# got-cha plug rigging



## bluefish1928

i always used wire leaders with got-cha plugs with snap. however, the hooks often hok the leader. i have seen people tying directly to the main line. How do u al rig ur got-cha plugs?(leader, snaps, tied directly to main line). and how does offshore angler big shot(the ones at bassproshops, better in my opinion than got-cha) and tsunami zig jig compare to the got-cha plug in ur opinions?


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## Newsjeff

I tie direct with a 30lb mono or fluoro leader. 

Never used them knock-off Got-chas. 

If you find a way to keep the trebles off your leader, please let me know.


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## Drumboy

Tying directly to the main line is asking for a bluefish or a spanish to take 3 bucks right away. I use 10 lb braid tied into 30 lb mono. If the bluefish are very thick I switch to 50, but when you switch to a greater lb leader the action on your plug goes down. Don't know of any way to make the trebles to stop gettin on your leader though.


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## SmoothLures

Tie a uni to uni from you main line to 20-30 lb clear mono or flourocarbon, then tie to the plug. Haven't tried the knockoffs either. If I'm losing plugs and the Spanish aren't around, I'll use a wire leader. But I just accept that I'm going to loose one or two and keep fishing.


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## medicdav66

Now I'm no expert mind ya, but I have tried crimping a short wire leader with a snap-swivel (black) to hook to my Got cha's. Approx 3-4". But the hanging-up the plug on the main-line thing is just a risk and non-fixable as far as I know.


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## RuddeDogg

I use a snap swivel with all my lures.


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## Fireline20

I use a 40-50 lb leader but tie the plug or hook on with a surgeon's loop. It is is quick and it allows the lure to move around a lot more. I have never had a blue bite through it.

If you don't know how to tie a surgeons loop, check out this web site: 

http://www.animatedknots.com/surgeo...ge=LogoGrog.jpg&Website=www.animatedknots.com


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## bluefish1928

i started fishing got-cha using haywire(it prevents the hooks from hookign the leader, but i didn't catch anything that way). anyone tried using double lines and a polmar? btw, what are ur favorite colors of got-chas(red and chartuese is mine)


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## AbuMike

If I'm throwing at Blues I use a bit of Sevenstrand but if the Smacks are around I use the floro. leader. If I get bit off it's just my donation to the fishing gods in return for good JUJU...


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## Jesse Lockowitz

SmoothLures said:


> Tie a uni to uni from you main line to 20-30 lb clear mono or flourocarbon, then tie to the plug. Haven't tried the knockoffs either. If I'm losing plugs and the Spanish aren't around, I'll use a wire leader. *But I just accept that I'm going to loose one or two and keep fishing*.


yep, 20-25lb fluoro draws loads more strikes from spanish, specially if there is a crowd on the pier, you can tell who is using flouro...

i dont care if ur using 20,40, 50...spanish hits it the right way, they are gonna cutcha off....i end up goin w/ 20-25 99% of the times, sometimes 30lb (if blues are thick and i am lazy and dont want to retie a bunch...im lazy alot ;-) )



Jesse


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## Reelturner

Jesse Lockowitz said:


> yep, 20-25lb fluoro draws loads more strikes from spanish, specially if there is a crowd on the pier, you can tell who is using flouro...
> 
> i dont care if ur using 20,40, 50...spanish hits it the right way, they are gonna cutcha off....i end up goin w/ 20-25 99% of the times, sometimes 30lb (if blues are thick and i am lazy and dont want to retie a bunch...im lazy alot ;-) )
> 
> 
> 
> Jesse


I started not to respond to this thread since the original poster got some extremely good answers but will add this to what Jessie mentioned above.

I agree 150% to everything he said because I have too, had the same exerience as he described. If that spanish hits your leader, with all the speed that they have, you are going to lose your plug UNLESS you are using a wire, then with the wire the spanish won't touch it, because the wire will stick out like a sore thumb to them and they will turn away. If you go up in poundage test with the leader, then you will lose the effectiveness of the gotcha working in a zig zag pattern.

One thing is that I haven't yet tried and I doubt that it will work cause if if would then I think there are 15,458 others that would have already done it is. To take the lightest strength wire that is made (single strand) haywire it to the gotcha, run about 3" or 4" inches of it and then albright your mono to it, but still think after talkin with some older spanisher guys that target spanish only that the albright knot being the smallest profile knot to use, that the spanish would see air bubbles coming from the knot and therefore would strike your mono where the wire joins it and cutting you off instead.

RT


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## Reelturner

gotcha colors....I've had probably the best luck using red head/white body WITH GOLD HOOKS.

Red head/gold colored body, gold hooks

And last and I couldn't find any when I was looking for them is a solid, one shade of pink with gold hooks. I can find the pink gotchas with black spots, but not without the black spots.

All are 7/8 oz. even though there are heavier gotchas made I can't or don't get the same action with them as I would like.


RT P.S. 10# mono and plug away.


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## bluefish1928

i will retry the haywire twist method(king fisherman will have some left over after catching a fish and are enough for this purpose). btw, if u like having spots on ur gotchas use finger nail polish and put them on. won't last after bluefish keep scratching, but a very easy method to change colors of a lure without retying(let it dry for a few minutes though) or use sharpies.


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## rattler

use 8-10" of the lightest wire you can find. 15 for me. I make them up and keep in the bag. crimp the loop on the pier/beach. works for me.


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## Fishman

I tie directly to the main line with a uni knot


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## bluefish1928

after some thinking i ffound another way. 
make a large 6 inch look knot usign the spider hitch(might be called monkey, but anyways it is sometimes used isntead of the binimi twist)
attach the got-cha plug using a polmar knot. this creates double leader and if the fi bites off one side the line is still attached on the other (now if the fish attach both sides at least u hae fish trying to bite through 2 line instead of just one). i will try this in the spring.


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## Fishman

bluefish1928 said:


> after some thinking i ffound another way.
> make a large 6 inch look knot usign the spider hitch(might be called monkey, but anyways it is sometimes used isntead of the binimi twist)
> attach the got-cha plug using a polmar knot. this creates double leader and if the fi bites off one side the line is still attached on the other (now if the fish attach both sides at least u hae fish trying to bite through 2 line instead of just one). i will try this in the spring.


Or you can use an offshore swivel knot and still have the double line capability


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## bluefish1928

the only bakdrop i can think of using double liens is can fish see it? if it is as visible as wire then it is practically useless


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## SmoothLures

bluefish1928 said:


> the only bakdrop i can think of using double liens is can fish see it? if it is as visible as wire then it is practically useless


Use a flurocarbon line.


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## dawgfsh

Tie direct


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## Drumboy

Bluefish I've always found that the bluefish like the red head and the spanish like the golden bodies


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## Sandcrab

Haven't used wire. I use a 4' section of 50# mono leader material. On one end I put a 50# swivel, on the other I put a 50# snap. I use this whenever I fish with metal or plugs (bucktails is a little different). You can tie a dropper loop 1' from the swivel to use for teasers...

Sandcrab


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## Juan_EZ

my preferred method maddness is to tie directly to using an improved clinch knot (usually use 12-15 lb. mono) 

my fav. is white on white got-cha... colors really dont matter (from what i've seen) caught blues with the white with black spots metal gotcha (affectionally nicknamed the moo cow!)


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## Pier Kid

I Use About a 14 Inch Peice Of 30lb Ande, With The Uni To Uni Knot, Because Im Fishin 10 lb Power Pro.


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## Pier Kid

bluefish1928 said:


> i started fishing got-cha using haywire(it prevents the hooks from hookign the leader, but i didn't catch anything that way). anyone tried using double lines and a polmar? btw, what are ur favorite colors of got-chas(red and chartuese is mine)


I like the every single white body, accecpt for white on white and chartruse headd. i never use gold bodys or anything else like that.


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## johnfl

I use braid to mono#30 leader uni/uni.Then the DOA loop knot/Canoe man knot.When its starts to shread I re-tie.
macks and blues tear it up


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## whichway

from the pier, 12# tritanium/albright to 20# flouro/rapala knot to gotcha


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## Kingfshr

If your casting with spinning gear catch the line right before the lure hits the water reduces hooking the line.


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## MDubious

Mono/fluro leader to a snap. It's going to happen, it's just all part of fishing. Only thing to do is sigh fix it and cast again (and hope it doesn't happen again lol). It happens because of the wire that the hooks hang off of the lures body, great for presentation but a pain in the butt sometimes!


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## Drumdum

Reelturner said:


> I started not to respond to this thread since the original poster got some extremely good answers
> 
> One thing is that I haven't yet tried and I doubt that it will work cause if if would then I think there are 15,458 others that would have already done it is. To take the lightest strength wire that is made (single strand) haywire it to the gotcha, run about 3" or 4" inches of it and then albright your mono to it, but still think after talkin with some older spanisher guys that target spanish only that the albright knot being the smallest profile knot to use, that the spanish would see air bubbles coming from the knot and therefore would strike your mono where the wire joins it and cutting you off instead.
> 
> RT


 I'm down with those answers as well,especially when the spainish are picky... Figured I'd pop in when you asked about the wire thing though.. 

Been using wire for a lot of yrs,although you will sacrifice some bites,especially against 30lb flouro.. Have found the "side to side" is affected very little with wire,and you tangle less...If you hook a king and have enough line you will land it with the small wire though,ya don't stand much of a chance with 20 or even 50 mono... Have loaded a boat with kings using a small length of 36lb coffee colored wire,a couple off the planks as well.. Even though it's not one of my favorite knots,tieing an albright as you described does work with wire better than anyother knot I've tried...With kings it can be especially effective..


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## SaltSlinger

I don't want to hijack the thread, but what is the best way to fish Gotchas? I know this is an obvious question for many, but not for me. I think most folks retrieve with a slashing side to side retrieve. Does anyone let them sink, jig them up, let them sink, etc?

Obviously everybody fishes them off the pier. Can you fish them in the surf?


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## Rockfish1

SaltSlinger said:


> I don't want to hijack the thread, but what is the best way to fish Gotchas? I know this is an obvious question for many, but not for me. I think most folks retrieve with a slashing side to side retrieve. Does anyone let them sink, jig them up, let them sink, etc?
> 
> Obviously everybody fishes them off the pier. Can you fish them in the surf?


I fish them with a straight underhand jerk off the pier... they're designed to do the side to side "walk the dog" action from your jerking retrieve...

You can fish them in the surf but it's a lot harder to get the action unless you're using a really long rod and still not what you'd have from up high...

I've seen a lot of flounder caught by people dragging them along or just off the bottom with a lift and drop jigging action...


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## HStew

From the mainline tie a short spider or bimini to a 30#-40# leader 16" long using a no name[yucatan] knot. Tie the got-cha on using a loop knot such as homer rhode or other stop knot. I seem to get most bite offs when casting off the side of the pier instead of the corners or off the end. I was attributing this to blue fish being left-eyed and attacking from the left! Also, for Spanish you can't reel in fast enough. Slow your retrieve down and you will get more Blues and more bite-offs.


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## Carolina Rebel

I've tried the double line method, never had any luck with it......kills the lure's action, and the blame thing still fouls once in awhile. Hard to beat a piece of 20-50lb mono or flouro tied to main line (I use braid so its uni-uni for me, if you have mono for main line you could use a blood knot no problem). You're gonna lose plugs to bite offs, hooks are going to get caught in your line, but I promise you you will catch fish if they're there. Anything extra--wire leader, metal swivel, etc. is gonna cut your chances of catching spaniards significantly, though the blues don't seem to care.


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## zztopsail

Newsjeff said:


> I tie direct with a 30lb mono or fluoro leader.
> 
> Never used them knock-off Got-chas.
> 
> If you find a way to keep the trebles off your leader, please let me know.


Here is a suggestion on the trebles. Replace them with VMC 9651NI Short Shank Treble Hooks
Your Welcome:beer:


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## chris storrs

Newsjeff said:


> I tie direct with a 30lb mono or fluoro leader.
> 
> Never used them knock-off Got-chas.
> 
> If you find a way to keep the trebles off your leader, please let me know.


jeff if i see ya on the pier, ill show you in person...but tryn explain here

the front treble, the one on the bottomhat can slide up and down on the wire, can be tamed if ya slide it all the way to the back of the plug..then take some pliers or somethin hard and bend the front of the wire toward the tube of the lure..so the treble is stuck at the back and cant slide forward...works pretty good and solvin atleast hanf of tangles...another dude i met ties a piece of thin mono around the plug and shank of the treble so its pinned against the tube...but blues will bit thru the mono pretty quick..i like first one


but i just use stingsilvers now..no tangles no tireing jigging haha...just crank


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## PierMan

*DOA loop knot/Canoe man knot:??????*



johnfl said:


> I use braid to mono#30 leader uni/uni.Then the DOA loop knot/Canoe man knot.When its starts to shread I re-tie.
> macks and blues tear it up


I plan to try the braid (30# Phantom Red) as leader line this summer. How do you time the DOA loop knot/Canoe man knot?


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## seajay

Well Blues will eat anything/Lure. They have some sharp teeth. So Any wire or Mono will work. Gotcha's are notorious for hook fouling,and there is no known true cure for if when casting them. For Blues and Gotcha's I use a 12" piece of 60# Pink Ande. And a 10# main line. This seem to minimize the foul hooking. I think the main issue is most are casting into the wind thus allowing the line/leader and lure to cause a snag. That and they may not have enough weight distribution towards the back.? Maybe.
For the Spannish we just use a 1/4 oz. trolling lead and tie on a #1 Malin Wire to a Silver Johnson spoon. Cast for the horizon and retrive as fast as you can. This is an old tried and true method used on the planks in Fla.

Would love to hear a sure fire fix for casting Gotcha's as they are a go to for the Blues here in Fla.
:fishing::beer:


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## Drumdum

Rockfish1 said:


> I've seen a lot of flounder caught by people dragging them along or just off the bottom with a lift and drop jigging action...


 Funny you brought that up.. I can remember grey trout fishing off the planks one time,and was using reg action,a little slower than spainish or bluefish,but still side to side.. Was noticing a fella next to me bailing trout one after the other.. I watched him,he was working the dern thing almost like an artifical worm for bass along the bottom???? I tried it and it worked,but to this day I can't figure what the trout thought it was to eat?? 

State record flounder used to be off Frisco Pier here in Hatteras.. Can't remember exact wieght,but it was caught on a seahawk (I think it was what the gotcha copied) probably using same action as you're describing..


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## rattler

Drumdum said:


> Funny you brought that up.. I can remember grey trout fishing off the planks one time,and was using reg action,a little slower than spainish or bluefish,but still side to side.. Was noticing a fella next to me bailing trout one after the other.. I watched him,he was working the dern thing almost like an artifical worm for bass along the bottom???? I tried it and it worked,but to this day I can't figure what the trout thought it was to eat??
> 
> State record flounder used to be off Frisco Pier here in Hatteras.. Can't remember exact wieght,but it was caught on a seahawk (I think it was what the gotcha copied) probably using same action as you're describing..


YEP, thats how to fish. DIFFERENT!!! Fishing is not, nor will it ever be learned by reading, internet, your buddy told you,etc. GO FISH!!! Try something DIFFERENT!!! I spent 10 in MI and KILLED the fish on SALTWALTER LUERS!! walleye to smallies to trout and salmon. Its about having FUN.


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## Charlie2

*Gotchas*

I make my own 'Gotcha" lures and leave a longer wire (About 6")to a wire loop. C2


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## Loner

Drumdum said:


> Funny you brought that up.. I can remember grey trout fishing off the planks one time,and was using reg action,a little slower than spainish or bluefish,but still side to side.. Was noticing a fella next to me bailing trout one after the other.. I watched him,he was working the dern thing almost like an artifical worm for bass along the bottom???? I tried it and it worked,but to this day I can't figure what the trout thought it was to eat??
> 
> State record flounder used to be off Frisco Pier here in Hatteras.. Can't remember exact wieght,but it was caught on a seahawk (I think it was what the gotcha copied) probably using same action as you're describing..


Didn't that picture use to be on the south wall of the Frisco Pier???
I remember somthing like 19 1/2 lbs. and the guy was holding a 302 mitchell and about a 10" ..2 piece rod....

I use to love going thru all the pics on top of the ice cream box looking at all the 50 lb kings landed on Frisco...


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## johnfl

PierMan said:


> I plan to try the braid (30# Phantom Red) as leader line this summer. How do you time the DOA loop knot/Canoe man knot?


Once you learn , its like riding a bike you won't forget it.
Take a old shoe lace and practice.It gives every lure more action.

http://www.yakjax.com/fishing-tips/Fishing-knots-braid.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFT5n_S-0Ts


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## Drumdum

*Yeap,that's the same flounder..*



Loner said:


> Didn't that picture use to be on the south wall of the Frisco Pier???
> I remember somthing like 19 1/2 lbs. and the guy was holding a 302 mitchell and about a 10" ..2 piece rod....
> 
> I use to love going thru all the pics on top of the ice cream box looking at all the 50 lb kings landed on Frisco...


 Same here,loved looking at all the mounts of fish and pics they had in there.. Used to have a drink or two with Ellis and listen to all his tales every weekend I came down..


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## NCFishing

15 to 20 lb braid, uni to uni to 25 or 30 lb fluoro. Red head on silver body has been my all time best color. If the bluefish are thick but there still spanish out, jig as fast as you can without letting the lure jump. In colder months, October to November use a SLOW retrieve, jig jig stop and let it sit on the bottom then jig jig, have caught many fish doing this. Uni to tie to the gotcha and if the blues are really thick and there are no spanish clip off the front hook or even crimp the barbs to minimize damage to the fish. No matter what lb leader you use, you will always get bit off by a spanish, but dont use wire. You might want to buy some jig paint ad spare hooks so you can fix up the jigs, they arent cheap.


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## LaidbackVA

I tie direct to the lure with #14 Fireline and I like the red head and white body/ gold hooks

ron


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