11-09-2003, 03:10 AM
Hey there WolleyBugger,
Welcome to BFT. I fish the popper mostly with the flyrod so here's my slant on the deal.
I like fishing the popper on a flyrod because usually they have comparitively soft tips with the backbone later on down the shaft. I use what's called a bug taper to get it out and accurate. I believe that fish can tell on the initial bite the resistance of a plug or fly.
Therefor, I like to fish my popper slow, very slow, very, ver, very slow with a lot of 1 minute pauses so the fish will really inhale the bait when its got a hold of it. So many anglers actually pull the bait out of a fishes mouth on top water baits due to over anticipation. This technique is best when you sight fish or actually believe a fish is in the vicinty.
So the maximum times to fish the method I like, other than warm water fishing, is when the fish are getting ready to build spawning nests (NOT DURING SPAWNING) and when the fish come shallow in the times the water is cold but still fishable.
If you're using the popper as a search tool just cover as much ground as you can. For this, a popper is veeeeeeery effective!
My favorite patterns are Froggy, Super Popper, Frog Frenzy, and the Black Popper. They are all acrylic with big eyes. Some guys like the Deer Hair Poppers.
From your board name, I figured you were a flyrodder.
Again, Welcome
JapanRon
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