Chubby Needle (aka Montauk Special) - 8.5" ~3.25oz

247 Lures has always been a big fan of Needlefish plugs!

Here at 247 Lures, we produce a variety of Needlefish plugs to suit a variety of different fishing conditions, locations, and fishing styles. While our 7″ and 9″ Needlefish are specifically designed to sink very slowly, this Chubby Needle is a little different.

Weighted in the tail and coming in just a little over 3oz, the Chubby Needle is going to cast farther and sink more quickly than the other Needlefish plugs we produce. As much as we like our traditional 7″ and 9″ Needlefish lures sinking very very slowly, sometimes you need a plug like this Chubby Needle to cast into the wind or out past those breakers. Beyond just a fast-sinking, tail-down Needlefish, the Chubby Needle can also be worked on the surface like a pencil popper. Just like a sinking pencil popper, we’d recommend getting the line on the roller (or closing your bail) very quickly as the lure reaches the end of your cast. If you get your line tight right away, “penciling” this lure on the surface can be deadly when nothing else will get the job done!

Over the years this Chubby Needle has been a big hit for surfcasters that need a little extra distance on their cast, and has especially been a success at the east end of Long Island. The Surfcaster tackle shop in Stratford, CT has been a huge fan of these Chubby Needles for years now, referring to this lure as the “Montauk Special.”

As of January 2024, all our Needlefish lures - including this Chubby Needle - are being rigged standard with one treble hook on the belly swivel and a custom tied FLAG on the tail loop (no hook on the rear). These can easily be rigged with dressed or undressed single hooks on the rear, or a treble if you prefer. But it is our opinion, in agreement with many respected anglers in the community, that a lure rigged with only one hook is distinctly better for both the striped bass as well as the angler.

(Exact weight and colors of lures will vary batch to batch and lure to lure. All of our lures are made in small batches, many of our colors are custom blends we mix ourselves, and even our internal lead weights are cut by hand. We do our best to keep lure shape, weight, and paint as consistent as possible, but 247 Lures is very far from mass-production where every lure is exactly the same.)

For more detailed color combo explanations, click here.