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ARTICLE - 'Hodgey's How-to Guide using Poppers


Hodgey

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G'Day all

Saturday produced another bumper session, with Dene and we managing to land 25 bream for the morning. (Including Dene's PB bream on popper of 42cm ... top fish! :1clap: ) Even the very high tides did not deter the fish, thanks to an overcast day. (None of the 25 were kept. All fish were released to grow a little bigger! :biggrin2: )

These 20+ sessions are exceptions to the rule. We have experienced many days where we have been struggling to get 12 fish between us, but weather and water conditions have been ideal for the last three weekends, thus the increase in the capture quantity.

I have included below a very basic 'how-to' guide. It works well for me, but as I have stated in other posts in the past, quite often techniques become location specific, so this method may not work in your favourite stretch of water. Give it a go, and I hope it brings you success and enjoyment!

Equipment similar to:

Rack Raider rod (or similar), 6'6" - 7', 1 pce

Suitable 2000-size reel

4-8lb braid, 80cm of 10-14lb flurocarbon leader

55 - 65mm Popper of your choice

Where to target the fish:

1: Dense weed beds covered by a minimum of 6" of water

2: Lone snags or broken/disused oyster racks

3: Oyster leases

4: Shadowed areas around submerged timber

How?

Cast the lure to the selected target area. HINT: Try to halt the lure in flight before it lands on the water. This will generally produce a softer landing for the popper and will be less likely to 'spook' the fish. If the lure lands with a pronounced 'splash', leave it motionless for 3-4 seconds before commencing retrieve.

To achieve the appropriate action from the lure, I use short, sharp down-strokes of the rod tip. You can achieve similar results by using a sideways movement of the rod, or by lifting upwards. I prefer the down-stroke as it ensures the cup-face of the lure remains in touch with the water, maximising water displacement (the 'bloop').

I retrieve the lure using a downstroke every second, for 5-6 seconds, let the lure pause on the surface for 3-4 seconds, then repeat. Each 'bloop' of the popper should result in a forward spray of water that is projected approx 10-15cm. The reel is wound continuously during the down-strokes to ensure contact with the lure. This retrieve style is maintained all the way back, then re-cast and repeat process.

A pair of polarised sunnies is essential for this type of fishing as you will often see the fish 'stalking' your lure. 85% of my fish caught on popper attack the lure during the retrieve. They either pluck it under water subtly, or smash it on the top of the water in an explosion of water. The hook-up rate for poppers is quite low, but you can improve this by not striking on the initial attack. Allow the fish to turn with the lure in its mouth before you strike and commence battle!

Fishing conditions will dictate how you modify your retrieve. I have had numerous days where the fish will only strike the lure when it is moving. If this is the case, simply remove the 'pause' from your technique. Sometimes, they will take it while it is sitting stationary on top of the water for a prolonged period! The ideal conditions seem to be when the water is 19-24 degrees, and there is a 'wind ripple' across the water surface. Overcast days is definitely an added bonus!!!If you observe a fish hovering under your lure, and it won't attack on the pause or the 'bloop', try winding the lure in slowly, so that it creates a 'v' in the water. This will often trigger the fish into committing to your lure.

Well, there you go. I hope you found this easy to follow and , most importantly, informative. Best of luck to you all! :biggrinthumb:

Hodgey

Edited by Hodgey
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Hi Hodgey

Fantastic information there!! Many thanks. We should all be hooking up BIGTIME now!! Can't wait to try them in the leases - will tighten the drag up with pliers first tho :wacko:

Some guys have been getting into terrific bream & whiting on the flats here at Pipers Bay - sometimes, as you say, in really, rfeally shallow water, that you would otherwise not even bother targetting! I have caught average size bream & nice sized whiting in the creek. Now that I have some of the 'secret weapon' my confidence in hooking up will increase!!!

I must go back to the little creek that I fished with some buddies earlier in January! Lots of fun there.

Cheerio

Roberta

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All gold Hodgey. This is the one that needs to be kept on members' file. The gear, the where and the how to are meticulously presented and the results certainly show.

This is close enough to the method used up north when needed for sales top up.

Like your style mate

Cheers

jewgaffer :1fishing1:

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Thanks Hodgey for taking some of the mystique out of poppering.

I sort of had the general idea after watching others use them, but to see it in black and white...it makes

it more easy to understand the technique.

I might head down to the lake this arvo and throw one around using your method. Nice weed beds with 6 inches of water covering them. May even raise a flattie on them at the same time.

Thanks again for the very informative post.

Cheers,

Pete.

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Thats pretty good :thumbup:

Other areas I like to target are mudflats where there is standing weed(the brown weed that looks like xmas trees which often have cockles attached) and the edges of points where there is a reef coming off

The gear I use is a 7ft fishfinder proseries rod 1000 stradic 2lb stren magnathin line and some 10lb leader

If I was to get another rod for poppering it would be the same but the guides setup for a 2500 size reel to aid in even longer casts

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Nice one Hodgey

Sharing is caring!

A couple of things I have found.

Leader

Long leaders work best if running braid in clear water.( my line is bright orange) I run at least 7ft at the start and replace once down to 4.5-5ft long

Mono is a better leader as it floats, so it won't sink the really light lures.

Lures

If there is wind, poppers are the key.

No wind or chop, walkers and pencils are the guns.

Ass down lures have better hook up rates.

Poppers with a "tail" on the rear trebble seem to get bit more.

Areas

I love rock walls and points. Look for submerged rocks sitting just out from the main wall. Cast past it, pop the lure to the edge of it and sit it there, they will come out if any are there.....

Have fun guys and go out and give it a go while they are really on the chew!

I'm off tomorrow up to the Hawkesbury for 5 days. I have rented a house up there with a private jetty and all so I can leave the boat in the water for the whole trip. The topwater lure box is now restocked, camera on charge, man I can't wait.......

Till next week!

Greg

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Nice one Hodgey

Sharing is caring!

.........A couple of things I have found.

Lures

If there is wind, poppers are the key.

No wind or chop, walkers and pencils are the guns.

Ass down lures have better hook up rates.

Poppers with a "tail" on the rear trebble seem to get bit more.......

.........I'm off tomorrow up to the Hawkesbury for 5 days. I have rented a house up there with a private jetty and all so I can leave the boat in the water for the whole trip. The topwater lure box is now restocked, camera on charge, man I can't wait.......

Till next week!

Greg

Hi Greg It should be a great five days mate and the timing for next week should be near perfect :thumbup: Especially having such good stealth structure as a private jetty right at your doorstep with the sun going down and the tide going up!! A private jetty's a great spot to set up a deck chair and a few rods with big tough baits on!!

Better make sure you tie lanyards to your rods tho :1yikes: Hawkesbury jew certainly didn't become known for their inactivity, that's for sure.

I'ts real handy to have a boat in the water ready for action for any time of day. You will be able to do some good exploratory and surveillance work and drop out a few of your best samples in the burley first off and, not you being governed by any clock, you'll find the jew are very good after hours customers, especially in the up river sections, and I say sections because they are what has to be located.

Whereabouts in the river will you be staying Greg? A five day break and good consistency would give you an excellent chance of getting among the bigger Hawkesbury jew, that's for sure.

Cheers

jewgaffer :1fishing1:

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G'day Jewgaffer

We are staying in the Little Wobby area.

Nice and central on the river, this way I can fish Pittwater, the Hawkesbury and Cowan. Will be mainly in Cowan as I want to chase the surface bream that we have been getting into of late.

Looked at house boats and other houses, the house way just seems alot nicer than the house boat plus it worked out about the same price with alot more thrown in!

Here is a link for any that are thinking about it.

http://www.hawkesburyriver.com/

I have done this a few times now, Fan bloody tastic!

You can even organise food hampers, so the only thing you need to bring is your clothes, fishing gear and your supply of your favorite "tea"

If anyones out there and see's the black and blue Skeeter, pop over for a chat!

GL225N

Greg

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Jez makes you want to out and buy poppers.

What type of poppers are we talking about??

Cheers

Roffo

River 2 sea buggi pop, bubble pop, Mebepen Mebaru, smith towadi, ecogear px45, luckycraft sammy65, daiwa td zero, stiffy, surecatch, all these work on a given day, Just follow what Greg said fish the conditions and make sure that when you fire in a cast get it as close to the structure your fishing, if you aint getting snagged you aint getting close enough, cheers Justin.

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River 2 sea buggi pop, bubble pop, Mebepen Mebaru, smith towadi, ecogear px45, luckycraft sammy65, daiwa td zero, stiffy, surecatch, all these work on a given day, Just follow what Greg said fish the conditions and make sure that when you fire in a cast get it as close to the structure your fishing, if you aint getting snagged you aint getting close enough, cheers Justin.

Thanks for the heads up, can't wait to give them a go...........

Cheers

Roffo

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  • 1 month later...

Mate

All you need to do now is get your ass to SEQLD I have a few good reds and a few places to pick up bass on popper for you. The re-vamped 1-3kg struddy 2lb braid 6lb fluro leader or the poppers on fly all combine for fantastic action.

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  • 7 months later...
  • 3 months later...

Equipment similar to:

Rack Raider rod (or similar), 6'6" - 7', 1 pce

Suitable 2000-size reel

4-8lb braid, 80cm of 10-14lb flurocarbon leader

55 - 65cm Popper of your choice

Hodgey

Hey hodgey

i would love to see the size of the bream you have been catching on these moster poppers :1prop: 55-65cm popper :1yikes:

Adzzy

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