Just wondering who uses poppers and -

• which brands are the best,
• worst,
• so-so
• is cheap & cheerful or expensive but good the way to go?
• How much $$'s would you spend on a good popper - $20, 25, 30, 35, $40?
• What are the must have colours?
• What weight - 30, 60, 100 gms?

Not much popper fishing here in Wgtn but occasionally get out for a cast when tagetting Kingies.  Really enjoy seeing Kahawi torpedoes heading for the popper, highly visual and exciting fishing. Would love to throw a few (probably one each cast) at GT's, Tuna and other tropical pelegics.  Oh to have Capt Asp as my Sugar Daddy!

Was drooling at the Kokado poppers recently and also like the look of the Fishwest poppers at Smart Marine.  Shame that the Pili Poppers are no more, maybe the $30 price tag was too high.

Pop til you drop! 

heya scarpie, have some good ones of course. but from what i have seen so far, poppers are a short term investment. when targeting kingies i always hear from the guys i fish with "i had this one lure, kingfish loved it..." the important word is had.

  i have bought some flash good ones. and also some cheapo ones, for fun off the rocks or near bouys or when they will likely be lost. as far as what poppers are best for catching kingies, well that is something answered by the more experienced fishos, i mainly gripe about money!! cheers john

Hmmmm. Poppers. Where to start. good brands? The old Cotton Cordell are good poppers, don't know where you'll get any these days though.

I think the Yo-zuri poppers, the Surface Cruiser and Surface Bull GT are probably my favourites, but the paint does flake off these pretty quick. My preference for these is that they FLOAT, so if you duff a cast, your lure does not torpedo into the rocks/coral to lock solid forever.

However, after a coupla years using the fishwest poppers in the Sollies and Aussie, I have to say I have had no worries with these either. I am sure looking forward to trying the new Xtreme Poppers they make... wood body (so it floats), 1 tonne b/strain thru body construction, shackles instead of split rings for extra strength, and munty hooks, either trebles or s/s doubles.

I am not a fan on the pilli popper/yo-zuri hydro-tiger style poppers sorry, just  don't ring my bells, which is the most important thingin any lure... If the angler doesn't like it, it'll never catch a fish coz it'll never get wet!

If I only ever could chose one popper, a Yo-zuri Surface bull GT, even at the $40 price tag. If I had a second choice , for a sinking popper a number one choice, a fishwest Rodent GT Special. If it had the foam head to make the super chugger, make it a flat face version, not the cup face.

And I will gladly be your sugar daddy, but only if you are a 5'10" slim blonde goddess with a passion for overweight asparagus growers, 10million US$ in your cash account, a fleet of private sports fishing boats, and a damn good cook.

If not, damn, sorry, you're outa luck! :-)

cheers,

Stu.

use poppers all time caught all species on them snaper mahimahi tuna kingfish wahoo blue fin trevs gts baracuda kawhai hooked a marlin on one in the islands , my favs would have to be fish west rotto bullfrog cotton cordell black back and my fav would have to be kakoda super plug in silver .have had good luck with poppers when trolling livies for kings or yellowfin when the livies hit casting a popper out and relly jerking it upon retrieval, popper fishing can relally exciting .

i only own 2 poppers, both are rapalas. they have caught me fish so i am happy. they cost about $25 i think. i used to have this awesomeone that was completely clear with a mirror in it. quite bit and make out of stuff that felt a bit like dried up sellys. it was quite expensive i think and i lost it to a big kingi anfter thinking there were only kahawai round and stuck it on 6kg......biiiiiiiiiiig mistake. never found another 1.

b.m

Moocher, sounds like that lost popper was a Pili Popper and you are right - they are a bloody hot lure!

Thanks for your opinions guys, anyone else?

Capt, unsure about all those qualifications for your needs. But I know of someone you might be interested in, I will send you a photo later but first have to find the valve to inflate her!  She doesn't have any money or boats, doesn't chatter or complain, heck she doesn't even mine going fishing and she damn well doesn't care what you look like!  Could be the ideal partner for those cold nights on the asper farm. 

my favourite poppers are the cordell pencil poppers like the cap'n sez and they make an awesome rattle - cost between 26-95 - 29-95 depending where you shop for em - i normally remove the middle triple and leave only the one on the rear -

expensive when you eff up cast and smash it against side of ship but thankfully nobody around to see it happen so i guess it didnt happen (if a tree falls in a forest ..............)

places i found to buy em are boats bits on barrys point road had several of each but hunts out past milford just have the most awesome selection of poppers/chuggers/lures/jigs - i tend to stand there and drool on rainy winter days - they're a pretty good set up out there - must be other places around (dor)auckland

ne body used the kodaka (aussie) lures?