymer Haz-Lo flash light.  I have had light ever since. 😉

The StreamLight 2AA Propolymer Haz-Lo flash light has several features.  First, it’s made from impact resistant polymer.  Second, it has an awesome power to weight ration: 65 lumes to 3.6 oz.  Third, its waterproof down to one meter. Forth, no sand intrusion!  A nd lastly, my favorite feature: the push button tail cap switch— which allows me to turn my flash light on and off with one hand.  My other hand it typically holding a fish, a plug, or a fish with a plug.

The StreamLight 2AA Propolymer Haz-Lo flash light is durable, bright, and light.  I never go surfcasting without two of these flash lights.  If the batteries go flat on one, I use the other.  Replacing batteries takes time.  Time is fish!

I field tested the Al Gags Rattle Head 5oz Whip-It Fish during the July full moon.  The first cast went far further than I expected for a plastic paddle tail swimmer.  On the second cast, I could feel it swim close to bottom.  By the third cast, a fish engulfed it!  My heavy action 11′ St. Croix Mojo Surf rod was fully arched into a perfect parabola.  My ZeeBaas ZX2-27 helped me hold my ground during my tug-of-war with the fish.  On two occasions I could not move the fish and the fish did no gain any line.  The more stubborn animal won.

The Rattle Head 5oz Whip-It Fish has several features that differentiates it from pedestrian plastic paddle tail swimmers.  First, it has Greg Myerson’s World Record Striper Company rattle, which is a fish attractant.  Second, it has a 9/0 Tuna Strong hook.  That’s not a typo: 9/0.  Third, the unique jig head geometry allows it to penetrate the air and water, which contributes to country-mile casting and a seductive swimming action.

As surfcasters we tend to fish proven patterns like fishing the new moon with the same plugs tide in and tide out.  This year I decided to fish new patterns and new plugs.  I am over the moon that I fished the Rattle Head 5oz Whip-It Fish during the full moon!! 😉

The Gary Yamamoto Senko is a vertical presentation that seduces big and small fish into striking.  These salt-infused soft plastics are made in Arizona and come in a variety of colors (120) and sizes (3″, 4″, 5″, 6″, and 7″).  I select colors based on water clarity and local bait fish.  Size selection is complex.

Traditional theory states: big bait = big fish.  Based on my recent trips in my fishing journal, there is no direct correlation between Senko size and fish size.  I have caught small fish on large Senkos.  I have caught big fish on small Senkos.  In fact, on a recent trip, a big fish hit my 4″ Senko like a freight train and brook my x-mart rod during the fight.  I landed the rod tip and the fish.  Therefore, I do not select the size of my Senko based on fish size.

Water depth is the first thing that I take into account when selecting the size of my Senko.  Sink rate increases with increasing Senko length.  A 7″ Senko will sink faster than a 3″ Senko through the same water column.  In shallow water, a 7″ Senko will sink too fast.  In deep water, a 3″ Senko will sink too slow.  Therefore, as water depth increases, I use increasingly larger Senkos to achieve an optimal sink rate through the water column.

Vegetation is the second thing that I take into account when selecting the size of my Senko.  A 3″ Senko will take a long time to reach bottom in weedy water (if at all).  A 7″ Senko will reach bottom in weedy water (just at a slower rate than in clear water).  Therefore, in weedy water I use larger Senkos because their increased mass helps them flutter their way to bottom.

The Gary Yamamoto Senko is available in 720 different size and color combinations.  Therefore, I can match any local bait fish in any water column, with and without weeds.  I will continue to fish Senkos, big and small, with a new St. Croix rod.  Fish beware! 😉