Bluegill - Big Bluegill

Do you love big bluegill?

My 2nd popper, hackle getting little better. my wife painted this to. What can I use that's better than marabou for popper's?

Rating:
  • Currently 0/5 stars.

Views: 155

Albums: Flies

Comment

You need to be a member of Bluegill - Big Bluegill to add comments!

Join Bluegill - Big Bluegill

Comment by David, aka, "McScruff" on December 14, 2013 at 9:45pm
Okay thanks, Mark!
Comment by Mark Stine on December 14, 2013 at 9:32pm

Dave I think the "classic" dressing is several rooster hackles (saddle) with a collar of palmered saddle hackle. which is what you will normally get if you buy a popper in the store. What's nice about tying your own you can mix it up add some crystal flash or flashabou to whatever material you pick and the collar can be changed too cactus/ice chenille makes a pretty good one. I painted 28 poppers today three large pencil poppers in bass colors, 12 in gill colors and 12 glow in the dark pencil poppers all are going to be fish imitators and will get marabou tails with a palmered hackle(s) as a collar 

Comment by carl hendrix on December 14, 2013 at 7:10pm

great looking popper!  your wife did a great job painting to!!

Comment by DAVID L EITUTIS on December 14, 2013 at 6:43pm

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSUPER LOOKING BUG BUDDY.

Comment by David, aka, "McScruff" on December 14, 2013 at 6:36pm
Mark, being the popper man you are, what do you consider the "universal" dressing
for a popper?
Comment by Mark Stine on December 14, 2013 at 6:23pm

Nice popper!  marabou is a good dressing for the tail.  Generally I choose it if I am imitating something that swims, like a minnow. If I want to imitate a bug I will choose a different dressing like calf tail, buck tail, or saddle hackles (I use strung hackle when I use it on poppers to keep the cost low). I have even cut small patches of hair from zonker strips or used a short rabbit strip as a dressing.  If I see a bunch of damsel/dragon flies in the area I would use the popper with some saddle hackle.  If I can match the colors to what the gills are smackin I will do that first next I would go for the dark/light versus the time of day. That popper dropper can be Killer sometimes I get it tangled up though. I am working on some pencil poppers will post a pic when they are done.

Comment by David, aka, "McScruff" on December 14, 2013 at 5:48pm
David, I use gurgle pops almost exclusively, as opposed to poppers.
These are foam beetle-type poppers...you could call them "popping bugs."
I tie the dropper nymph to the bend of the gurgleRd' hook. This keeps the dropper from tangling, when tied in the usual way at the eye.
The secret is using a double clinch knot, aka, a Trilene knot, drawn tight. This holds the dropper fly back and away from the popping bug. 4# fluorocarbon its the way to go for the dropper.
Comment by Allen Morgan on December 14, 2013 at 4:33pm

David, I have done that.  And yes, it does work.  That tactic works with any fly the floats, and has enough floatation to suspend a nymph of some kind.  My typical rig is a popper with a nymph dropper, a grasshopper with a nymph dropper, and in early Spring, a Deer-Hair Caddis with a Scud dropper.

I've also heard of have a smaller popper or Grasshopper, and bigger (not necessarily heavier) baitfish pattern as a dropper.  Twitch it fairly fast.  Other fish think the baitfish pattern is chasing the topwater bug.  Depending on the other fish in the area, they may hit the bug (competing sunfish), or in the case of LMBs and other predators, the baitfish pattern.

Comment by David 'PcolaPaddler' on December 14, 2013 at 1:39pm

I have read that a popper with a subsurface fly on a dropper is a good tactic.  I have only tried it once or twice, but plan to give it some more water time.  The popper can be larger to attract bass and act as a strike indicator / float to keep the subsurface fly at a controlled depth.

Comment by David, aka, "McScruff" on December 3, 2013 at 7:06pm

Popper as search tool. Hmmm, that has the makings of a good tactic.

Latest Activity

Jeffrey D. Abney posted photos
23 hours ago
Jeffrey D. Abney posted a status
"Had a nice day today, splashed after lunch but it was a struggle in rain stained 57 degree water…..didn’t see a crappie and only seven gills"
23 hours ago
Bruce Tomaselli commented on John Sheehan's group Lure History
"This is what I've been seeing when I try to log in. I don't understand it. Help would be…"
yesterday
Bruce Tomaselli commented on John Sheehan's group Lure History
"This is the first time in weeks I've been able to log in. I don't know what's going…"
yesterday
John Sheehan commented on John Sheehan's group Lure History
yesterday
John Sheehan commented on John Sheehan's group Lure History
"Overview of Bill Norman Crankbaits Bill Norman is a significant figure in the fishing industry,…"
yesterday
John Sheehan commented on John Sheehan's group Lure History
" Late October cranking for suspended and deep Fish "
yesterday
John Sheehan commented on John Sheehan's group Lure History
"top left to right: Manns 20+ Fire Shad Color. Strike King 5XD/Chart/black back,? Bottom left to…"
yesterday
Jeffrey D. Abney commented on John Sheehan's photo
Thumbnail

2lateoct

"Nice….glad you got out……"
Wednesday
Jeffrey D. Abney commented on John Sheehan's photo
Thumbnail

lateoct25

"Nice bass on the crank…..nice colors in on New Jersey’s lakes this time of…"
Wednesday
John Sheehan posted photos
Wednesday
Jeffrey D. Abney posted photos
Oct 24
Jeffrey D. Abney posted photos
Oct 24
Jeffrey D. Abney posted a photo

So Much Fun This Morning……10/24/2025

Really enjoyed catching these quality bluegill after being off the water for four weeks, my longest…
Oct 24
Jeffrey D. Abney posted photos
Oct 24
Jeffrey D. Abney posted a status
"After four weeks of near miss Hurricanes, a Noreaster and small craft advisories almost daily….today happened and I got a fishing fix…"
Oct 24
DAVID L EITUTIS commented on John Sheehan's photo
Thumbnail

octcg

"NICE ONE JOHN........."
Oct 23
John Sheehan posted a photo

octcg

Bluegill from headwater current below the Dam.
Oct 21
John Sheehan posted a photo

cupsawp

Low water crawler/spinner rig Perch
Oct 20
John Sheehan commented on John Sheehan's photo
Thumbnail

15" BASS SMACKS A TROLLED CRANKBAIT

"drifting got one Bass ,Jeff but trolling crankbaits got the rest. "
Oct 16

© 2025   Created by Bluegill.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service