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10 weight leader Length Poppers

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yarddog59

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On 10/24/2018 at 1:41 PM, bobtheflounder said:

I always found poppers easier to work with an intermediate tip. sometimes with a floating line, the popper will just skip on the surface instead of making a big splash .....

I solved this problem for myself by adding longer tails than I did originally, with the beginning of the tail relatively stiff.  Using a fluorocarbon instead of mono leader may also help a bit.  I was also taught to cup the face of the popper body if it comes with a flat face.  But I use pretty small poppers, inch or inch and a half for stripers.

Edited by GregPavlov
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18 hours ago, Mike Oliver said:

Baldwin

 

Those are great pics. I like making gear work to even if it’s not ideal. Those big Bobs Bangers type Poppers are going to work better than my std Waspi Size 2 bodies on an I line.

Yours is very useful info. 

 

Mike

Thank you, Mike, glad I could help. I add large hackles, like GregPavlov was talking about for larger versions, with flash hanging to about 1/2" behind the hackles to increase attraction power. Often, I'll cut the foam cylinders and just wrap them with colored or silver mylar (epoxy helps keep it from unraveling). I then heat a nail with a candle and sometimes put the hole off-center, toward the edge of the cylinder. This will give the hook more clearance for better bite. I'll just keep some of these in a sandwich bag. That way, I can put them ahead of any Deceiver or other streamer fly, transforming it into a popper. Any color, size, etc. as long as I have a fly with the characteristics I want. I just thread my leader through the hole (I use a centered hole for these) and tie to the hook. If the topwater bite dies buy I still want a similar subsurface fly I'll just take off the cylinder and I'm good to go. I'll often use 30# or larger leader material, as the stiffness makes it easier to cast those large poppers.  I'll sometimes tie some plastic-coated steel leader (the kind where you melt the plastic with a lighter to weld it) to the mono if big bluefish are around.  

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For those big blues, it often helps to strip hard to get attention, then when they come to investigate strip fast using the two handed method to get them to take. For those hard strips I tuck the rod under my arm and form an "o" with my left hand around the line, grab the line firmly (and just behind the left hand) with my right hand. Strip the left hand hard to the left while yanking the right hand hard to the right. This will double the distance of your strip in the same amount of time. 

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9 mins ago, baldwin said:

For those big blues, it often helps to strip hard to get attention, then when they come to investigate strip fast using the two handed method to get them to take. For those hard strips I tuck the rod under my arm and form an "o" with my left hand around the line, grab the line firmly (and just behind the left hand) with my right hand. Strip the left hand hard to the left while yanking the right hand hard to the right. This will double the distance of your strip in the same amount of time. 

Great advise.  The one trip I went out for blues at first light I could not get them to take a popper.  I think this was my problem failing to speed it up once it had their attention.  

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10 hours ago, baldwin said:

For those big blues, it often helps to strip hard to get attention, then when they come to investigate strip fast using the two handed method to get them to take. For those hard strips I tuck the rod under my arm and form an "o" with my left hand around the line, grab the line firmly (and just behind the left hand) with my right hand. Strip the left hand hard to the left while yanking the right hand hard to the right. This will double the distance of your strip in the same amount of time. 

I do this too, similar to working a popper for GTs on a spinning rod. 

On 10/25/2018 at 7:23 PM, GregPavlov said:

I solved this problem for myself by adding longer tails than I did originally, with the beginning of the tail relatively stiff.  Using a fluorocarbon instead of mono leader may also help a bit.  I was also taught to cup the face of the popper body if it comes with a flat face.  But I use pretty small poppers, inch or inch and a half for stripers.

Oh I was referring to using 3-5 inch gurglers, nyaps and crease flies in slightly wavey conditions, so different horses for different courses i guess. 

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I've never in all my years of fly fishing (about 10 or so) paid too close attention to leader length when fishing for Stripers or blues.  4 to 6 feet I usually start with then maybe change to a new one when I'm down to 2 feet.  Usually use 25 pound test mono or whatever I have around never tapered.  I will say at least in the river I think fishing floater line is better.  Gives you more time to gather your line and thoughts.  As far as poppers I am addicted to the red or blue and white rainy's poppers with the rattle.  I can't really go back to anything else.  I just fish them with so much confidence.  When they get beat up I remove the hook and make them again with a new body and rattle.  But out of the bag they are hard to beat.

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On 10/26/2018 at 10:35 AM, baldwin said:

Thank you, Mike, glad I could help. I add large hackles, like GregPavlov was talking about for larger versions, with flash hanging to about 1/2" behind the hackles to increase attraction power. Often, I'll cut the foam cylinders and just wrap them with colored or silver mylar (epoxy helps keep it from unraveling). I then heat a nail with a candle and sometimes put the hole off-center, toward the edge of the cylinder. This will give the hook more clearance for better bite. I'll just keep some of these in a sandwich bag. That way, I can put them ahead of any Deceiver or other streamer fly, transforming it into a popper. Any color, size, etc. as long as I have a fly with the characteristics I want. I just thread my leader through the hole (I use a centered hole for these) and tie to the hook. If the topwater bite dies buy I still want a similar subsurface fly I'll just take off the cylinder and I'm good to go. I'll often use 30# or larger leader material, as the stiffness makes it easier to cast those large poppers.  I'll sometimes tie some plastic-coated steel leader (the kind where you melt the plastic with a lighter to weld it) to the mono if big bluefish are around.  

This is all great info, thank you very much. Super helpful.

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