# Gotcha's.



## WisconsinFisherman (Oct 24, 2011)

Ok, This might be a stupid question to some of you but Im up here in Wisconsin and you're all down there doing what you do every day. My question is this. What is the difference between the "series" of gotcha's? Im seeing 100, 151, 300, 500, 1000 series jigs. I suppose there are others but those are ones off the top of my head I'm seeing on freebay. Looking to stock up a bit before we come down in May and can't remember what size ones we were using last year. Just remember that one of us had much better luck and I cant remember if it was gold or silver that did better but I'm pretty sure it was red heads on it. Will size make much of a difference for fishing down there? Had Hard tails, Spanish, blue and ladys on them. Thanks for any help and replies.


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## CCC (Sep 3, 2008)

I have had the best luck with the G301 and 1601 (silver with red head)


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## Pier#r (Oct 2, 2007)

Check out the descriptions @ http://seastriker.com/styled-17/index.html

I too like the 7/8 ounce G301 and G302 (on cloudy days) and the G1601 and G1602
But I also like the G401 GHR and G402 GHR ("R" = rattle)


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## kanaka (Oct 3, 2007)

Stick with the ones with the metal bodies. Do get a few in gold too to cover the bases.

Size: It's best to match the hatch. The bait is going to be small and that's what the toothy critters are going to be munching on. 
Shop wisely, buy a bunch, sell the leftovers when you leave. The stores sell em out in the spring.


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## JD7.62 (Feb 13, 2008)

Eh, just get some bubble rigs in pink, green and chart and cut the "straw" to match the hatch. The bubble rig will out fish a gotcha 90% of the time. You can throw further, work easier and the bubble rigs are safer (less hooks) then a gotcha and they cost MUCH less.


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## noodlez94 (Mar 27, 2013)

JD7.62 said:


> Eh, just get some bubble rigs in pink, green and chart and cut the "straw" to match the hatch. The bubble rig will out fish a gotcha 90% of the time. You can throw further, work easier and the bubble rigs are safer (less hooks) then a gotcha and they cost MUCH less.


+1 on the bubble rig cheaper to make and replace compared too gotchas but I keep a few on hand just incase they don't bite it all depends what they go for that day really and as for sizes if your not sure I recommend checking out a tackle shop or wallmart and see what you like and write down the #s if you wanna buy on fleabay


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## WisconsinFisherman (Oct 24, 2011)

We tried bubble rigs, Have 5-6 of them on hand hanging to keep them straight. It was way to wavy and windy last year the week we were down there to even try to use them properly. Have the "mega mono" to make them with along with the crimps and such. I just remember not having enough of whatever color they were biting on last year so one of us was always without... lol. Still caught fish but not as many.

Thanks for that link. VERY helpful in deciding what to get. Kind of like those mylar ones with the colored prisim flash inside. Also like the ones with the "hair tails". Gotta find what I want on Amazon tho as I've got a 50 dollar gift card to use up.


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## KingCrab (Apr 29, 2012)

Right off the top of someone's head is where they usually end up. Most dangerous lure known to man. Made Doctor's a ton of money. Not recommended for the inexperienced. Stay away from others not fishing with gotcha's. They don't want to be around them. Bubble rigs are way better but are dangerous as well. Strip baits are best for larger Spanish. Gotcha's catch the smaller ones usually. Using a bell reel is where they are most dangerous. The bell can click over when your casting causing the lure to fly back at you or even worse the person u decided to fish by that don't like them anyway. :whistling: "Stick" to the Gotcha crowd. Which is usually half way down the pier in their zone. "Stick",, No pun intended.  Seen eyeballs hooked. Not a pretty sight.


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## steelhead (Nov 10, 2008)

KingCrab said:


> Right off the top of someone's head is where they usually end up. Most dangerous lure known to man. Made Doctor's a ton of money. Not recommended for the inexperienced. Stay away from others not fishing with gotcha's. They don't want to be around them. Bubble rigs are way better but are dangerous as well. Strip baits are best for larger Spanish. Gotcha's catch the smaller ones usually. Using a bell reel is where they are most dangerous. The bell can click over when your casting causing the lure to fly back at you or even worse the person u decided to fish by that don't like them anyway. :whistling: "Stick" to the Gotcha crowd. Which is usually half way down the pier in their zone. "Stick",, No pun intended.  Seen eyeballs hooked. Not a pretty sight.


The above is good advice. Use some strip bait on a beater pomp jig and you'll do fine. Bubble rigs are very effective, but some folks like to use a leader that's twice the length of their rod. Problematic to say the least.


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## flipper1 (Dec 2, 2013)

glow in the dark works well right before the sun comes up and right as the sun goes down. also the 400 series with green/yellow heads and silver bodies are my personal favorite.


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## jigslinger (Sep 30, 2007)

Jigs are a lot cheaper, safer, and they work as good or better if you know how to use them.


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## TarponDan (Nov 29, 2011)

Snakeman here on the forum makes some very nice hex head jigs that have a very similar action to gotchas. He makes the raw jig heads, finished jig heads in a variety of colors, and completed jigs. Like jigslinger says, they're cheaper, safer, and at least as effective as gotchas.


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## weedline (Aug 20, 2011)

i was going to say some guy on here makes a gotcha style head jig they looked great to me and spanish are stupid just work a jig fast on the top and u will get them dont use the croppi fishing method u northerners use or they just get fired up then pull off it but i agree stay away from gotchas and bubble rigs


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## tkh329 (Mar 14, 2012)

I'm a cheapskate and find the 99c spec rigs work pretty well on Spanish. Admittedly they don't hold up too long and probably don't pull in as many fish as the jigs mentioned above. After one fishing trip found my date trying to free her bathing suit crotch from a gotcha I decided it was time to move to something a little less deadly.


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## windknot (Apr 26, 2012)

gotcha plugs are the Devil


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## flipper1 (Dec 2, 2013)

jigs and plugs that are alternatives to gotchas?


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## johnf (Jan 20, 2012)

tkh329 said:


> I'm a cheapskate and find the 99c spec rigs work pretty well on Spanish. Admittedly they don't hold up too long and probably don't pull in as many fish as the jigs mentioned above. After one fishing trip found my date trying to free her bathing suit crotch from a gotcha I decided it was time to move to something a little less deadly.


Gives a new meaning to the word gotcha, doesn't it.



TKH329 what is a 99 cent spec rig?


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## tkh329 (Mar 14, 2012)

johnf said:


> Gives a new meaning to the word gotcha, doesn't it.
> 
> TKH329 what is a 99 cent spec rig?


So true. 

Sorry, speck rig: http://m.academy.com/shop/pdp/h-h-lure-3-speck-rig/pid-86243?deviceType=true


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## MrFish49 (Jun 30, 2012)

JD7.62 said:


> Eh, just get some bubble rigs in pink, green and chart and cut the "straw" to match the hatch. The bubble rig will out fish a gotcha 90% of the time. You can throw further, work easier and the bubble rigs are safer (less hooks) then a gotcha and they cost MUCH less.


Unless the spanish are on the bottom or lower half of the water column. I've had trips where the only way I was catching them was just chunking the gotcha as far out as I could and letting it sink to the bottem then popping along the bottom. Usually they would hit it on the first jerk.


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## jigslinger (Sep 30, 2007)

Bubble rigs are too much work for me. You dang near have to use a king rod to throw the dang things.


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## WisconsinFisherman (Oct 24, 2011)

Nah, I used a 9' Catfish rod with 17lb mono and just underhanded it. Dont have to worry about hooking anyone behind or next to me. Left about 2-3 feet between rod tip and bubble and got it swinging. First year I did that down at Walton pier couple guys commented at how far out I was getting it. They looked like regulars and it was my first time salt water fishing so I felt pretty good.


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## MrFish49 (Jun 30, 2012)

WisconsinFisherman said:


> Nah, I used a 9' Catfish rod with 17lb mono and just underhanded it. Dont have to worry about hooking anyone behind or next to me. Left about 2-3 feet between rod tip and bubble and got it swinging. First year I did that down at Walton pier couple guys commented at how far out I was getting it. They looked like regulars and it was my first time salt water fishing so I felt pretty good.


Sounds about the size of a king rig to me, also I can't really throw a bubble rig on my light tackle 7' rod. Which I use as an all purpose rod for squid, bait, pompano, spanish, flounder, and anything else that bites.


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## CoolBlueDude (Mar 12, 2014)

Been fishing all my life not really knowing what I'm doing and I feel my ignorance puts me on a much lower level of ignorance than a novice... I dont have a clue what everyone here is talking about, except that I've had A LOT of success with gotcha's at FT. Pickens and I haven't had any accidents with them neither. 

Regardless, I've never heard of these other setups. Any way someone could upload video or pics with instructions?


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## MrFish49 (Jun 30, 2012)




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## WisconsinFisherman (Oct 24, 2011)

Typical bubble rig has either flourecent green/orange/red or yellow thick plastic or rubber tubing that slides over line and hook shank to protect the line and add in attraction. Bubble rig has tapered tube through the middle that the line goes through. WIDER End of tube goes towards hook. You should partially FILL the bubble with water thus giving better casting distance and then you fish it like a surface "popper" you'd use for bass.


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## CoolBlueDude (Mar 12, 2014)

Awesome, thanks for making it clear! Knowledge is power.


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## Hobart (Nov 27, 2012)

CoolBlueDude said:


> Been fishing all my life not really knowing what I'm doing and I feel my ignorance puts me on a much lower level of ignorance than a novice... I dont have a clue what everyone here is talking about, except that I've had A LOT of success with gotcha's at FT. Pickens and I haven't had any accidents with them neither.
> 
> Regardless, I've never heard of these other setups. Any way someone could upload video or pics with instructions?


Don't feel bad I have lived here in Pensacola for almost 10 years now born in the foothills of Georgia. First time I went fishing off the Pier with my dad we took rods and a loaf of bread:001_huh:. That wasn't working went into the bait shop and got a quick lesson on what we needed. Got a Sabiki and caught about 4-5 pinfish on it and we both thought that was the greatest thing. Kept the pinfish and took pictures of them in cooler. Didn't catch anything else but we didn't get skunked. And I have been learning ever since and it has been a blast. Never too old to learn or try something different or new.


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## wtjames (Sep 21, 2012)

pompano jigs are roughly 1.00 each at academy and i caught over 50 spanish on the pier sunday using plain ol pomp jigs...white head with duster


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## cajun creationz (Aug 17, 2012)

make that bubble with 26# or 40# seven strand camo and it will last you all season until you hang a 30# king on it made 3 last year im still on number 2


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## NoMoSurf (Oct 2, 2007)

I only had bubble rigs work for me on one occasion. I was fishing Gotchas and was catching the stew out of the Spanish. I ended up losing all three Gotchas that I had, so I went into the tackle store at the pier and bought a bubble rig. I had never seen one (this was 25 years ago) and gave it a try. I continued to catch them, but not at the rate of the Gotchas. Since that day, I keep a couple in the tackle box, but have never caught a single fish on them again... In 25 years...

Also, I have never had an "incident" with a Gotcha that I havent had on any other double treble hooked lure. They have the same amount of hooks as a Mirrolure, Spook, or any other number of lures... So I dont get "the added danger".

Dragging jigs, or Pomp jigs always seems to land me a bunch of Ladyfish... But I dont think there is much that I havent caught a ladyfish on.

AS for size on the Gotchas. I like the 3 inch chrome metal bdy with a red or chartreuse head.


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