The Bottle Plug is a proven fish catcher that will swim through just about anything Mother Nature throws at the surfcaster.
In this series I will be spotlighting four plugs that should be a part of every surfcaster’s arsenal. Year in, and year out these lures are responsible for many great catches in the surf. They are proven fish slayers in the hands of anglers that know how to bring out the magic that these plugs possess. By mastering this quartet of killers, your surf score is sure to increase. And they’ll get bigger, too. I promise. The four I plan to highlight are the Darter, Bottle Plug, Needlefish and the Metal Lip Swimmer.
The Bottle Plug is another lure that many surfcasters, and myself, regard as a plug that has earned its place as a permanent resident in the surf bag. There are several reasons why I believe this is true, over and above the fact that they slay fish! For starters, it casts very well due to its design. It resembles the shape of a bowling pin and cuts through a wind effortlessly. Secondly, its large profile imitates bigger baitfish such as herring, mackerel, shad, bunker and juvenile weakfish. Lastly, and I believe this is the Bottle’s most important trait, it can handle big water. You chuck this baby into a storm surf with massive waves and ripping currents and this lure will dig in and perform! It’s the shape that helps it fly on the cast and the fact that the lip is long and takes up the entire face of the plug that makes it dig aggressively and hold its ground in rough seas. In these adverse conditions, when most swimming lures would be rendered useless, the Bottle Plug excels and has accounted for many, many large striped bass as a result.
Fishing the Bottle is fairly straightforward; after completing a cast , simply give the lure a quick side pull to get that “scooped out” lip to dig into the water and begin your retrieve. You will know when the lure is working correctly by the way your rod pulsates as the lure is swimming. You can keep a slow steady retrieve with good results or you can add in long sweeps with the rod followed by a pause, letting it float back a little, and then resuming the retrieve. Avoid falling into a rut if the bite is slow, experimentation may resume the bite, faster retrieves, dead-slow retrieves, longer sweeps, longer pauses… you get the idea, making these changes will keep you focused on a slow bite and also may reveal the kay to turning the fish on.
These plugs work well in ocean waves, and you should always work them into the receding waves, right at the edge of the beach. I had a night when bass were driving small weakfish to the sand and they were hammering a yellow Bottle only as it approached the lip of the beach. These plugs also shine in inlet areas with strong currents and turbulent rips, where they will generally dive to 3 to 5 feet. You can swing them in the tide just like a Darter to get a different look and vibration when Darters are not getting hit. It’s also important to mention that just because I’m highlighting the abilities of the Bottle in gnarly waves and heavy currents does not mean that they are useless in calmer surf. Actually the Bottle Plug swims great in calm seas, their versatility is what makes them so great!
Bottle Plugs are manufactured under a few different names, Gibbs calls theirs the “Casting Swimmer” and comes in sizes ranging from 1 to 3 ounces. Super Strike’s version is called the “Little Neck Swimmer,” this molded plastic version is standard issue in plug bags all over the East Coast and tips the scales at 2-3/8 ounces. You’ll find custom wood versions from various builders such as Beachmaster and GooGoo Man. And then there is the hybridized Bottledarter, invented by Larry Welcome of NorthBar Lures, these are made in wood and plastic and do a good job of finding a ‘happy medium’ between the traditional Darter and Botte Plug.
Bottles come in a great variety of colors, I try to come close to matching the hues of whatever baitfish are prevalent at the time, and proven colors like yellow, white, bone, black and chartreuse are all must-haves with Bottles, just as they are with other plugs. These lures have proven their effectiveness over the decades and earned a place in many savvy casters bags. If you have never used them, give them a try; if you ask me they are one of the true workhorses of the surf!
