Hookset for poppers?

[docsab]

Bought some surface poppers to try the smb action, and wondering the best way to set the hook. Easy and patient or quick and fast?

Tried fishing tonight and seemed to launch more poppers at my head than hookups.

Smallies were more interested in these than streamers, or maybe my technique was off.

 

[pwk5017]

I dont think I have ever missed a hookset with a bass and a surface fly. Surface takes from bass typically arent subtle, they freaking explode. I had 30 mins of fishing tonight for small stream smallies with a size 8 hopper. They didnt crush the hopper, but would hit it quickly and turn to retreat back to the stream bottom/wherever they ambushed from. Usually just a deliberate lifting of the rod tip is enough to set the hook on them, because they are turning away. Essentially they are setting the hook on themselves and you are merely providing a taut line for them to do so. This is for smallmouth. For largemouth I usually strip set. They dont have the same take as a smallmouth, where there is an immediate turn after the strike. This is why I choose to strip set instead. I can see you lifting the fly up out of the water(and their mouth) if you were to quickly trout set(lift the rod) on them. Sounds like you need to slow it down and let the fish take the fly. I think it more about line control and having a taut line with these fish than it is about setting the hook.

 

[dc410]

Be patient and manage your line. In my experience with smallmouth bass and poppers most of them have hooked themselves. When they expend the energy to come to the surface they want results, the takes are explosive. Be careful an overly aggressive hook set could be very dangerous if you catch it at the wrong place. Tight lines and good luck!

 

[Stagger_Lee]

Did u end up fishing the Nesh?

Which part and were there a lot of smallies?

How hot and uncomfortable was it out there?

 

[turkey]

I've had some very subtle takes from topwater bass this summer. I even had some refusals yesterday morning, much like you'd see a trout charge your fly and turn away at the last second.

The best thing to do is probably manage your line and keep the slack out of it.

 

[klingy]

The temptation when you see a strike is to set the hook immediately. With smallmouth poppers, I've learned to wait two seconds before setting the hook. This eliminates ripping the fly out of the fish's mouth most of the time, and it lets you see if the fly floats back to the surface if the fish didn't get a good take. If that's the case, you can twitch/strip the popper just slightly and often times get the fish to hit again. It takes some discipline, but just keep it in the back of your head that you're going to wait to set the hook when you see a strike.

 

[docsab]

Yea, I think I was getting too anxious and setting too fast. Also, most of the hits were prob sunnies, as I only hooked 2 smb but tons of sunnies(still lotsa fun)

Stag- wet waded in the evening, and it was beautiful and peaceful and enjoyable- The Neshaminy is my tiny slice of heaven in an otherwise insane week

 

[BelAirSteve]

I'll echo what others have said about managing the line. The hits you were missing were probably smaller sunfish or perhaps even fallfish. In general, my set is a combination of a strip and slight raise of the rod tip. It's tough to miss smallies.

I had a great day on a small warm water stream this past Saturday - a few 12" smallies and countless sunfish as big as my hand. Now that I write this, I am going to post a stream report!

 

[Stagger_Lee]

I have yet to fish with a popper but have caught WW fish with dries, nymphs, Wbuggers, and terrestrials (foam beetles on the recommendation of many). Once I feel tension I set (for practice) BUT it seems these fish just chomp and hook themselves.

Am I wrong?

 

[PhilC]

Stagger_Lee wrote:
I have yet to fish with a popper but have caught WW fish with dries, nymphs, Wbuggers, and terrestrials (foam beetles on the recommendation of many). Once I feel tension I set (for practice) BUT it seems these fish just chomp and hook themselves.

Am I wrong?

Yes these fish don't really "sip" like trout do...well picture a trout sipping midges or spinners, where they stay relatively in the same spot before and after eating.
The bass are gonna come out of hiding, attack the popper, etc and hook themselves as they return.

I wouldn't suggest waiting for tension as it might be too late...
I think others have pretty much summed it up. You just need to wait long enough for the fish to close its mouth. Once the fish is one the way down or just back under the surface is a safe bet. Once they get it in, set the hook quickly...as you see on every bass show out there.

I fished for largemouth in Florida that come out of the water to attack poppers...this can really freak you out esp. in the early morn.

 

[henrydavid]

Besides the great advice from the above posters I would like to add that the behavior of the bass may differ from day to day. I'd say this is definitely more so with largemouth bass rather than smallies which as mentioned will hook themselves with regularity.

Some days largies will devour the offering and on other days they may be "stinging" it or sampling it. I've also seen some "false charges" by smallies this season, could be a number of things at work there.

I'm curious of all of your methods using topwater flies for smallies, I've had decent luck dead drifting them on the Susky North Branch. Only toward dusk have I had much success chugging or popping. I did have a couple days where this was the opposite this year however.

 

[BelAirSteve]

henrydavid wrote:

I'm curious of all of your methods using topwater flies for smallies, I've had decent luck dead drifting them on the Susky North Branch. Only toward dusk have I had much success chugging or popping. I did have a couple days where this was the opposite this year however.

Early morning or evening (when the sun is below the bank tree line) is the best time for topwater smallies. They pretty much go deep once the sun gets on the water. As to technique, I almost always use poppers and sliders. The smallies tend to hit it after a strip, when it is sitting still. If fishing a back eddy, they will hit it just when it starts to swing.

 

[Cornholio]

strip set

 

[docsab]

Cornholio wrote:
strip set

Do you set just by stripping line or do you also lift the rod tip at the same time?

 

[Cornholio]

just give it a good yank with your line hand. Reason for that is if you miss him the popper won't fly out of the water and if you do miss him, just let it sit for a second maybe, twitch it a little, make it appear stunned and chances are he will hit it again. You will catch alot more doing this. I am sure you can find a tutorial on youtube. It is mainly used for streamers, but it works top water too.

 

[PhilC]

henrydavid wrote:
Some days largies will devour the offering and on other days they may be "stinging" it or sampling it. I've also seen some "false charges" by smallies this season, could be a number of things at work there.

This is a good point...bass can be moody and don't always explode on the popper. In my experience though, if they take it, its usually at a confident gulp. I fished the lower Lehigh recently at the smallies would follow the popper (while popping it) all the way back to the boat and then spook off...I'm used them pounding it without much hesitation...

 

[docsab]

Cornholio wrote:
just give it a good yank with your line hand. Reason for that is if you miss him the popper won't fly out of the water and if you do miss him, just let it sit for a second maybe, twitch it a little, make it appear stunned and chances are he will hit it again. You will catch alot more doing this. I am sure you can find a tutorial on youtube. It is mainly used for streamers, but it works top water too.

I'll give this a try. Sounds like a good way to avoid the "duck your head or loose an eye" maneuver when I set the hook.

 

[docsab]

OK, so I was trying the strip set today and realized that I could not set with this method as there was too much slack in the line, which makes me believe that too much slack is the reason why I am not hooking up as much as I would like.

So with a drift, especially one that is a distance away, I'm casting and maybe putting a mend in the line which gives some slack( not a straight line). Seems like to get a tight line, you are stripping in some line, moving the fly, straightening out mends and causing drag. So I'm wondering the optimal technique?

 

[nealfish]

theres a technique for spin fishing topwater sets called "set. the hook." what your supposed to do is set a motion to each word as the fish takes. the fish hits. you say "set" in your mind and drop the rod tip. "the" strip in line. "hook" lift the rod tip and continue to strip line.