The pitfalls of the big bait craze.
I remember when I saw my first GRS Pikie. I think it was 2008, I was at Twin Maples on Block Island and I spotted these super-clean (and quite large) pikes on the counter. I remember passing each one from one hand to the other and actually thinking that the giants were too big. That was before GRS plugs had gained their dual status as big fish catchers and favorites for collectors, and at the time, I liked the junior size the best. That’s just a quick view into how the collective consciousness of the average surfcaster has changed over the last 15 years.
The infatuation with big and giant lures is absolutely rooted in the machismo-driven psyche of the mostly male surfcasting world. This is no reason to get offended and I am innately aware of the fact that we have more women surfcasters than ever before and I welcome them with open arms; but when talking of big plugs, it’s just too alluring to the male mindset. Throwing bigger plugs requires bigger equipment, a greater commitment and most of the lures cost a lot of money. Give a group of dudes a difficult challenge and a percentage of them will take it personally and latch onto it as proof of their toughness or commitment to the task at hand.
There’s also a heavy status component to fishing with big plugs, the story that goes with it is just too tempting; the idea being that throwing giant plugs or plastics means far fewer bites but also confirms that you’re going ‘all in’ on targeting a giant fish. So you’re making a sacrifice in favor of targeting a massive fish. If it sounds like I’m making fun of this, I am not! I spend countless nights throwing outsized lures for all of the reasons listed above and I love doing it.
There will be times when throwing big plugs will put you in the best position to score the biggest fish, but if you pack your bag every night with nothing but huge plugs, you’re guaranteeing that you will strike out every time big bait is not on the menu. You may be willing to absorb those tough nights as ‘part of your struggle,’ but I’m here to tell you that this is a short-sighted way to go about fishing the surf.
Back in the days when I was first getting really into surfcasting, the art of choosing a plug centered around several variables that spanned color, action, running depth, retrieve speed, water conditions and size. In my own experience as a surfcaster, I have simplified color down the three (dark, light and bright) and I have learned that silhouette and running depth (getting into the strike zone) are the most important variables. When I say ‘silhouette’ I don’t mean that your plug has to have the exact outline of what the fish are keying in on; what I mean is, it should be close to the same size. There have been countless times when differences as small as using a plug that was an inch shorter made all the difference and there have been many others where I couldn’t get a hit on an 8-inch needle and then I couldn’t keep them off a 5-inch one.
As I see it, the problem has kind of invented itself. As bigger and bigger plugs have found their way into everyday status in surf bags up and down the East Coast, what used to be considered average-sized plugs, something like an Atom Junior, have been pushed to small status, simply by how they feel “in hand” or visually compare to these monster baits. And, by default, something like a 5-inch Red Fin now sits so softly in the palm that surfcasters can hardly find it in themselves to believe it could stand up to anything larger than 24 inches. Furthermore, even when throwing something as historically effective as a Super Strike Darter, those afflicted with this pandemic of ‘big plug love’ feel like they’re not targeting the biggest fish when they throw one. Which is just not true!
For those of you that took on surfcasting for the challenges it presents, allow me to let you off the hook. Surfcasting is a big enough challenge by itself without limiting your plugging options to wooden sticks of 8 inches or larger. When you only throw big plugs you’ve given yourself an excuse to be wrong as often as you have to be. But if you look at it from the angle of reading the situation and making the right choices from diversely-packed plug bag, you will quickly see that it’s a greater challenge that comes with greater rewards and still leads to catching plenty of big fish.
