All Hail the Straight Tail

I’m going to jump onto Toby’s bandwagon and comment on something that came out in this week’s Surf Association episode- season 3 episode 12. In the episode, Toby asked me a question I’ve been asked many times in one form or another, and I talk about it frequently in my seminar series: would I rather have the right plug and present it wrong, or the wrong plug presented right?

I could spend thousands of words addressing this further, beyond what I said on the episode. But instead, I just want to make one suggestion related to the topic: soft plastics reign supreme in this regard. What I mean by this is a straight-tail soft plastic (no paddle!) is the ultimate versatility lure. We hear and read so much about how the bucktail is THE single greatest lure and can be presented in just about every way, in every condition, to mimic everything that’s swimming in front of the striper- but I think soft plastics are even better. In fact, if you want the blunt truth: I think they’re way better. Whether on a jig head or a weightless setup, my ability to present them in every condition imaginable is far and away better than any other plug- nothing else comes close. Not even a bucktail. With a few different weight jig heads and swimbait hooks, a few different lengths and designs, I can essentially “do it all”. Three feet of water or 30, a quarter of a knot of current or 5-knots, 6-inch spearing or 5-pound tog, 4-knot wind or 40, sand or rock.

So this then makes the question moot. Right lure, wrong presentation? Not happening. Wrong lure, right presentation? Nope. You’re just going to be prepared, no matter what. This is why, on most nights, I have a pouch packed with 15-20 soft plastic options (of various brands) so that I’m never in the situation Toby asked me about. If you aren’t fishing soft plastics (all hail the mighty Slug-go), then you’re absolutely missing out.