# Too early for poppers?



## Rooster (Apr 8, 2004)

I fished a nice creek on Sunday. Perfect Spring conditions. Clear water, and nice deep pools with just enough current. I saw plenty of smallies, and a few in the 3lb range. I watched them chasing minnows, but none of them seemed interested in my wooly bugger. Im confident that if I were armed with a spinning rod and a roostertail or tube, I could have brought a few to hand. Although Im not very proficient with a fly rod, I tried fishing the buggers from a slow drag on the bottom to ripping them up top, and everything in between.Nothing except for a few close inspections when fishing slow on the bottom and spooking the fish when ripping them on top.

I plan to go back to the creek tomorrow and give them another shot. Ive been tying and using buggers exclusively for about 6 months now, and Im thinking that it might be time for a change. Is it too early to try a popper? The water is already significantly warmer than the main river (LMR). What would you suggest for ultra clear, small water, and big finicky bass? Since Im still new to fly fishing, I have to purposely limit the flies that I carry, or I would be changing constantly....as if that were the problem and not my clumsy casting.

Thanks,
Mark


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## toobnoob (Jun 1, 2010)

If you see them chasing minnows then I would probably switch to a clouser minnow in olive and white. That said did you change colors on the buggers at all? Last night i was throwing black, brown and white buggers and nadda, got 2 short strikes. Tied on an olive bugger the same size and it was game on, 3 nice smallies in 30 minutes.

Generally the fish will let you know if they want top water action and you'll see a few blowups at the surface. If you don't see that and the bugger isn't getting strikes i usually switch to a minnow imitation and fish the current seams, tailouts and eddies behind large rocks.


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## FISNFOOL (May 12, 2009)

If you do not know the Clouser pattern. Here is the info.
http://www.taneycomotrout.com/howtotieclouserminnow.html


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## Patricio (Feb 2, 2007)

its never too early for poppers! though todays rain may have put the kabash on fishing for a day or two. I love popping for bass. I really like a bee imitation, and when casting, at the the end of the cast, drop the rod tip to the surface of the water, this will force the line to drag the the popper down, creating a big splash as the popper hits the top the water. drives the bass wild. theyre not timid creatures.


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## mcoppel (May 21, 2011)

I been using poppers and top floaters for the past 2 weeks with great bites on smalls, rock bass and a few Large mouths. But yeah if you want to use poppers there hitting, also 2nd the clousers, they may be the best bass fly ever!


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## bnc (Jul 28, 2010)

caught this guy on a popper last night. Seems that poppers is the only thing I can get bass to hit. I fish mostly lakes though.


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## Nick The Stick (May 29, 2009)

i would say to make very short 2 inch strips with the bugger and then let it sit for a second or two and repeat. Works really well with hopper patterns and foam ants with rubber legs.
Nick


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## Rooster (Apr 8, 2004)

Hit the creek yesterday. Started with a popper, and got noting except a few gill hits. Switched to a newly tied olive bugger (Toobnoob gets the credit!), and started catching smallies. Nothing big, but it was nice to finally get some consistent action. I was slowly dragging it across the bottompretty much fishing it like a tube. I did have a nice carp on for about two seconds, and then he reminded me that I should retie my leader to tippet knot more than every six months.


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## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

Definitely not too early for poppers, I've been getting bass and panfish on top for the last 2 months!


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