best plug for bait diver?

[riets]

i would appreciate any suggestions on plugs, that make good bait divers! thanks

[Spooled]

riets, Hot-n-Tot. Mid size for water to about 8 feet, large for over 8 feet. You will use mid size more often in most rivers, especially for steelhead.

For salmon (usually deeper water) Mudbugs make great divers. I actually prefer them to the large Hot-n-Tot, but both work.

[riets]

spooled - thanks - do you usually paint them a dark color? riets

[NETONE]

Lets now ask "What Color Plug" for a diver...can we assume that the diver color should match typical conditions for pluging???

[Spooled]

You are welcome. Yes, I scuff them up with a scotch bright pad and paint them flat black.

The reason for painting them is that fish will hit the Hot-n-Tot, just as they would a Wiggle Wart or Hot Shot. You don't want that as there are no hooks on the plug, and you bait is 4 feet behind the Hot-n-Tot.

Some people leave a hook on the Hot-n-Tot in case a fish hits it, but I think it just gives you line something to tangle on. I take all the hooks off, leave a snap ring on the belly, and add a swivel to the snap ring. I run my leader from the swivel.

Troy

[ 12-29-2001: Message edited by: Spooled ]</p>

[Pete]

Interesting question ... I look forward to this discussion. I've fished both painted and unpainted. I think painting adds weight (a little) and slightly changes the characteristics of the plug. I've also wondered whether black is really a stealth color, if hiding the plug is the objective.

[riets]

spooled - with a med. hot n tot - how much line do you have from rod to plug, and how long of a leader? thanks again - riets

[Spooled]

Pete, painting them black is not so much for stealth, but to remove the chrome look the plug has, that fish will strike.

[Spooled]

reits, I usually run my plugs 60 feet from my boat. It differs depending on depth, but 60 feet works for me in about 90% of the water. Even if your diver is hitting bottom sometimes, you bait is floating about 4 feet behind and in the right zone. I use from 4-6 feet of leader.

I have 2 reels that have line counter reels, that makes getting them out 60 feet easy. On my third rod, I marked off 60 feet on the sidewalk, and pull my line out the 60 feet. I then place a bobber stop (bright colored)on the line at the tip of my rod. When I fish it, I just let the line out until the bobber stop is at the tip. The only thing that can screw this up is if you break off your diver.

[ 12-29-2001: Message edited by: Spooled ]</p>

[RichH]

I've always been a fan of the hot n tot as well. I've never painted them, I recall Bob Toman saying once that any color is fine as long as its blue. I run a 6 foot leader and when running my line out I count 7 passes on the 5500. I also would not recommend using bait divers now as the percentage of wild fish is going up, in the last 2 days we've put 4 wild fish in the boat with 6 hatcery fish.