I've always been intrigued by how lures work. It was a pretty radical idea that predatory fishes such as the Toman or Queenfish would readily gobble down a plastic fish. That was my admittedly dim view of lures.
There aren't a large number of lure fishermen in Singapore as compared to other countries such as the US or Australia. Having started off from casting baits such as dead prawns and sotong myself, and progressively moving on to live bait such as prawns, tambans and milkfishes, I do understand that most Singaporean anglers are content with casting their bait into the water and then kicking back to relax with a nice cold drink and a magazine while waiting for a bite. In the context of our fast-paced rat race, we usually dedicate our short weekends to "relaxation fishing" and that is probably the reason why we don't lure that much over here.
If you have not tried luring before because, previously like me, you have absolutely no idea what are the retrieval techniques to be used, and would like to try one that would be easy to use but yet highly effective towards predatory fishes, you're looking at the right page now.
Enter the Popper.
Described as "A floating fishing lure or fly with a cupped or flat, forward-facing indentation that splashes or "pops" the surface of the water when tugged.", the popper is a versatile lure that can be used in both freshwater or saltwater fishing. Most models also have rattles built-in to add sound that, well, helps to attract fish even more when the popper is retrieved. Popular models of poppers have been designed by big names such as Rapala and Storm. Some of the more popular models include the Rapala Skitter Pop, the Storm Rattlin' Chug Bug and the River2Sea Pop 88.
I'm sure that many will agree that nothing beats the thrill and excitement of striking a fish while retrieving a lure using different techniques. Poppers draw fish up from the depths, perhaps having been deceived by the sounds into thinking that baitfish are splashing around on the surface.
Rapala Skitter Pop
Now, how does the Popper make your angling trip much more interesting? Poppers are a fun way of catching predatory fish as these fishes often rise from the depths, attracted by the popping sound and thrashing water, to come to the top and smash a surface popper to oblivion. It's heart stopping and it gets your adrenaline pumping. A few examples of surface feeding fishes in our local waters that will readily accept poppers will be Todak, Giant Trevally and the much sought after Barramundi.
Some poppers are built to sink slightly while some others float on the surface irregardless of whether the line is being retrieved or not. There are also certain models that will swim on the surface when retrieved slowly between pops and splashes. It all depends on choosing the right popper and technique to determine how many fish you will land.
A good general rule of thumb when it comes to deciding on how large a popper to use is that the deeper, darker, and rougher the water is, the larger the popper should be used to draw fish up from a greater depth.
Poppers that sink are normally heavier than others of the same size and shape and thus cast a lot further . These sinking poppers are suitable for beach casting where achieving a long distance cast is important to get to the bigger fishes.
Sinking poppers will require a rod that is a bit stiffer and longer to get it up on the surface and keep it there so it works properly when the line is being retrieved. Otherwise, it's movement will be erratic and the fishes will not bite.
Floating poppers, which are my personal preference, are good in a variety of situations and conditions. In areas where there are lots of rocks and little water depth, such as Tanjong Rhu or Lower Pierce Reservior, floating poppers will skim the surface with ease with a significantly much lesser chance of hanging up, or sangkut-ing, in local terms.
In instances where the popper is used for freshwater fishing, when the water surface is relatively calm, floating poppers can bring some explosive strikes. Fishing in these conditions early in the morning before the sun comes up or late in the evening as it goes down will reap the best results as freshwater predators like to feed during these times. Being able to keep the lure on the surface and in front of the fish's face helps immensely while trying to lure him to the surface.
While most sites write that attaching a swivel to a popper is sufficient, it is highly recommended that using a split ring attached to the front eye will help in making it work better, giving it more natural movement in the water. Split rings also don't open up accidentally during fights, unlike swivels. Poppers do cost quite a bit so taking this extra step is pretty crucial! Loop knots are also good to use when fishing poppers, commonly used by Fly fishermen. Being easy to tie, loop knots have very good holding strength on almost any mono leader when tied properly.
Poppers may be fished in many ways, keeping in mind that lots of frenetic motion and commotion generated by the popper will ensure it's success. One such technique is called skitting, where a steady retrieval of line while pumping the rod tip creates the commotion of a fleeing baitfish.
Another technique would be popping the lure, The popper is given a sharp jerk and rested intermittently. The slack line from the jerk is then reeled in between jerks. This makes the popper spit water quite a distance and creates quite a ruckus.
Other anglers simply use a steady retrieval of the line in freshwater and this works as well. At the end of the day, it all boils down to experimenting and finding out which technique works best for you.
The key point is to cast slightly further then where the fishes are and retrieve the line in an attempt to lure the fish to take a bite. Polarised glasses help a great deal when spotting for fishes. This was evident when Raymond spotted several Peacock Basses with his pair of polarised sunglasses while all I managed to see was the darkened reflection of the sun on the water with my normal shades.
Alright, back to the popping. When I tried out popping with Raymond's Pop 65, I did a simple twitch and crank retrieval. I guess taking into consideration the various methods available, you're bound to come across one that would suit you best.
Do give popping a try. I'm sure it'll enhance your fishing experience and give you a good arm workout at the same time. Tight Lines!
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