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built-in “mirror flash.” The line eye is screwed into the top of the head. The 52M has a sink rate of approximately one foot per second, giving it great appeal in three- to six-foot water (a go- to choice for surf waders). Some Texas pluggers focusing on


the shallow bays started tweaking the 52Ms by repositioning the line eye into the tip of the nose. The straight angle allows the plug to track closer to the surface. A blunt nose tip made the modification possible, assuming you didn’t literally “screw up” with the pli- ers and split the plastic. LeMaster and company followed this


Lone Star lead and introduced the nose- rigged 51M during the 1970s. Other MirrOlure models followed, but the original 52/51 series remains the classic.


BINGO The Bingo set the standard for fast-


sinking plugs. The compact hard-plas- tic Bingos were designed during the early 1950s by Doug English of Corpus Christi, Texas. His original Doug English Lure Company offered various models, but the typical Bingo was about 2 1/2 to 3 inches in length, fitted with two tre- bles and a lead insert in the bottom of the head. It was the right size for typical trout.


Bingos excelled in deeper water All-in-all, most


Bingos were striking — in and out of the water. The fact


that they were a Texas original


added to the aura. The clear plastic was available in


various bright hues, often with spark - ling flakes. Large painted-on eyes added to the dressing. All-in-all, most Bingos were striking — in and out of the water. The fact that they were a Texas original added to the aura. The lead insert increased casting


distance and sink rate while tilting the nose downward during the retrieve. This aspect helped impart a tight wig- gle. Two separate wire line eyes on the top of the head allowed you to alter the retrieve angle.


and/or stronger current, such as off Gulf jetties or in major passes and channels. The company was sold and relocated to Houston during the early 1980s, but changing tackle trends pret- ty much killed Bingo (along with most other fast-sinking trout plugs). The old Bingos are gone (except on


the internet, in private collections, and at tackle swaps and garage sales) but they reigned for more than 30 years. They still have a classy vibe. They just look right tracking through a green tide. And they continue to catch fish for the dedicated pluggers who find ’em and chunk ’em.


SOFT PLASTICS The so-called “tails” changed every-


thing during the mid 1970s. The first soft-plastic product to gain widespread popularity along the Gulf Coast was the Tout Tail, a rubbery shrimp imita- tion by Boone Bait Co. of Winter Park, Florida, (founded by Don Boone, 1953). The “trout size” was approximately 3 inches in length. The slim wiggly tail was threaded


onto the single hook of a 1/4- to 1/2- ounce lead-head jig — an odd-ball


30


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TIDE


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