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Silver Horde Plugs:
Silver Horde plugs are a go to
item for winter blackmouth fishing here in Puget Sound and have
accounted for some of my largest fish over the years. Plug fishing
is without a doubt one of the most enjoyable techniques  as
it allows one to fish relatively light tackle as compared to using
flasher / squid / flies / spoons combo’s. Plugs create very little
resistance (drag) while trolled which allows the use of light
tackle. I generally use
rods that are rated medium light to medium action in an 8 – 9 foot
length with line ratings in the 8 – 17 or 10 – 20 lb line
rating. I prefer glass
rods over graphite as they have a softer action allowing them to be
loaded up on the downriggers and once the fish is on delivers more
consistent tension,
lessening the chance of it throwing the hook especially with the
single barbless regulation that we are fishing under.
Lamiglas produces the “Classic Glass” series of rods that
fits this niche very well. Take
a look at the CG 82 DR and CG 86 MHC.
Both are Moderate Action with a medium to Medium /
Heavy Power rating and have line ratings of 8 – 20 and 10
– 20 respectively. The
“Classic Glass” series of Fenwick rods (which unfortunately are
no longer produced) are also great choices, look for FS80C, FS82C,
FS83C or FS85C models that will fit the bill very nicely. I am still
using rods that I built on Lamiglas glass rod blanks many years ago
and they are still going strong.
Unfortunately, graphite has overwhelmed the market and glass
has taken a backseat to the newer high tech materials.
I use monofilament lines that are
in the 15 – 17 – 20 lb rating.
Brand is virtually a personal choice as there are many great
lines on the market today, I would stick with the product that you
have had the best success with. My own preferences tend toward
Maxima (Ultragreen or Clear) or Berkley Big Game (Green or Clear) as
I have had great success with both brands.
You might ask: (Why the light line?)
The lighter smaller diameter lines equate to less drag in the
water which allows the plug to travel and gives a more erratic
action. The heavier the
line the slower or more sluggish the plugs action will be due to
additional resistance. Reels
do not have to be exceptionally large and should match the rods you
are using. With the
smaller diameter lines and the minimal amount of resistance one can
use reels having a line capacity of 200 – 250 yards of 15 – 20
lb breaking strength.
There are many reels that fit the
parameters well, some of the current choices are Shimano Tekota 300
and 500 models, Shimano Triton 100, Shimano Calcutta 400,
Penn 965 or 975 or Garcia 6000 C3 or C4 models.
There are a multitude of other brands that are currently
produced as well as many reels that are no longer currently produced
that will do quite nicely!
As far as the plugs themselves
Silver Horde produces both a 4 and 5 inch model that are rigged free
sliding with a bead chain swivel through the keyway (hole) centered
in the face of the plug and exiting out the bottom of the plug at
approximately a 45 degree angle.
This allows the plug to work independently of the bead chain
and hook arrangement. These
plugs can be rigged with either double treble
hook arrangement (where
legal) or a single siwash hook. (See Accompanying Picture).
There are lots of different hook styles one can use both in
trebles or siwash. In
single siwash I prefer a Mustad style in a model 95170, a commercial
claw point bend and generally offset the hook point approximately 15
degrees from center. I
use a 4/0 on the 4” Siver Horde and a 5/0 on the 5”model.
The newer “Matsuo” sickle siwash is also showing some
merit and has had some rave reviews from a number of fishermen.
You can also take a look at the Gamakatsu siwash as well as
the 9510 XXXS by Mustad for other options.
The one key thing that you want to make sure of is that the
plug harness drops freely through the keyway and does not hang up.
If it does the cause is usually an overspray of paint during
the painting process. This
can be removed by simply rolling up some fine sand paper and reaming
the hole slightly until the plug harness is freely dropping in and
out of the hole. By
having a free sliding plug harness it accomplishes a number of
things: 1 – Allows the plug free movement giving it better action.
2 – When you get a fish on the plug simply slips up the
line. This does not
allow the fish to use the plug as leverage to pull the hooks or
hook. 3 – If you
happen to break the fish off the plug will simply float to the
surface allowing you to potentially retrieve your favorite lure.
Once you are ready to go you can simply slide in your hook harness
and tie your mainline directly to the eye of your bead chain with a
good improved clinch knot or a Palomar and you are ready to fish. Do
not use any swivels or snaps to connect to the plug as the
additional weight will effect the action of the plug and if you
happen to break the fish off it will stay with the fish as it is no
longer free – sliding.
Let the plug out behind the boat a
minimum of 18 feet, which will allow the plug to work to its maximum
movement. I generally
fish 50’ – 75’ behind the downrigger release. Speed is a
critical element in fishing plugs, you want to fish fast enough to
get the plug to work in a 12” to 20” path.
If you are only getting the plug to tail wiggle you need to
speed up until the plug works in an erratic darting action side to
side and covers the path and perhaps even occasionally darts outside
of its main working path. For
winter blackmouth I generally fish in close proximity to the bottom
(within 10’ of the bottom, unless I am seeing sign on the sounder
that may show that the fish are otherwise).
Try to fish depths in the 90 -150 zone and try to fish the
edges of the bars (dropoffs).
Colors in plugs are wide and
varied and come in more patterns than can be imagined.
However, it is hard to beat any of the “Glow” colors that
are a basic Mother of Pearl (MOP) finish and those that have hews of
chartreuse, lime green or pink upon the basic MOP color.
If you have any additional
questions don’t hesitate to e-mail or call – I’ll be glad to
help you!
Mike
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