TOPIC:

I inherited a tackle box full of J-Plugs and harnesses. Many different sizes, some jointed, some rattling. Many of them are very weathered so I’m going to do some refinishing. What are the most productive sizes and colors around the South End?

For me 3's and 4's and only in Aug and Sept when they are staging and moving in. Thats when I have had luck. Blue's, Greens' Golds. I am no Jplug expert though, I imagine someone else will chime in with much better advice.

Weathered or chewed by fish? Best baits are battle scarred.
Seems Chip Cartwright (Silver Steak) had an ingenious program long ago where if you brought him a beat-up spoon at an outdoor show he would replace it with a shiny new one... then he'd take the old one fishing.

That's an AWESONE strategy! These are weathered, been rolling around in the bottom of someone's boat for years. I agree, the fish-abused ones should never be changed!

Thanks for the info guys! Any thoughts on colors?

Whatever catch’s ur eye will catch the fish

I run them from late March until after the kings leave. Basics for me are chrome/green, gold/orange, pearl/wonderbread, and green/chart w/ black ladder and then glows. If you followed the HCC this year, most of the leaders were running plugs. A lot of guys will only run them in the fall, but they can be productive anytime. I favor them in lower light or decreased visibility, and generally think of them as king baits but everything eats them. I’ve had a lot of days when the skams are hitting them over anything else. I usually set them on my deep rigger or long lines.

Over the winter I'll go through my box. Anything that didn't do well or that has been striped of paint I'll refinish. Here's a couple of J plugs that I did last winter that I've been using this year with pretty good luck. The coho's love the red one.

If you want to try something cool, Get some of the American tackle JigSkinz, and stick a few of the beat up J Plugs in them, and dip them in Hot Water, The Skinz in a shrink Wrap finish that comes in a bunch of styles, like Rainbow trout, Hearing, Brown Trout. and some flashy colors with Pink and Purple glitter finishes. .