Hey JB-Pop R question

[Rich]

JB-how do you attach your line to a Pop-R? I always add a split ring so it is easier to tie on. Wondering what you do.

[madmarty]

I'm not JB (thank God I'm not that ugly) but I tie my poppers with a loop knot to give it the best possible action.

[jglassguy]

I usually just tie on , but you can make a loop knot to give it more action..Everybody knows my favorite chugger bait is a Rebel Pop-R, especially when fishing clear or semi-clear water. In stained or dirty water, I start moving toward baits like a Heddon Chugger or an old Lucky 13. These have a tendency to dive more forward, down into the water.

As much as I love the Pop-R, I don't believe it's built exactly right, so I customize each one before it ever touches the water. One thing I do is sand the entire bait to remove some of the bulk and give it a narrower body. After the bait's sanded, I then sand the lip so it's more concave.

There are things I can do with this customized bait that would otherwise be impossible. Most important, when I'm working it, I can make it walk like a Spook. Remember, this is a bait that's as small as 1 1/2 inches, so that's pretty remarkable.

Also, I always make sure I use a feathered hook on all my Pop-Rs. Feathers are the only thing you can put in water that exhibits action even when you move the bait only 1/16 of an inch. I call it blink-of-the-eye action, because when you pull the bait forward, the feathers close extremely fast. When the bait comes to rest, the feathers reform back to their original position. In other words, the bait is reacting even while sitting still.

If a fish blows up on my Pop-R but misses, nine times out of 10 I can catch him, and that's because of the feathers on the back of the bait. It's also because of my hooksetting technique. Let me explain. As soon as a big bass blows up on a bait, too many anglers jerk the rod instantly. But if the fish doesn't have the bait in its mouth, the bait leaves the water and travels back toward the boat at about 60 mph. Compounding the mistake, anglers then reel in all the slack and throw right back to where the hit occurred.

That fish didn't grow to 6 or 7 pounds because it was a dummy. When the fish had tried to get that "shad," the shad jumped about 65 yards in the air. And never in its lifetime has that fish seen a shad jump that far. Plus, when the angler recasts, here's that shad right back where he was a minute ago! Using this method, rarely will you get that bass to strike again.

Instead, when a fish blows up on a bait, I don't jerk. If it misses, I continue the action of the bait, and then do one of two things. I either stop the bait in the water right where the fish just struck, or I continue my retrieve, allowing the fish to think the food item's trying to get away.

If I stop the bait, I know exactly where that fish is at. He's sitting underneath it, looking straight up at it, trying to make up his mind whether he wants to get it again. I just slightly turn the reel handle not even one quarter of a turn, which allows the bait to move about 1/2 inch. When the bait moves that 1/2 inch, the feathers look like lightning hitting the ground--they close extremely fast.

The fish eases up a little closer to look, and as he's looking, the feathers re-open very slowly. Nine times out of 10, the fish cannot stand that. He has to try to get it. And that's the reason for the feathers on the back of the bait.

I put feathers on every topwater bait I've got, from a jerkbait to a Pop-R, and it's amazing how many times a fish will have just the rear treble hook in its mouth. I tie my own feathered hooks by starting with an Excalibur hook, then tying on hackle feathers, which you can get from any fly fishing store or catalog.

I always use white for a base color, because I believe there are three colors a fish sees all the time--dark, light and red. There is not a fish that swims that doesn't have a light-colored belly, a dark-colored back and red gills. So I always use a base color of white feathers, then sometimes tie on red or dark colors.


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[jason]

jb thanks for the great tips man, im sure this will help me out next time im out on the water.

[jglassguy]

yer welcome
I used to sand the sides of those pop R s at work to kill times and luckly this is farm country, and the pond I practise at had tons of chicken feathers and peacock feathers, it s kinda like tying fly

[okefenokee010]

Wow...I have been fishing all of my life and I think I just learned more about Pop-R's than I had in all of my previous years. I never thought about them, I just threw them because they caught fish. OUTSTANDING post, JB. Thank you for taking the time to type that out.

[jglassguy]

Every tournament I've ever won (3) the pop R came into play...I esp. like to walk it back and forth and let it "spit"
The heckle for reflection plus the feathers open and close when moving, its sharp cupped mouth cuts through the water.
I often replace the hooks tho with owner hooks#6
and If you sand the sides it doesn't take much to go all the way through the plastic.
Plus you have to have a air paint gun to refinish it, and it will smell like paint for along time..I guess I should bake them lol

[javlin2]

JB, do you have a prefrence of what color Hackle hair to tie? I was thinking either white to go along with the underside of the Pop-R, or red to give the illusion that the Pop-R's bleeding? What do you suggest?

[jglassguy]

I always use white feathers, and some green heckle tied in it for reflection

[Bassin_Dude]

where is a good site telling me how to tie on feathers? im not sure how to tie them on.

[macgyver]

OK JB, what's it gonna cost for one of these specialized super modified Pop-R's ??? I'm interested in seeing the way you would sand them? I'll send you some brand new ones if you want ;D

Lizards

[Bassin_Dude]

jb, after sanding them, then repainting them, make sure to put a cote of epoxy on there. it will cover up the paint stinch. make sure to use a heat gun, it will make it easier to get the epoxy spread out over the lure. i was looking thru my old tackle and found a pop r rebel with a feather tied on, its a factory feather, but till i can learn how to do it myself it will work.