guzz

here's an APB plug in action.the man makes some sweet plugage. guzz

oh brother,there goes the neighborhood guzz

i believe the "chicken scratch" name is pretty much just slang for that coloration of that particular plug.i think it's a jersey thing.i believe it was originally offered up on some cordel swimmers frequently used in the surf.a couple of other geographical slang names (east coast) for some saltwater favorites are "school bus"(a dark orangish yellow with black stripes,or scales along the back and sides,with a shot of red in the chin)mostly made in bombers.and "blurple" a color scheme of black over a dark purple.it is used alot for night time fishing in the surf. guzz

they are an intersting plug.in jersey they call them bottle plugs.there intended use is in rough,or fast water,for they will track true in water to rough for a metal lipped swimmer to run in.i make them out of cedar.a shot of weight in the chin to get them to dig,and alittle weight towards the rear for casting distance.the hardest part to get right is the mouth.since there is no lip to adjust or tune,you pretty much either get it right,or junk it.look at your gibbs and you'll notice how the sides of the mouth have a slope to them.that's what makes the plug swim.they are equally effective in freshwater.the one in the pic is around 4.5 inches.i use them in tailraces for bass and walleye.feel free to e-mail me if you have any questions on them. guzz

may i ask what you are using to seal the wood? becuase if a plug is properly sealed,it should be almost impervious to water absorbtion.by sealed i don't mean your clear cloat.i mean are you sealing the bare wood itself? after i have my screw eyes set,and the weights epoxied in place,i then dip the plug in a solution of boiled linseed oil cut with paint thinner in a 60/40 mix.then let the plug hang for at least 24 hours before priming,and painting.i have had plugs chip right down to bare wood because i riffled them off of bridges or rocks,and the plugs have seen many hours of fishing since then,and have not absorbed any water.just a thought. guzz