Using Poppers for Gills.

[elh]

I have never used Poppers for Gills and would like to know how. Could some of you guys give a fellow friend some good advice.

[northern_outdoorsman]

Poppers for gills? Well they would have to be small and probally better fished with a Fly Rod. Just cast them out and give short little "Jerks" hesitating between each "Jerk"...be ready for A BIG bass or pike too! This would probally be better in the warmer months when the insects are out in Full Force...That is my advice...any others?

[mickey]

Buy some small spiders or tiny poppers. They have a small head (usually in flour. colors) and a couple little feathers off the back. Can use regular old dries too. White works well (white miller) or I have caught them on trudies, anything with peacock herl, etc.
I think my conclusion here is when they are bedding and you put that fly in the vacinity of the bed....they are not shy. If they don;t pay much attention, give it little tiny jerks like N O said.
If you dont have a fly rod, they sell casting bubbles to present a fly. I used to use a spin rod with a popper as a kid but cant remember how i casted it. hmmmm. I am sure someone else that has casting bubble experience can help.

[mickey]

* I used to use.

sorry. I hate when I make mistakes like that. ;)

[northern_outdoorsman]

Mickey...Good thing you are a Science Teacher and not an English Teacher....LOL!;)

ALSO...(Note to Mickey): See that "Edit" button on the bottom of each of your posts?(Bottom Right) That means you can edit you OWN posts for like a day...and help N_O and Mr Esox out a little...:D ;)

[mickey]

I know some things. But the more I learn, the more I realize how much I dont know. I keep my ears open and try new stuff. I like listening to old guy's stories and hope that one day I am an old guy with a story.
Every year, I get better. I learn a thing or two about behavior, rigging, different tactics, etc. every season. I am a better fisherman now than a month ago but it's going to be a long journey (I cant wait!).

[mickey]

Sorry, Don. See, I learned something new right after I said I liked learning new things. Weird.

[Big Al]

Poppers are my all time favorite lure for gills. N.O. is correct that a flyrod is the best way to present them however, If you use a casting bubble and around 18" to 2' of leader you will be almost as deadly. I prefer small (size 10-12) flies with black hackle and a white tail. While I tie all my own wetflies and nymphs I find it easier just to buy poppers pre-made. K&E Tackle Company sells my favorite style of popper for around $1.50 each. As far as presentation goes quick pops will draw you strikes from more bass but I find that a painfully slow steady retrieve puctuated with frequent stops is killer of gills. Hope I helped and have fun!

Big Al

[outsider]

Try useing a rapala in place of the casting bubble, I'v had pike and bass smack the bubble, but they stick to the rapala. And all of the other suggestions about flies work just fine on a three foot leader tied to the tail end of any surface plug, (rapala's my choice).

[DaveW731]

I LOVE using a flyrod to fish rubber spiders for gills....I also agree with the posts about "slower is better" for gills, 90% of the time.
Using a casting bubble works great too, particularly if you are out of flyrod range. I tend to use about 3'of line between the bubble and spider.
Lots of room for experiments.....enjoy!

[quix20]

anything that is bright (flour. colors) and has rubber legs will work good on gills. i usually use an ant pattern tied in hot pink or chartruese, it is a killer all year long. if i see hoppers i will use a bullet head hopper (henry's fork hopper) tied in a size 10 and fished close to the shore line. i have had everything hit these from crappie to gills to bass and even a perch or two when you let the ants sink down some.

just recently i started playing around with smaller streamers for gills and crappie. i got a "little" gill the other day on a mickey finn tied with silver pipe cleaner for weight in a size 10. shocked the heck out of me, i was fishing for crappie!!

[NEMichsportsman]

Not a popper... but one of my favorite lures for gills is a tiny diver called a snap bean by Yozuri. It is billed as the worlds smallest plug. Comes in a 2 pack 1/16 oz, and 1/32. Use this with 2lb test and an ultralight combo. You will have a blast when you find the gills on the beds.


jp

[stelmon]

I have only fished with a casting bubble once and caught one nice sunfish. When I hear the name popper, I think perfect day, sitting in the float tube and hooking blue gill after gill. They are awsome and if your having problems with pike and bass and don't mind ruining a bobber, try hooking a hook to the bobber if possible. That might get the bigger fish. Have fun this summer.

[Spinner]

I don't know if this is a dumb question or not, but what is a "bubble"?

SPINNER

[quix20]

the only dumb question is the question not asked. no question is ever dumb remember that.

a bubble is a bobber like thing you can put on your spinning line to help you cast light things like flies. there are ones you can slide and twist to your line, or there are ones you have to tie on to you line and then tie a leader off of that.

basically its just a glorified bobber.

[Sailor]

Jann's Netcraft (www.jannsnetcraft.com)sells wonderful little spinning bubbles. They are solid lucite (not water filled). The standard rig is: your line tied to one side of the bubble and a 4"-6" 2-4#test dropper with a small popper or rubber spider and another 2'-4' dropper with almost any fly or spider. The rig is retrieved with short(3") hopps all the way to the boat. The slashing of the bubble really triggers strikes.
This is a very good way to fish gills when it's too windy for the flyrod. Use 4' and 2' droppers with tube jigs and you'll kill Crappies.

[DaveW731]

The dropper/tube jig rig also works for smallmouth: just try a larger size of both bubble and jig.