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cheap alternatives versus a got-cha plug

19K views 37 replies 17 participants last post by  Charlie2 
#1 ·
any ideas of lures that catch as well as the got-cha plug?
that will catch Spanish and blues off piers or other elevated spots

bucktail jigs
jighead and grub

any other ideas?
 
#4 ·
Clark Spoons work great down here in Florida as well. As a matter of fact many anglers prefer a Clark Spoon over a Gotcha Plug especially from an elevated pier, jetty, bridge.

A good technique is to tie a small egg or barrel sinker above a swivel and have the spoon trailing on about three feet of leader. The weight gets the spoon down in the water column a bit while retrieving from the higher elevation.

However, a Gotcha Plug is still a go to lure down here as well.
 
#14 ·
find gotchas all day here under three bucks. up til last year when one shop closed near MHC their price was 2.15 for a long time. dunno how much cheaper ya can get.

the remakes like the tsunami gotcha imitations dont work good in the water.



always have a half dozen of the small, and a handful of MAG gotchas in the boat bag...never know..
 
#15 ·
Clark spoons work really well on the Troll they also work casting.A small 1 oz trolling weight usually makes them even more effective.As soon as the water reaches 72 degrees we start to catch the Spanish.We caught about 2300 Spanish on a Clark spoon this season. Alot of them were caught less than 40 yards away from the Sandbridge and Virginia Beach piers.A cheep alternative would be to pour your own 1 oz trolling weights and smash them in a vise afterwards put a snap ring on one end with a treble hook,spray paint them gold,silver,red,white or chartreuse.
 
#18 ·
I make my own Gotchas from old BIC pen barrels.

Some wire, a couple of treble hooks and a homemade lead head. A swivel on the front end and a dab of paint. C2
I remeber reading your post about making the lead head before. how do you attach teh lead heads to the body?
 
#29 ·
My favorite way to catch spanish is to use a 2-3' 30# flourocarbon leader tied to a long shank worm hook, like a Gamakatsi or Owner. Then Sabiki some small Scaled Sardines etc. what ever is holding under the pier that is attracting the spanish in the first place and cast those on light tackle. No weight. If it dies just twitch the rod tip every 20 seconds or so and HOLD ON!!!!!! Easy work and explosive strikes. I caught a 15# King last sunday doing this very thing. It is a total blast. Yes you get cut off a good bit, but the long shank acts as a bite guard. There is usually no need to set the hook. I really love doing this on the days when you can see them. That is the most fun, but it is a hoot even if you can't. Hold the rod tight and keep the drag light.
 
#30 ·
That's a very good way to catch the larger spanish also. I find that usually the big ones prefer a piece of meat versus metal.
 
#35 ·
The Clarkspoon casters were developed by a local tackle shop owner. Tex, of Tex's Tackle came up with the concept a few years ago. In conjunction with a new Clarkspoon they are definitely more expensive than a Gotcha. That's why I said IF you had the spoons and wanted to try something different.

There is nothing on the market to replace my trusty Gotchas. I have caught blues, spanish, trout, flounder, pompano, bonito, false albacore, whiting and a variety of others on Gotchas! Talk about versatile! I've never done it, but I have even seen king mackerel caught on a Gotcha.
 
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