VanStaalSteve

I’ve found a white colored bag ismuch easier to find than black or other dark colored bags.

Uncle josh pork rind if you can find some or Fat Cow strips / Otter tails. All excellent trailers on bucktails

Gold Yozuri mag darters ( both sizes) are great producers for me after dark.

White is probably the best all around color and usually the first one I’ll use but chartreuse is a very productive color especially in a SS darter.

I spend a lot of my time fishing trying to catch stripers not losing them. I sacrifice a lot as a result which includes losing copious amounts of sleep. I don’t like going fishing and dropping fish because my tackle is not in 100% effective. So, I’m with Chronic Angler, I keep all the barbs on my hooks and use trebles on most plugs. Sometimes I’ll use a single dressed “J”hook like a siwash on the rear of a plug if the maker of manufacturer feels plug swims best with that hook configuration. Plus, when I am fishing I don’t know what size fish I’m going to catch? If I am catching little schoolies I try to get them in quickly and release them unharmed. You can do that pretty easily especially if you are using a single hook ( barbed) bucktail which I’ll switch too if it seems that the fish in front of me are tiny bass. I also keep my hooks very sharp . I think that is very important and most people don’t do it. I use the triangular method, cutting the point of hook in a pyramid shape for better penetration. Frankly , I don’t understand why some fisherman put single j hooks on a plug that is meant to have two or three trebles? And, why they crush the barbs off their hooks. One mistake on the anglers part may result in a lost fish. And, that fish may be a once in a lifetime catch.

I’m old and still use the 16a but I have to tell you I prefer a loaded 7” Red fin or 7” Hellcat. Very rarely if ever do I use a SP minnow. If i need a small plug I’ll clip on a mag darter or loaded 5” Red fin.

For bucktail trailers I used to use rubber twister tails from Gotcha brand and felt that they were as effective for stripers as anything else, even better in most applications. I’ve since been schooled about the effectiveness of old run Uncle Josh pork rind ( I f you can find them) or the new Otter tails and Fat cow strips. I have been having excellent success with the Fat cow split tail in white. I don’t think I’ll ever use plastic twister tails ever again on a bucktail.

Andrus and Dan Tinman are good. Don’t buy Tsunami brand , they look good and are a little cheaper but their hair falls out quickly. Stick with quality Andrus or Tinman

Enticers are around the same size as the Tiger and has two trebles.

You should be able to get them from VS. I know VS will still service the 300.

I’d add that the VS300 is no longer offered by Van Staal as it was discontinued from it’s reel line up a few years ago. As DZ stated the large size of this reel is a problem I think. Most guys prefer the lighter , smaller VS 200 or 250.

Could you show a pic please? Thanks

Ok no worries , just thought I’d ask. Thanks

4X4 would you be willing to trade that plug? I have a trade thread going too. Thanks

White