Popper question

[Gavin]

Btw, dead cicadas float on their side, not their bellies.

[fishinwrench]

1 hour ago, Gavin said:

Btw, dead cicadas float on their side, not their bellies.

Can we call them "spinners", or is that improper terminology?  🤔

[fishinwrench]

Gurglers are a killer fly......but OMG they twist up a leader like nothing else during the cast.   I'd fish them a lot more if it wasn't for that.  

[Gavin]

Jack Gartside was a hoot. Had the pleasure of shuttling him around town once.

[tjm]

4 hours ago, fishinwrench said:

Gurglers are a killer fly......but OMG they twist up a leader like nothing else during the cast.   I'd fish them a lot more if it wasn't for that.  

Never notice any leader twist from my Gurglers, I always associate that with winged dries; but, I put leader twist down to the leader being too long and too fine.  Out of curiosity what length/size leaders do you use when bass fishing?

[Flysmallie]

5 hours ago, fishinwrench said:

Gurglers are a killer fly......but OMG they twist up a leader like nothing else during the cast.   I'd fish them a lot more if it wasn't for that.  

Shorter tails and ditch the tapered leader. Since I’ve done that I have no issues. Those double barrel popper bodies are line twisting bastards though. 

[fishinwrench]

4 hours ago, tjm said:

Out of curiosity what length/size leaders do you use when bass fishing?

I spin my own up out of 8-10-12 lb. Mono.(Trilene XL) Then add 2-3' of flouro tippet.   Total length is 8-9 ft.  I like a 70/10/20 taper. 

 

 

When using sinking lines I just use straight flouro 8-12 lb.test. 

[fishinwrench]

1 hour ago, Flysmallie said:

Those double barrel popper bodies are line twisting bastards though

Yeah I wasn't impressed with those at all. 

The noisiest, hell raisingest, popper head I've ever used.....is this one right here 

Nothing short of a clacking buzzbait makes more commotion than this bad boy.   And the tooth marks and tattered appearance are proof that it works 😉    That tightly cinched down waist....and the GOOGLY EYES.... is a major player. 👍   

[tjm]

1 hour ago, fishinwrench said:

I spin my own up out of 8-10-12 lb. Mono.(Trilene XL) Then add 2-3' of flouro tippet.   Total length is 8-9 ft.  I like a 70/10/20 taper. 

For kicks, some time when you think a gurgler might work;  spin up a leader using about 4' of 18-25# butt and about 2'- 3' of 12#  or use just 5'-6' of >12# nylon  with your floating line. Given the light leader taper, I'm not surprised at twist. Had that a lot with dry flies back when. I've used floating leaders as short as 3' of 15#-20# when surface  bassing in  the wind. I only lengthen the leaders when fishing on the bottom with floating line, and then  I run a lighter tippet of 6-8# ; so that I can break off structure easier. With a Teeny sink line 3'-4' of 15# nylon is plenty for me. Trilene green is good, although a stiffer nylon will resist twist better.

[fishinwrench]

14 minutes ago, tjm said:

For kicks, some time when you think a gurgler might work;  spin up a leader using about 4' of 18-25# butt and about 2'- 3' of 12#

Spinning a butt section with anything heavier than 14# mono, will fly through the air like a stick. Just doesn't work.   

I don't care for solid mono butt sections because if they get a kink in them you can't get the kink out very easily.    Hand spun butt sections lay out nicely.....just like an extension of the fly line, and do not get kinked or coiled-up like solid heavier mono leaders.