Customize Cedar Wood Fishing Plugs for Superior Action and Fish-Attracting Scent

The Benefits of Using Cedar Wood Plugs for Fishing

Cedar wood has been used for centuries to create useful items like boats, furniture, and housing materials. But many anglers are just now discovering that cedar can also be used to make exceptional fishing lures. Cedar wood plugs offer many advantages over traditional metal and plastic lures.

Cedar Wood Plugs Have Great Action in the Water

The grain and texture of the wood make cedar wood plugs come alive when retrieved through the water. As water passes over the wood, subtle vibrations and movements create lifelike action that predatory fish find irresistible. Metal and plastic can't replicate the organic movement of wood.

Cedar is also lightweight, yet strong and durable. Cedar wood plugs cast smoothly and have excellent movement whether trolled or retrieved. They have just the right combination of buoyancy, weight, and texture to mimic small bait fish that game fish like to eat.

The Scent of Cedar Attracts Fish

Cedar wood gives off a pleasant, enticing scent that appeals to many species of predatory fish. The aroma of cedar disperses through the water and acts like a fish attractant. By contrast, metal and plastic lures have no discernible scent.

Scent is believed to be the primary way sharks detect prey from a distance. Hence cedar plugs can be especially effective on big game species like tuna, billfish, and sharks.

Cedar Wood Plugs are Visually Appealing

The handsome grain and rich coloration of cedar wood is naturally attractive. Cedar can be left natural or painted in any colors. Contrasting colors along the sides, belly, and head of cedar plugs create aprofile that stands out in the water.

Metal lures reflect light differently than natural wood. And not all plastic lures have a convincing profile. The aesthetic quality of cedar simply looks more realistic to aggressive predators.

Where and How to Use Cedar Wood Plugs

Cedar wood plugs can catch almost any sport fish from freshwater bass and walleye to huge saltwater game fish. They are especially effective for taking tuna, billfish, halibut, salmon, stripers, snook, and snapper.

Trolling with Cedar Plugs

Cedar plugs excel when trolled offshore to raise pelagic species like yellowfin tuna, bluefin, albacore, striped marlin, and sailfish. The action and scent of cedar plugs is a proven way to get bit offshore.

When trolling with cedar plugs use heavy fluorocarbon or wire line matched to appropriate pound test rods and reels. Cedar is sturdy but not indestructible. Playing big powerful fish requires stout tackle.

Cast and Retrieve Cedar Plugs

Cedar wood plugs also produce bass, pike, walleye and inshore species like snook, redfish, and snapper. The buoyancy and action of cedar crossover nicely for freshwater and backwater light tackle fishing.

Casting cedar plugs around docks, grass flats, points, and back bays will draw explosive strikes. Let the plug rest between twitches to emit maximum scent. Vary retrieves until you discern the speed and action fish prefer.

Vertical Jigging Cedar Plugs

Hefty cedar plugs can also be fished vertically over structure and cover to catch grouper, halibut, snapper, and other bottom dwellers. The scent trails down each jigging motion while the silhouette mimics forage.

Make sure cedar jigging plugs have strong hardware and hooks rated for the bottom species you're pursuing. When targeting big fish around snags, consider using wire line for ultimate abrasion resistance.

Customizing and Tuning Cedar Fishing Plugs

Part of the appeal of cedar fishing plugs is the ability to customize and tune them precisely for different fishing situations.

Modify Shape and Size

Carefully sand or shave cedar plugs with fine grit sandpaper to alter shape and size to match regional forage. Make bodies more slender or oval. Taper heads for reduced resistance. Sharpen bill angles for wider or tighter wobbles.

Custom tuning diving lips is key to achieving prime action at exact trolling speeds for specific game fish. Take notes on bill angles and test repeatedly until plugs perform perfectly.

Fine Tune Weight

Add tiny portions of solder wire into hollowed areas or drilled cavities to increase the weight of floating cedar plugs. More weight equates to deeper diving potential. Dial-in exact buoyancy and sink rate to match what fish prefer.

Or insert closed cell foam or balsa strips to make overly dense plugs float higher. Achieve just the right sink and swim effect that prompts reflex strikes.

Change Hook Sizes

Upgrade treble hooks and single hooks to stronger styles optimized for large pelagic fish. Or downsize hooks appropriately for smaller species. Make sure gaps are wide enough for solid hook-sets.

Enhance hooks by adding red feathers or metallic flashabou that boost visual attraction. Consider crush barbs on some hooks for easier release while retaining holding power on other hooks.

With smart adjustments and tuning, cedar wood plugs can be adapted to catch inshore fish or offshore giants. As long as anglers match the hatch and dial-in action, cedar performs fantastically on a wide range of game fish.

FAQs

Why are cedar wood fishing plugs so effective?

Cedar produces irresistible action, scent, and visual triggers. The wood grain creates organic movement in the water. Cedar emits an appealing aroma that disperses through water. And cedar can be painted in fish-attracting colors and profiles.

What fish species hit cedar wood plugs best?

Cedar plugs catch huge pelagic predators like tuna, marlin and sharks offshore. But they also tempt inshore species like snook, redfish, stripers, salmon, and bass when cast or trolled.

How deep can I fish cedar plugs?

Add tiny lead weights to make cedar plugs dive deeper when trolled. Or fish weighted cedar vertically over structure. Cedar stands up to deep jigging pressures surprisingly well.

Should I tune cedar plugs out of the package?

Certainly. Sanding bills, adding weight, tuning buoyancy, and swapping hooks lets you adapt cedar plugs precisely for specific game fish. Customized action is key to more hook-ups.