Show your Old Poppers

[Kurt Carlson]

Was digging through some old stuff today and found a couple of old poppers I used to use in Hawaii in the mid-eighties.  The price back then was a heart stopping $12.

The top lure is a Pili Popper, by Peter Dunn-Rankin.  It is a floater made of resin with surfboard foam inside.   The bottom one is from a company called Kaku Lures and it is a sinker.  Both of these lures originally had no split rings.  The trebles loop was cut and opened a bit to go on the wire.  When it was found how successful these lures were for GTs (Ulua) and Yellowfin Tuna (Ahi)  Most people removed the trebles and put doubles. 

Hope to see you all post some cool old lures.

[Aaron Concord]

Here are some old survivors that somehow didn't end up at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean.

The youngest lure here is the 150mm Bill Bug in Red/White.  It's now 9 years old.

The oldest is now going on 24 years old which is the little pink Lively Lures Bass Bug.

The 'Green Mackerel" original Arbogast Scudder is 22 years of age and along with the Cordell Pencil Popper, are 2 of the 3 oldest 'big' GT lures that I still have from way back.

If these lures could talk, they'd probably have me committed for crimes against inanimate objects.

I know I'd hate to be tied to heavy line at the nose and pelted as far as possible, only to be dragged kicking and coughing through the watery surface.........for a fate to be eaten.

[Stephen Polzin]

That orange one bottom right looks like a Super Blooper (I think).  I've got one with no paint left that's caught heaps of barra.  Great lure!

[Aaron Concord]

Stephen,

You are spot on.  It is an old Supa Bloopa by Lively Lures.  It would be 20 years old that one!
The later models don't have the dolls eyes like the earlier ones did.

They hold place as my all-time favourite popper, particularly for up to PE 3 tackle.

The big eye and giant trevally I have caught on these things in the past was phenomenal.
Nothing massive, perhaps 8-10kg would pull the GT's up and the biggest big eyes were up to 5kg, but some nights over at Tangalooma inside Moreton Island, we would release 60-70 fish.

Kingies, tailor, queenies, red bass, coral trout.........everything eats them!

[Stephen Polzin]

Yeah mine's 21 years old on the nose.  Got it when I used to work part time at a tackle shop after school.    Ah the memories - How time flies!!!

Here's a pic of mine

[Aaron Concord]

Stephen,

Nice to see another warrior popper going strong!

Just remember: floating poppers don't get lost forever, they end up recycled by someone!

Aaron.
PS....nice barra too!  They are a great fish, especially when taken on surface lures