Surf Fishing Lures - Pencil Popper vs Spook Plug!

[@JackL12489]

Never fished for striper before, I’m at a few hundred in fish count now. Ending my first ever striper fall run from October to November . Your books striper pursuit/fishing the bucktail helped so much, thank you.

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

Nice work, and I appreciate you sharing that.

[@georgezgreek]

You like that spot ! seen you fish it loads of times, that rock you're standing on has your name printed on it lol

[@Whoismartriz]

where is it

Just bought a few massive Gibbs pencils for an upcoming trip to Barbados....unlike your experience with them for Stripers after dark, I've caught some nice (big) jacks at midnight or later on them. Also got a few larger Yo-Zuri poppers too, just because they cast so far. Both lures do well being worked, or by simply reeling them in quickly/erratically. Your methods and insight are plenty effective on lots of other species John!

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

I'll be doing some florida fishing this winter. Will keep that in mind for the jacks.

[@glennmigues6368]

As always, love your commentary

[@johnleden1909]

Another great surf fishing video - thanks - reminds me of my youth fishing many of the same spots. I clicked on the links for some of your gear. I would greatly appreciate hearing your thoughts on why that rod/reel combination serves you better than some of the more economical choices available to the casual fisherman.

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

IMO, those Lamiglas GSB rods just have the right taper and action for this kind of fishing. I started getting them in 1991 when they first came out and I still have the original, which you can see in the shark video I posted a couple of months ago. As for the reel, that's a fully waterproof and sealed reel that's about half the price of other reels that are sealed to the point that you can crank them underwater. It's also very smooth with an excellent drag. You could pay half and get a Penn SSVI and be fine. You could also get away with a Tsunami Trophy 2 surf rod, which I feel is very underpriced.

[@johnleden1909]

@@JohnSkinnerFishing Thanks John. I agree - we get what we pay for. That is a rod for a lifetime. Big plus is that Lamiglas is made in the USA.

[@andrewscardina7077]

Copped the new lamiglas carbon surf and it’s amazing

[@johnlarsen8308]

I like the sunset bite

[@edwardcoysh4836]

Love the video I love fishing that way except for when screw up in for one of them troubles in your finger done it twice hurts bad I love your videos learned a lot

[@monmixer]

those stripers are very resilient. cool as hell. They don't need much help getting back in there after a battle.

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

Sometimes they do if the water's warm.

[@brandonsherfield868]

Great work.i use those skills from your videos down in Virginia Beach va

[@richie2dicks468]

brandon sherfiled va guy also. Bass have showed up the past few weeks

[@brandonsherfield868]

Butthole Tickler yea I’m trying to find them. Been getting black drum in red drum inside the wall .guess I’ll go to rudee inlet

[@richie2dicks468]

You surf fishing or you got a boat or yak?

[@brandonsherfield868]

Butthole Tickler surf fish

[@wolfofrhodeislandx7462]

I always seem to catch the bigger fish with a pencil over a spook.the numbers definitely go to the spook

[@trevorv5648]

Lucky craft sammy casts like a bullet, but they’re pricey. I’m always looking for a long cast walker and I can’t wait to try the fangstick. Looks like a winner. I swear our landlocked stripers & wipers eat the Sammys more readily than a spook.

[@agchanel5304]

cool .. for me one fishing rod and reel .. greetings from Indonesia

[@Peter-zg3em]

topwater spooks are my favorite way to fish. couldn't catch them on much else to end the last 4-5 weeks of the season here on the north shore of massachusetts. what size hooks do you use on your doc and little doc?

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

4/0

[@willyeo43]

John where do u get ur poppers

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

There are links in the video description.

[@Moe572]

Hey John please try the duo realis pencil(not the popper)... You'd not regret...

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

I only see small ones. Do they make a large one?

[@Moe572]

@@JohnSkinnerFishing what size are you looking for? I'd find something

[@Moe572]

@@JohnSkinnerFishing there's the realis 130 SW it's about 30grams and 13cm long.

[@Moe572]

@@JohnSkinnerFishing if you're looking for heavier then go for the duo realis fangstick! Trust me on this John they're magnets for just about anything!

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

That's still a small plug for most of the striper fishing I do. However, I just found one among the hundreds of plugs hanging in my office! I'll give it a look next season.

[@jasongockel7132]

I’ve been fishing New England waters for stripers my whole life, but I swear I learn more and more from every video you put out! I have a question you might help with. I’ve been trying spooks and can’t get the action down. They keep going under on my and digging in to the water rather than riding on top. I’ve tried to use the side motion you use, instead of the traditional walk the dog upright motion, but I still can’t get it to ride smoothly. I’ve tried to speed up and slow down the retrieve but still the same. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

Is there significant current? Which spook?

[@jasongockel7132]

@@JohnSkinnerFishing I’ve been fishing it in a river on both moving tides. I started with the 9” spook, picked up a shimano splash, but didn’t like that at all, and just used the tactical anglers that you recommended. It definitely casts much better but I’m having the same issue

[@jasongockel7132]

@@JohnSkinnerFishing meant the jigging world, not tactical angler

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

The Jigging World will do that in current. Get a Lil Doc.

[@jasongockel7132]

@@JohnSkinnerFishing will do, thanks! Love the videos!!! I’ve got my girlfriend watching your videos with me at night! That’s a win win for sure

[@Lookingglassaquarium]

Great videos...I never caught a striper on a plug that's my mission this year .if you could only have 2 plugs what would they be ?

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

Dark Matter Pencil or Savage Gear Panic Pencil and Dark Matter Astro Spook.

[@Lookingglassaquarium]

@@JohnSkinnerFishing thanks John.your the best

[@striperhunter-ic2wt]

Some nice fish👍wonder if these fish would have hit a bucktail?

[@charlesmurray1220]

Is there ANY current there?

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

Sure, depending on stage of the tide.

[@bangjanu2415]

Wowww nice my friend 👍💓

[@idkwhattouseforname]

What do you mean you don’t get too much surface activity? At that location or in general?

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

This location, but the vast majority of my quality stripers are caught without seeing or hearing anything on top.

[@idkwhattouseforname]

@@JohnSkinnerFishing gotcha! just to clarify, you dont necessarily need to see surface action to catch on topwater plugs right?

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

I rarely see topwater activity.

[@christopherdiesso]

@@JohnSkinnerFishingso how do you know where to cast John. Especially in flat water like this where there are no waves or anything to tell you structure

[@mike2200]

Hey Mr.Skinner I know your GSB is rated 1-3oz I was just curious how it handled casting 3?

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

It handles 3 fine, but the rod in the video is the uncut 10.

[@mike2200]

@@JohnSkinnerFishing Its the 101L exactly what I was looking for info on,I'll be picking one up tomorrow while one sale.Thanks for the relpy!

[@LuisRodriguez-417]

John who is the maker of that Pencil Popper? when I click on the link it says page not found.

[@jackromeo7342]

Dark matter is the brand

[@johnlatorre2764]

its a mad mantis

[@abi1816]

Wat rod n details length n Braid pls

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

Rod: bit.ly/3ADKuCx Reel (6000): bit.ly/3rk2XlW Pencil Popper: bit.ly/3t748Fw Spook Plug: bit.ly/3CdeoOV Line (40#) - bit.ly/2LiExRU Leader (50#): bit.ly/2EcadoD Lure Clip - bit.ly/3gq0xYB

[@vsonic86]

Do you tie this lure with a direct loop knot or using tactical angler clip?

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

75# TA clip

[@adamdavi8869]

Hello John, Can you tell me what size pliers you're using please? Thanks

[@richie2dicks468]

Link in the description. Should be listed

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

9'', see the link in the vid description.

[@howardhosford9001]

Just 1 more cast? 😆

[@perryjohnson1701]

No need to stop at the gym that night...