Testing Homemade Pencil Popper at the Cape Cod Canal for Striper (went better than expected)
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- Опубликовано: 8 сен 2024
- Happy Thanksgiving guys! Here's a quick clip of some testing I did on a homemade batch of long cast pencils the fall of 2018. There was ZERO surface activity or signs of bait and I didn’t see a single other person hook up so I didn’t have high hopes! I was blown away going cast for cast on these fish that were climbing ALL OVER this big profile Pencil Popper. At roughly 4.5 oz/10” long I was extremely happy with how it cast, tracked straight, long, and true, planed to the surface easily, action was great, and the finish after a dozen or so fish and 6x hooks was unscathed.
There have been quite a few requests regarding plug building content and I'd certainly like to provide more of that for you guys!
My aim when building any plug for a target species, whether it be largemouth, striper, or tuna, is to make that plug with the fish of a lifetime in mind. Some may call it "overkill", but I'm certainly ok with that.
Gear Used:
ODM Jigster 11' built by CMS Tackle
Shimano Stella 14000
40lb PowerPro Maxcuatro
80lb Yo-Zuri Topknot fluorocarbon leader
#125 T/A clip, 230lb Spro Swivel connecting main line to leader
A couple of features about the plug that may be different than the usual:
-I use 1.8mm 316 Marine Grade Stainless Thru-Wire that I bend and cut myself from a big spool
-Water Sealed using both epoxy & spar urethane just to make sure
-Triple wrapped tail wrap
-Double Nose Grommets (These are needed because the tail wrap locks in so tight it will completely warp just one grommet and ultimately split the wood on the nose)
-VMC SSSR split rings*** - Guys, being a terminal tackle junkie and trying every major brand of split rings from Rosco, Rasco, Spro, Owner Hyperwire, Owner Ultrawire, Wolverine, Wolverine Stealth Series, BKK, Decoy etc. THESE SPLIT RINGS ARE AMAZING! They feature flat sides, chamfered edges, extremely tight tolerances, rebound beautifully after opening, good corrosion resistance, and a strength:diameter ratio that is better than just about any double split ring. I'm using the VMC SSSR #5 198lb rings on this lure and they have been my ring of choice all season.
gorgeous plug
If you make some of those in Bunker and mackerel I bet you I would buy 4 or five of them
The problem I’ve found is that I go so god damn past what’s necessary in terms of the build strength, paint used, wire, hardware, terminal tackle, clearcoat etc. that the price would be too high for me to be comfortable
When I seen you almost get yanked in the drink on the first cast I said to myself immediately "HOW MUCH!!!" 🤣🤣🤣
It was a truly wild morning bro. I’m talking ZERO signs of fish on the surface, ZERO bait present, and I was just going down there to check the flight characteristics of the plug, the sink rate, the action etc. and ended up going cast for cast for cast for cast and these fish that didn’t seem to be actively feeding were climbing all over this 9+ inch huge profile pencil.
@@DanEvan Dan that's awesome bro you'd make a killing if you sold those here in upstate newyork during the striper migration in the Hudson river, like seriously guys would eat that up like the striper do
Good to see a new video. Awesome as always man. And a beautiful lure. Nice job bro
Mike C thanks mike
Looks like a canal dragon. Very nice!!
U obvi havent heard of a 3t
@@Jnickz90 I’m good friends with Joe and this is nothing like a 3T....no scalloped eyes, no belly lead, about 2 inches longer in profile, an oz heavier, and I even hit him up to make sure I wasn’t stepping on his toes and that I had no intentions of selling or making a profit off the plug. And it sure as shit ain’t no Davies that’s made from some garbage piece of wood, with Walmart swivels that get ripped out of the plug like what’s happened to him at least 40+ times, epoxy that flakes off after one session, and made from hardwood that sinks faster than a 6 oz bucktail. I just wanted a big profile pencil that still had good casting characteristics, but to be honest I still prefer the classic style shape of an old 4 oz Gibbs and not these skinny neck pencils that have saturated the market. I don’t like their action characteristics in fast moving water, they don’t fit the profile of many baitfish, and this was just something I made for myself. I’d never disrespect Joe and try to sell these. I took him brown shark fishing this past summer and we talked about it a lot and he has zero problem with the half a dozen or so of these that I made and gave away to a few close friends for free. Sorry for the novel but I just wanted to make that clear. A plug like a Mikes Custom Ditch Witch is my ideal pencil and something I’ve fished religiously since 2014.
I am in the process of turning a few of these right now for a friend. Thank you for the tackle recommends...huge help...oh i got the itch.
Thanks again!
Lightning Strike Lures glad you could take something away my friend. Thank you for the kind words and support man!
Every cast. WOW! Need one. 🎣
Plug looks really good 💪🏾
So where can I buy this mystical Dan Evans Mac plug?
Not even out of November and the itch just got worse.... great vid!
Sick lure and slamming fish, luv the look right and left at the stiffs fishing next to you after you hooked up the third time
Great video, cannot wait to purchase one of those plugs.
Nice looking lure. Its a lot of work
5th Horseman sure is brother!
You do very nice work by the way!!!!!
Monsoon'd... Aahahahaha! Great video as always! That plug looks like it would survive armageddon... Pretty work!
This plug reminds me of a RB dragster but elongated
Thomas Lusignan RB Dragster is a helluva pencil, and RB a helluva builder in general.
Hell yeah bro, happy thanksgiving man. I need one of those put me on the list 😏🤣
Cape Cod Canal Fishing lol you have one 🤣
Is there anyway I can purchase one from you????
Ya Dan, put me on your order list, great vid as usual
Scott Larson thanks Scotty!
Um, where can I purchase one of these lures?? Take my money!
Do you sell any you make ?
I have a Robert Davies canal cruiser and I was wondering if I should put a 3/0 belly hook and a 4/0 back hook both 4x vmc 9626
Thomas Lusignan yeah I think that would be a solid hook setup for that plug.
Well done sir!!!
Brendan Woerner thanks man, appreciate you.
So @1:19 I'm pretty sure I heard your cast hit the side of that house on the other side of the canal ! Holy shit dude !!!! Beautiful lure and great video man...
Slow burn_172 haha more like the side of a barge if I’m lucky!
Were I can buy
Amazing. Congratulations on making such a well-constructed, GORGEOUS lure and actually catching fish with it! Can’t imagine how gratifying that must be. Keep up the amazing video and advocacy work; we need more guys like you on the water. (And that IS my tongue still hanging out at the idea of buying one of your lures so put me on what must be a steadily growing list of surf rats who want one of your plugs!)
Tight lines!
David
Wow, thanks David. I really appreciate that.
Yo dan ya think a lamiglas gsb1321m would be a decent canal rod?
Rusty Shackleford I think a better choice would be the the new 1321MH 11’ 3-8 oz mod/fast. If you like the action of the GSB, then that rod is going to be sick for the canal. It’s got sack for days and it’s going to throw everything from 3 oz pencils to those bigger 5 oz swimmers and jigs with ease.
@@DanEvan yo dan thanks a bunch for the replie!
Rusty Shackleford Of course man. I’ve handled this rod and it’s a monster. I also like the guide choice and more modern layout, the reel seat position isn’t choked up like a TFO...I guarantee it will still load enough to throw plugs much lower than it’s rated....probably all the way down to that larger size SP minnow weight (1 7/8 oz for the 17 sinking model). We drag tested it up to 25lbs at 45 degrees and it felt fucking strong.....and that’s like Bluefin tuna drag haha.
@@DanEvan thanks a lot for the info dude! I am planning on building 1321m up for an all round surf rod for a winter project and i was just checking in on if the slower more moderate action of the 1321m would be up to snuff at the canal as a plan going down sometime next season. Unfortunately i dont live at the cape i live 2 hours ish away and cant pony up a good enough excuse for gittin MH model. Yet. Any way i wanna thank you loads for the great info and the excruciatingly cathartic internet fish porn especialy durig the brutal winter cabin feaver time. Have a happy christmas and tight lines!
Enjoyed the video. When I first saw the plug I thought it was a PlugLab Grenade. Is that where you got your inspiration for this? Awesome.
Albo_Gator I’m actually a prostaff for Plug Lab but no this is actually a design I’ve been refining for almost a year now.
Dan Evan Fishing looks just like a Rob Davies Canal Cruiser.
How do I go about getting one of those beauties?????!!!!!!!
Damn looked like an amazing day
Dan, how much weight did you load in the plug
Roughly 2.5-2.6 oz of lead is in the tail
@@DanEvan thanks, Dan
Thumbs up for the Will Ferrell cameo
Do stripers run in June? What week is the best and when are breaking tides? Just looking for some knowledge from a pro!
I'm the furthest thing from a pro, but yeah they typically run from mid may to late october/early november. Breaking tides are simply when you have the turn from a West tide (water flowing towards buzzards bay/water level getting lower, to an East tide (water flowing towards Cape Cod bay/water level rising) within an hour or so of first light that also coincides with either a full moon or new moon phase. The effect of the moon phase will reduce the size of the waterway by almost 25% and the ledge that baitfish use as their protection will be greatly reduced. The bass can easily force them to the surface so on a strong breaking tide there's about an 80% chance you're going to have a sick topwater bite. If I were planning a trip, I would probably go anywhere from late june to early august.
@@DanEvan thanks so much!!
@@DanEvan I'm back to bug you some more😂😂. Hate to be like this but a. How long does leader need to be. FYI I have 30 lb mono as my choice. B. What size hooks should you upgrade to for your swimbaits like the canal swimmer. Should you use treble or other
Sumi first I would increase the pound of the leader to 50lb minimum. Preferably 60lb. I use #60 for plugging and #80 for jigging. I also run fluorocarbon but it’s not totally necessary. As far as hooks on the magic swimmer, I’d just keep it simple and replace the stock hooks with 4x or 6x VMC trebles in size 4/0 or 3/0. I’ll link a few videos for you that I think will help.
Sumi ruclips.net/video/DBiJ5fbb114/видео.html
Take my money bro lol where do I sign up to purchase this plug??
How about a step by step video?
budman1870 that’s something that would be possible, but just realize that there’s something like 30+ steps from raw wood to finished product, and it would take a lot of editing and work to capture them all. Beyond that most plug builders are pretty tight lipped about what methods they use to build their plugs, as the knowledge gained is mostly through endless trial and error, money spent, or if they’re extremely lucky, having the right mentor.
@@DanEvan would love a step by step video that's a great looking lure
What is best pencil popper for the ccc as well as is a teaser needed in the back of a magic swimmer?
Thomas Lusignan there’s no “best” pencil popper for the canal and the response is way too subjective for any given angler. Some guys like the long cast pencils, others like something like a Gibbs that may sacrifice distance for a different action....If I had to pick one pencil for the canal it would probably be a Mike’s Custom Plugs Ditch Witch in White with Pearl scale rigged with a 6x 3/0 VMC on the belly, and a 6x 4/0 VMC on the tail with VMC #5 SSSR split rings. That pencil casts beautifully, and is really one of those “will raise fish when nothing else will” lures. It makes mediocre fisherman like myself look far more skilled than we are.
And no I don’t think you NEED a teaser on the back of a magic swimmer, but I sometimes use a small feather/buck tail dressed teaser on the 190 FS 7.5” model
You can never go wrong with a 3 oz Guppy, white or green mac 👍
John Rich The Guppy Jobo Jr. has been, and will continue to be a staple in my plug bag. In my opinion they should have made their “XH” (extra heavy) pencil they came out with this past season using that body instead of the senior. That body casts so well and has a ton of room left for more lead. I’ve re-drilled one to 4 oz and it’s an absolute missile and comes right up
I definitely like the design and how far it cast. Nice work. So my next question to you is how much are you selling them for and how can I get my hands on one?
Just curious as to exactly what product you use for sealing and what kind of container you dip the plug in. I made a handful last winter that performed great but that first seal coat is definitely tricky
Scott Allen - Scott the most common way to seal plugs is with Gloss Spar Urethane cut with 20% mineral spirits. You mix the two in a tennis ball tube and dunk the plug making sure that the thru wire hole and end grains are nicely saturated. Here’s a link to one helluva builders channel and he walks you through step by step!
ruclips.net/video/cKjZsSbD2IM/видео.html
First time out testing this for Dan, I caught 65 fish. Throws a mile and comes right up. Guy is a Master Plug builder.
liketofishcanal the man, the myth, the legend!
How cam you get one of the lures
Do you ever have problems with people stealing your stuff at the canal?
Thomas Lusignan not personally but I know plenty of people who have had things stolen off their bikes or out of their vehicles if left unattended
Do you think a lamiglas gsb 120 1M is suitable for the canal ? Thanks
Tim Yeah sure. I wouldn’t throw 6 oz bucktails or expect to be bombing out pencils with the 12’ fast action rods but for all around fishing the rods got plenty of guts and a 3-6 weight rating. The new 11’ 3-8 mod/fast GSB is a monster and a really sick canal rod
@@DanEvan thanks bro. love the vids
Where and how do I purchase one?
How do I order some your plugs
Great job man!!!!! That’s 30 dollar quality!!!!! Wish I can get some of those big pencils here in jersey! How easy was it to work?
Brendan Woerner worked like a charm. The fact that it’s 9” long really helps give it some body to help get it on plane and up on the surface despite weighing over 4 oz
Dan Evan Fishing hey I don’t know if it’s your plugs or your just the tester but plug lab was in jersey for this past show and they sold out in 10mins. Idk if it’s someone you know but regardless I want some. Great video and I also bought the Ditch witch due to your recommendation thanks again for the content!!
Brendan Woerner yup I’m actually a field tester for plug lab and painted a select group of pencils for the show
Dan Evan Fishing we need more Dan!!! Lol great video!! Great work!
Dan Evan Fishing let me know where and when I can order done of your pencils thanks Dan!
I'm sold! are you taking orders? I'm definitely interested and serious. Great Videos man, I've really enjoyed your work this season.
Andrew McCombs thank you Andrew. As of right now I’m not taking orders just yet because I want things to be perfect before I put my name on something, give it to you, and guarantee you that it will meet your demands.
I really appreciate your support and it’s comments like these that motivate me to continue putting out content, so thank you 🙏🏼
Can you do a video on what knots you would use leader material poundage and length it would help me and other newer canal fisherman thanks
-Tommy
Insta @t_man7
Thomas Lusignan I’m actually in the process of filming a multi-part video of what’s in my plug bag, both day and night, terminal tackle, rigging, rod and reel selections, the whole 9.
Dan Evan Fishing great can’t wait
So what happened to you Dan? You are nowhere to be found.