Blockhead foam

[Bruce Tomaselli]

I bought some panfish-size Blockhead Popper foam from he link below and it looks too big for gills. It  takes a size 4, 33903 Mustad kink shenk hook, but I wanted to to fish size 8s and 10s. Anybody have any experience with these?

FlyBass Baby Blockheads | Panfish blockhead foam popper bodies | 6/...

[Lee]

 

  Are you sure you got the small size? The bodies on the small ones face should be 1/4" high and 7/16 wide.

 Let me double check that I have some in my tying box.

[Lee]

 Okay the small size is 1/4"x 7/16" on the face, med is 3/8"x 9/16", large is 5/8"x5/8"  On the small ones I use a Mustad CK52S 2XL #6 hook. I use the same hook just in size #4 for Meds and #2 for large. I like the Mustad CK52S 2XL because it's chemicaly sharpened and has a smaller barb its also a kinked shaft hook.

 I wanted some smaller bodied ones and took a sharp single edge razor and trimmed about an 1/8" off the front of some smalls keeping the same angle as the original and used the same hook in a #8, the hook up ratio on bream is better with the trimmed down version and the Bass don't bug me as much.

[dick tabbert]

I was looking at them but at about a buck a piece and I'm doing all the work have to buy the hooks feathers and threads I'm thinking they are a little high priced for 6 small pieces of foam.

[Lee]

 No there not very cost efficient, I normaly buy them in the 24 packs which brings the cost down to about 75 cent each body even then it's the most expensive foam bug I tie, even the STP Frog comes out cheaper. They Really Do Catch Bass Though! Pretty good on Bluegill when they are wanting a noisey bug.

  For bream there's better ( and much cheaper to tie ) foam patterns Tokyo Spiders, Chernobal Ants and Stealth Bombers tied in 8 & 10 are my favorites.

 I also have another foam Bluegill Bug I'm messing with that is looking Real Promising you might have seen it in a pic or video of mine ;) real cheap quick and easy tie thats been catchin some Serious Coppernose for me :)

  If you can find the old style open cell foam to tie them with,  I think a plain old Slow Sinking Leggy Spider catchs more Bluegill than anything else ;)

[Allen Morgan]

You can go to Hobby Lobby, spend $0.89 + tax and get a 12 x 18" piece of 2mm foam.  Cut that to size, and glue them in stacks, then sand down the foam.  Get a LOT of bodies for a fraction of the cost.

[John C Watson]

I purchased some child's foam letters that are about half inch thick and 2"x3" big in vibrant colors to start making some bugs out of.  They are really inexpensive, got them at Target.  There should be enough in one pack to last a life time.

[Bruce Tomaselli]

Below is a link that was recommended to me.

http://softtiles.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&...

[Greg McWilliams]

Bruce, how about FLIP-FLOPS!!!!! I make all my popper with these!!!!!

http://bigbluegill.com/group/flytyingandspecificinstructionsonly/fo...

I just use Aberdeen Crappie HOOKS!!!!!!!

[John C Watson]

These are a few of the foam flies I tied tonight using the foam letters.  Sorry for the washed out pic, taken with my phone. They were tied on number 6 hooks to give an idea of the size, bream are the target species.

[Bruce Tomaselli]

Those are nice, John. How did you shape them? You did a great job. They look just like those blockhead poppers I bought.

Bruce

[John C Watson]

Just used a razor knife and took my time.  They float really well.  A little feather, some rubber legs and sharpie marker and you are good to go.  Shape and size only limited my your imagination.

[jim cosgrove]

these are all made from 2or3mm craft foam from hobby lobby.they are all size 12