"I keep hearing about this Got-cha Plug!"

Most people use bait but sometimes it is fun to throw a lure. You can
catch a fish with a lure anytime, but they are especially good at night,
early in the morning, and right about dusk.

One of the most popular lures around is the "Got-cha Plug." These lures
are most effective if you use them from a pier, bridge, or jetty. Another
words, they work best if you are up on something, casting down. They come
in several styles and colors and the lure is excellent for bluefish, Spanish
mackerel, trout, and stripers. I have seen people buy Got-cha Plugs for
fishing in the Great Lakes for Musky. I have also sold Got-cha Plugs for
anglers fishing in the Florida Keys for snappers and red fish. When fishing
from piers and bridges anywhere, retrieve them using short, sharp jerks of
the rod to produce a deadly swimming action.

"How do I fish them on the Rt. 50 Bridge?"

Anglers fish them several different ways. You can cast them straight out
with the current, letting slack in your line so it sinks. Others cast
"against" the tide, so the Got-cha starts sinking and coming back towards
you immediately. If you use this technique, I would cast diagonally, rather
than straight out. Once you feel it touch the bottom, start jigging it up
so it does not snag. Jig with your rod tip "down." You usually catch the
stripers and trout near the bottom. Yes, you will get some snags, but you
will also catch more fish. Anglers on the bridge work the "shadows", the
area right where the bright lights shining down reach the shadow of the
bridge itself. The water directly beneath the bridge is shallower than the
water in front of you, so watch your snags there!

Some anglers actually take a Got-cha Plug and let it go straight down to
the bottom during a slacking tide and just bounce it up and down. Usually
an angler needs a longer rod for this. A 9 or 10 foot Shakespeare Ugly
Stick is ideal for this kind of fishing. This technique also works from the
Oceanic Pier on occasion also, though you do not need as long a rod when you
are fishing there.

"What is the difference between a regular Got-cha Plug and a Magnum Got-cha
Plug?"

The Magnum Got-cha Plugs are 2 ounces in weight. They are good to use on
the Rt. 50 Bridge for stripers. The rest of the Got-cha Plugs most people
sell in this area are either 1 ¼ ounces or 7/8 ounces. The 1¼-ounce Got-cha
comes in two colors- the red head with a white body or the yellow head with
a white body. You can tell the difference between these and the 7/8-ounce
size by looking at the length of the red or yellow head. It is longer. You
can also look on the back of the package and read the item number. The
1¼-ounce Got-cha Plugs are G1401 (red head) and G1402 (yellow head).

The 2 ounce Got-cha Plugs are good use for larger stripers and big trout.
They are also necessary to throw in a strong wind. A 2-ounce Got-cha will
sink faster and is easier to use if you are striper fishing with 30 or
40-pound test line. For the average sized trout or bluefish however, the
1¼-ounce Got-cha is more popular. The 7/8-ounce size is good for smaller
fish, fish that are feeding on smaller baitfish and fish that are closer to
the surface. These smaller Got-cha Plugs are used more from the Oceanic
Pier, Shantytown Pier, or the Inlet.

"What is the story with the single hook Got-cha Plugs?"

A single hook at the tail of the Got-cha Plug instead of a treble hook
makes it easier to release a striper when fishing from the end of the inlet
or up on the Rt. 50 Bridge. The action of the single hook Got-cha may not be
quite as good as the treble hook Got-cha but it sure makes life easier if
you are releasing a lot of fish! (Most of the two-ounce Got-cha Plugs are
available with single or treble hook at the rear. Some are even available
with bucktail attached to the single hook. This would be my choice if I
were buying a single hook Got-cha Plug.)

The small 7/8-ounce size Got-cha Plugs also come with gold or silver bodies
while some even come with rattling sounds (rattlers.) Some are available
with gold or nickel-plated treble hooks.

"How do I know what color to use?"

Like all lures and plastic worms, you should always carry a variety with
you. If in doubt, in our area, the red head with the white body seems to
always be the number one Got-cha Plug. The number two best Got-cha Plugs
would be the yellow head with the white body. Besides that, the silver
Got-cha Plugs are very popular for catching bluefish. The Nightglow colored
Got-cha is quite popular on the Rt. 50 Bridge and also at the Inlets. The
chartreuse colored Got-cha has been excellent for shad releases and
occasionally very hot for sea trout.

When the night is dark with no or little moon, the black Got-cha Plugs are
great. If you are fishing at night at the jetty with no lights, again, try
the black-bodied Got-cha Plugs.

If you are trying for Spanish mackerel here or down south, chose the
Got-cha Plugs with the gold hooks. Some anglers here like the gold hooks
for the sea trout as well. Later in the fall, if we have Speckled Trout,
you may want to switch to Got-cha Plugs with the gold hooks.

"Can you put bait on a Got-cha Plugs?"

Got-cha Plugs are really made to work alone. They have a wonderful action
that could be ruined by adding bait to them. If you absolutely have to use
bait, buy the Got-cha Plugs with the single hook at the rear and add a strip
of cut bait. Another effective thing you could do is rub your Got-cha Plug
with Fin-Essence "Shedder Crab Oil." This will give the Got-cha Plug the
scent of peeler crab.

"Can I use the Got-cha Plugs in the surf?"

You can do this, but if you do, I would stick to the lighter ones and look
for a beach with a quick drop-off. The problem with Got-cha Plugs in the
surf in our area is that they go to the bottom quickly and rake up sand
fleas and grass. I would prefer to use a Windcheater lure, MirrOlure, or
Rattletrap in the surf here. (If you travel to the Carolinas where there
are more red fish, speckled trout, and Spanish mackerel close to the shore
they are more effective in the surf.)

"Can I use them from my boat?"

Yes, Got-cha Plugs are good for jigging trout, stripers, and blues. Let
them sink towards the bottom and then jig them back up.

"How about offshore?"

I have seen Got-cha Plugs catch just about anything. Even on the party
boats, I have seen Captain Monty Hawkins on the Ocean City Princess catch
sea bass with the Got-cha Plugs by letting them sink all the way to the
bottom and then jig them up and down. Got-cha Plugs have been known to
catch flounder and even a tautog was recently reported caught by a Got-cha
Plug! Got-cha Plugs offshore are also effective for stripers, but you need
to let them sink to the bottom.

Got-cha Plugs are versatile, easy to use (instructions on the back even),
and not as expensive as some lures. This is important when you are dealing
with snags and have to buy several! It is best to not use swivels when
working a Got-cha Plug. Tie it directly to your line. If you absolutely
have to use a swivel, use a small black one. (Sometimes swivels will scare
the fish and ruin the action of a lure.)

Got-cha Plugs. Got to have some!

Good fishing..