Crabbing time waster between strings - or not
Was crabbing in Peel saturday, and as we were close to the eastern flats dawesville way decided to pop for whiting. Had a few cast with no follows, so decided to return to the string after a 40min soak.
Instead of stacking the popper rods away said to the deckie just chuck them out and we will slow troll over the flats back to the first float. Again over the shallow water nada, but as soon as we moved into deeper water bang bang, both rods went off with acrobatic herring. Managed to drop mine but the Mrs got hers onboard. Repeated the exercise and managed 8 hits, 6 onboard and I dropped 2. That was for very little effort and almost a time waster between strings.
After pulling the pots (and giving up with only 2 legal sized berried Jenny's among 20 odd Juvies) after 2 runs decided to fish the cut. Changed one lure to a trust little brown trout imitation and left a popper on the other. The takes continued but now on only the one popper. Pretty soon changed the minnow back to a popper and on again. Managed a few this way, which for us was a first. Trolling Poppers for Hezza's. Even hooked a tailor but you know what that ment, one lost not cheap tiny whiting popper.
Now the question. has anyone else ever tried this either between strings, or designated. These lures are a lot smaller than I normally troll for herring and/or tailor in the cut but might change the plan in the future because the hits from the herring was up on previous attempts with minnows and slices, and the troll speed was low at ~2.5knots.
Just wondering.
"I would like to die on Mars. Just not on impact!!" _ Elon Musk
opsrey
Posts: 1200
Date Joined: 05/10/07
I normally only target herring by trolling.
My lure of choice is the good old Mc Donald's straw (promise). It's the only good reason to go to McChuckies. The kids zip in and get a few, then we mark them at quarter intervals and cut CLEANLY with scissors. Put McPopper onto light main line, tie a very small swivel clip lock on and put a 1/0 Tarpon on the clip lock. Feed out the back, run boat at 1500rpm ish and watch the surface boil.
When you get a hook up keep the tension on with rod tip in water to stop herring jumping off. You can keep trawling but it makes it much harder to land get boat out of gear.
To date have caught Herring, Tailor and even Squid.
The system is unmatched when there is weed about, the McPopper hardly ever catches ribbon weed.
Have never been bitten off yet.
tayranosaurus
Posts: 17
Date Joined: 17/04/13
Swear by it.
My old man taught me this trick as a young fella. We used to also add a small ball sinker above the clip just to hold it down. Last year in walpole it out fished all my mates with there fancy boxes of lures. Ive tried several other colours and they all work.
Shark1
Posts: 1086
Date Joined: 21/05/12
any chance of a photo of the
any chance of a photo of the popper u usecrasny and of the mcpopper plz opsrey
crasny1
Posts: 7003
Date Joined: 16/10/08
will see what I can do
but I have a few berkeley 3B scumdogs, Atomic K9pups and love the new Halco Mini Roosta 45 in R34 (purple haze) and R35(Redhead but I recall I hope its called caviar). Not a popper but the crystal minnow also have been recommended.
NOW having said all this, it is only what I have, and I have yet to crack to code with whiting popping. SO certainly no expert, but read about it and got these poppers and lures.
"I would like to die on Mars. Just not on impact!!" _ Elon Musk
opsrey
Posts: 1200
Date Joined: 05/10/07
Extra clarity for the McPopper...
Apploigies all, I should have added that the cut straw needs to be run down onto and over the hook shank. This will have the hook bend out one end and the swivel cilp lock out the other.
The straw may rid up over the cilp lock when in the boat and the like, just reset it so the straw is in the correct spot ( stiing on the hook shank ) when the whole lot is feed out the back.
I have tried other colours and Hungry Jack straws, but noting seems to beat the white McChuckies straw. It is to do with diameter, weight, and I think the stripes.
I have never weighted the rig down, but have tried longer straws and/or heavier swivel clips and personaly found these to be inferior to the lighter set up and quater straw. Fishing with kids makes me work very hard at something easy, cheap and successful - that doesnt do my head in.
The bobble in and out of the water is what is required, and when you watch the popper you will know what I mean. At times the wind pushes the line off to a side etc taking the whole popper set up with it, and all that does is provide some variance to the "spread" (I run at least two sets) and has them track through the wash into celar water etc.
Will post a photo if anyone posts the need for one again.
opsrey
Posts: 1200
Date Joined: 05/10/07
Extra clarity for the McPopper...
Apploigies all, I should have added that the cut straw needs to be run down onto and over the hook shank. This will have the hook bend out one end and the swivel cilp lock out the other.
The straw may rid up over the cilp lock when in the boat and the like, just reset it so the straw is in the correct spot ( stiing on the hook shank ) when the whole lot is feed out the back.
I have tried other colours and Hungry Jack straws, but noting seems to beat the white McChuckies straw. It is to do with diameter, weight, and I think the stripes.
I have never weighted the rig down, but have tried longer straws and/or heavier swivel clips and personaly found these to be inferior to the lighter set up and quater straw. Fishing with kids makes me work very hard at something easy, cheap and successful - that doesnt do my head in.
The bobble in and out of the water is what is required, and when you watch the popper you will know what I mean. At times the wind pushes the line off to a side etc taking the whole popper set up with it, and all that does is provide some variance to the "spread" (I run at least two sets) and has them track through the wash into celar water etc.
Will post a photo if anyone posts the need for one again.