ライトゲーム（プラグ）

Basic Structure of the Rig

• Rod: Light‑game rods or eging rods around 6'8" to 7'8" are suitable.
• Reel: A small spinning reel in the 2000–2500 size range.
• Line and Leader: Use PE line around 0.4号 as the main line, connected to a firm fluorocarbon leader around 1.5号, about 50cm to 1m in length.
• Types of Plugs: Choose according to conditions—floating plugs, sinking plugs, minnows that swim on retrieve, or sinking pencils with a more subdued action.

Fishing Procedure

1. Casting and Setting the Range: Cast toward tide lines or along structures. Since plugs excel at targeting the surface layer, begin retrieving immediately after splashdown. If there’s no response, use a countdown to explore deeper layers.
2. Action:
   For rockfish (mebaru) — At night, a slow retrieve is essential. A dead‑slow retrieve of 2–3 seconds per handle turn is standard. Occasionally stopping the retrieve and letting the plug drift can also be effective.
   For jack mackerel (mekki) or barracuda (kamasu) — Continuous twitching (small rod‑tip movements) to make the lure dart is key to keeping them interested.
3. Bite and Hook‑set: When a fish strikes, you’ll feel the impact through the rod. Unlike soft lures, plugs tend to hook fish automatically, so instead of a hard hook‑set, use a sweep hook‑set, gently lifting the rod to let the fish “ride” onto the hooks.
4. Landing: Use fish grips or pliers to remove the hook safely and avoid getting stuck by the treble hooks when the fish thrashes.