Testing Homemade Pencil Popper at the Cape Cod Canal for Striper (went better than expected)

Happy Thanksgiving guys! Here's a quick clip of some testing I did on a homemade batch of long cast pencils the fall of 2018. There was ZERO surface activity or signs of bait and I didn’t see a single other person hook up so I didn’t have high hopes! I was blown away going cast for cast on these fish that were climbing ALL OVER this big profile Pencil Popper. At roughly 4.5 oz/10” long I was extremely happy with how it cast, tracked straight, long, and true, planed to the surface easily, action was great, and the finish after a dozen or so fish and 6x hooks was unscathed.

There have been quite a few requests regarding plug building content and I'd certainly like to provide more of that for you guys!
My aim when building any plug for a target species, whether it be largemouth, striper, or tuna, is to make that plug with the fish of a lifetime in mind. Some may call it "overkill", but I'm certainly ok with that.

Gear Used:
ODM Jigster 11' built by CMS Tackle
Shimano Stella 14000
40lb PowerPro Maxcuatro
80lb Yo-Zuri Topknot fluorocarbon leader
#125 T/A clip, 230lb Spro Swivel connecting main line to leader

A couple of features about the plug that may be different than the usual:
-I use 1.8mm 316 Marine Grade Stainless Thru-Wire that I bend and cut myself from a big spool
-Water Sealed using both epoxy & spar urethane just to make sure
-Triple wrapped tail wrap
-Double Nose Grommets (These are needed because the tail wrap locks in so tight it will completely warp just one grommet and ultimately split the wood on the nose)
-VMC SSSR split rings*** - Guys, being a terminal tackle junkie and trying every major brand of split rings from Rosco, Rasco, Spro, Owner Hyperwire, Owner Ultrawire, Wolverine, Wolverine Stealth Series, BKK, Decoy etc. THESE SPLIT RINGS ARE AMAZING! They feature flat sides, chamfered edges, extremely tight tolerances, rebound beautifully after opening, good corrosion resistance, and a strength:diameter ratio that is better than just about any double split ring. I'm using the VMC SSSR #5 198lb rings on this lure and they have been my ring of choice all season.