Homemade GT Poppers

[Angus Hulme]

Hi Lads,

As I mentioned in my little intro over on the "who are you" thread, I make my own poppers. See below for some examples. I am in the very early stages of production, and I feel I need a wood lathe to be able to do this properly! But it's clear from my 2 most recent trips to the Whitsundays that these lures are effective at hooking the brutish GT's that call the area home. It's just stopping these reef dwelling thugs that's the problem.  I note with some apprehension that the rod/reel setups of choice for these beasts normally cost considerably more than I make in week! Even so, where there is a will, there must be a way! Anyway, I not only like to save money where I can, I also greatly enjoy making stuff. Hence the popper making.

The lure at the bottom of the picture seems to be the most effective I've produced, with a light yet audible popping sound, rather than the big blooping splash that larger lures generate. This little 5 inch lure got murdered and rubbed off by a GT over a reefy outcrop by a Caranx critter that had a mouth the size of a chlorine bucket. This thing was easily 20 kgs I reckon.

Does anyone else make their GT poppers, if so, any tips you'd like to share with a newbie?

Cheers
Angus

[Andrew Poulos]

Im too embarrassed to take my home made popper out for a session. I reckon the fish would laught at it...

[Angus Hulme]

Do you reckon fish would care what the poppers looked like though Andrew? As long as a lure made the right noises, had a decent action, the GT's generally aren't too fussy!  In my opinion, it's not like the lures have to be highly polished, shiny and perfectly shaped (like the 50+ buck jobs you see in tackle shops) to get bites from GT's. 

[Matthew Clem]

I'm with you Angus. I'm going to have a crack at making a few poppers for my up coming trip so I'll let you know how I go, and like you, I can't afford the $100 plus poppers that are being used especially when you can be dusted in one foul swoop. I think I should've listened more at school! For what it's worth, I've made a few estuary sized minnows/poppers which have worked fine for me on our numerous trips to a property in Princess Charlotte Bay in FNQ, with all the usual suspects being caught, so I don't see why making a few XOS poppers and stickbaits wouldn't. The only drawback I haven't sorted out is the paintwork, which dissappears quicker than free beer at a barbie, probably due to using pressure pack cans and not a 2 pac epoxy type, but it's still amazing how many fish will eat a plain piece of wood if it lands in the right place!

[Ivan Verhage]

Hi guys
When i started making gt poppers i also used spray packs but eventually i brought a touch up spray gun and linked it up to a comprassor, now it is cheaper and i can get metallic colours
I have atached some picks

[Stephen Polzin]

The only drawback I haven't sorted out is the paintwork, which dissappears quicker than free beer at a barbie

Don't worry mate even the big money jobs suffer from this.  Here's well over $100 worth of stickbaits that have only been used three times (mind you, they've caught about 30 GT's between them)

steve

[Angus Hulme]

Ivan, that lure you've made looks easily as good as the store-bought versions I reckon. Stunning paint job you've come up with! Do you shape the poppers on a lathe?

Being an artist/illustrator of sorts, I have recently purchased an Iwata airbrush for my fish paintings (one of which you'll see in the upcoming January issue of Fishing World mag), and I will also be able to use this airbrush for lure painting. With a bit creative masking, and a fine nozzle, I should hopefully be able to create some interesting colour schemes like the example you've provided. Ivan, what types of paint are you using through your spray gun/compressor setup?

Matthew, thanks for the response......are you intending to shape the lures with a lathe? As Stephen has touched on, the paint jobs are probably not as important as we might think, and I reckon that by the time any given lure has been bitten enough times to remove the paintwork, the angler using it has built up enough confidence in the lure that it will continue to get eaten even if the paint is not as dazzling as it was new. That's been the case for me with diving minnows anyway. Some of my best lures have almost no paint left on them, but continue to catch fish because I have results-driven confidence in them.

Cheers lads,
Angus

[Ivan Verhage]

Hi Angus

The paint i use on the poppers is acrylic car paint and i also cut out shiny stickers.
If you are painting gt poppers the air brush is great for adding fine detale but a small gravity fead spray gun would also be handy because you could get the base coat and clear top coat on allot quicker
and yes i do shape them on a lathe

good luck
Ivan

[Brandon Khoo]

guys, I was wondering - how are you attaching the eyelets? Is it a through-wire construction?

[lonhro]

And if so where did you get the long drill bit. tried this awhile ago and the drilling bit is that hardest i thought

Is the wire just fencing wire

[Ivan Verhage]

Hi guys

The wire in my poppers is a through wire and a swivel.
The wire is 1.6mm 316 stainless steel welding wire
The drill bit i use is around 15cm and you can buy them at most hardware stores
I drill the poppers from both sides so the drill bit does not have to be 25cm long
and if you turn them on a lathe you might have a tale stock which you can mount a drill bit in

cheers
Ivan

[Angus Hulme]

Brandon, to make solid eyelets, this is how I do it, possibly not the most efficient, but certainly creates an immensely strong lure:

once I've got the shape of the popper, I make a lengthways saw cut all the way along the body of the lure (and I take care to make this cut dead centre), which goes as deep as possible through the lure's thickness, then insert one piece of pre-bent stainless wire into this groove. Once I know all the eyelets are where they should be, I fill the cut groove (and inserted wire) with 2 part araldite so the wire running through the body of the lure is completely encased in araldite. Once hardened, it's easily sanded smooth, and a further strengthening method I've tried is to coat the whole lure with araldite so it has a tough outer shell.

I get the impression Ivan's method is quicker though, and probably just as strong, depending on the sort of wire used.

Cheers
Angus

[Matthew Clem]

Hi Ivan, your set up for the wire job is exactly what I have in mind, a mate is a welder and got the 316 s/s wire for me in 1.6mm so I'm going to run with that. And Angus, yes, with regard to the lathe issue, I just finished shaping them yesterday as it happens, so time to get the pressure packs out and give them the once over. What I do have as well is some single pack clear finish I've used on my internal stairs at home which I'm going to add some hardener and dip the painted lures in to give them a little more longevity in the looks department, then I guess fit the hardware and we're away! I have made the poppers a little tail heavy to ensure they cast a bit more efficiently (distance) without tumbling and possible tangling, as for the stickbaits I made, maybe a little lead in the tail end, or at least in the back half of the lure. See how we go.

[Brandon Khoo]

that's sure sounds very strong indeed. You guys go to so much trouble to make the poppers - it must be a hobby unto itself.

[Matthew Clem]

My only concern is that they're made out of pine, but the way the wire is set up, even if the lure happens to fall apart, the fish will still be connected. Maybe hardwood would be the way to go; a bit more weight for casting as well. Any thoughts???  Does anyone know what the commercial poppers are made of?Brandon, although making them is a bit of a hobby, I think to some degree it's also borne out of necessity with regard to the hip pocket! C'mon powerball!!!