The Wall

I have always admired the walls of tackle shops adorned with surfcasting lures. At one of my favorite spots, Rivers End in Old Saybrook, hanging above the plugs for sale are dozens of retired ones, each with its own story to tell. Not only are plug walls cool to look at, it's a smart and easy way to organize them. For too long I've stored my collection in large plastic boxes. I'm not saying that's not a good way to stay organized, it can be and often is. But to rifle through boxes when preparing for a trip can be time consuming and frustrating. Cherry-picking them off a wall is much more preferable to me. And when I'm not fishing, I can spend hours just playing with the lures like I did with green plastic army men when I was seven years old. 

So I recently went to one of those big box stores that shall remain nameless and, for under $40, picked up some 2'x4's, a large section of peg board and some peg board hooks and, voilà!, my new plug wall was born. It doesn't matter that I probably definitely surf fish with eels and bunker more than lures these days, the wall looks pretty badass and when I'm in the middle of a Chinese fire drill getting ready for a impromptu surfcasting session, at least it will save me a little preparation time.

Loaded Red Fins

Cotton Cordell's Red Fin has long been a top producer for surfcasters targeting striped bass in shallow waters where slender baitfish like sand eels are prevalent. Right out of the package, these inexpensive plastic swimming lures will catch their share of fish. However, a simple modification to this classic lure will greatly increase its casting (and catching) ability certain situations.

Red Fins are hollow and light, which make them not good casters. A stiff breeze in your teeth will render them pretty useless unless the fish are right in the wash. This is where loading the swimmers comes into play. "Loading" Red Fins with water, oil or shot will allow anglers to cast them much farther in snotty conditions. What to load them with and how much boils down to personal preference. Some prefer water because it's simple while others like oil because water evaporates too quickly. Some anglers choose shot due to the rattle it makes inside the lure.

Surf fishermen have been loading Red Fins and many other hollow-bodied lures for decades. One such surfcaster, Steve McKenna of Rhode Island, has experienced incredible success with loaded Red Fins over the years. I recently caught up with Steve at Rivers End Tackle and filmed him showing how he currently loads these proven fish-catchers. Another modification not shown is swapping out the cheap hooks and split rings that come on the Red Fin for stronger versions, which is highly recommended when targeting trophy striped bass.

A loaded Red Fin is just another tool for your toolbox. There will be times when using one will be completely unnecessary, but there will also be nights featuring a heavy onshore wind and striped bass gorging on sand eels where a loaded Red Fin will be just what the doctor ordered.