Dressed vs. bare tail hook

[emgred]

Originally Posted by brucelieb

I am in the process of making a couple of plugs. I did a search and found this thread.
Perhaps you can clarify something for me?
Some plugs , small metal lipped swimmers, can have just a feather
( dressed but with no hook). Since I accidentalal purchase several hookless feathered tail - dressings?
I tend to think why not a hook on everything, I know bass hit the front but whats your opinion?

I will use a flag (dressed tail, no hook) on plugs that came that way; IE Bob Hahn's.

From a very knowledgeable surfcaster: ""Flags" are best for light swimming plugs like Hahns or on any Surftster. Dannys and others are OK with just a dressed hook."
The reasoning is that the action will be effected by the "keel" of the rear siwash on some plugs. A Gary2 Slim is a perfect example of a plug that is adversely effected by putting a dressed siwash on the back as opposed to a flag.

[Big Water]

I liked to build my Giant Pikes with a tied tail. I tie my own and make them longer then what you can buy. I like the way it waves behind the plug making it look more alive. If you are going to fool a big fish with a wooden plug you need to have everything working, color, smell ( I use a scented jell) shape, action and size ( I strongly believe big fish like big bait). I make my own lips to get a strong action at a slow retrieve so if I wanted to put a bare treble on the tail the weight would not affect the action ( and would be a lot quicker than tying tails), but it would not attract like the tied tail does. Ninety percent of the stripers I hook are on the front treble, a few fall of the front and are hooked by the second belly hook, a tail treble is not needed unless you are hunting bluefish. They call "tied tails" bluefish proofing the plug. Stripers are head hunters! Hope that helps. Gary