dairydave

[dairydave 0]

[dairydave 0]

so above are the poppers i have made in the last week. i am trying different ways of putting them together. my friend cuts a slot in the bottom and uses epoxy to set the hook. i have been trying use a bodkin to make a hole and use zap a gap to set in the hook. its seems to be ok but will see after i catch a few fish with one of them if they hold up? also the legs he ties on his legs i have been using the bodkin again to poke holes and pull them thru... again will see how they hold up. 

one thing some of you popper makers will see is the <(VEE) that is cut in the face... like i said all of the poppers i have bought no one puts that V in the face most all are flat or have the cupped face. these here make a sound unlike any other bug i have fished.... 

look at the grizzly ones( these are the ones i colored with a sharpie. not too bad but the next picture i will send one that is actually made from the grizzly foam .

[dairydave 0]

[dairydave 0]

above is actually grizzly color foam that i can't find anywhere. 

i did go to harbor freight today and get a set of the cutters i am just waiting for that foam block to arrive. 

 

 

[dairydave 0]

that set listed above i didn't see when i was at harbor freight today. i like that those are ready for a drill.. the ones i got just turn by hand i might have to take mine back and look for those. 

[dairydave 0]

denduke.... you have some nice looking bugs!!!

[denduke 0]

There’s bunches of stuff to do with foam other than poppers.  Especially the 1/8-1/4” sheets from craft stores.   Divers, gurgler/ hopper style, frogs, rats,  etc.    Mikey’s got idea I need to try by cutting wedges and reversing to make a better diver...  My divers are made by stacking foam discs...  I use the PuffyFabric paint for my spots and make paint drop eyes on wax paper ahead of time to glue to foam.

[mikechell 0]

Thanks for the shout out, denduke.  I have one good idea ... you've posted a good half dozen!!

[dairydave 0]

i am probably missing out on catching more fish since i only use poppers and nothing else.  i did meet a guy earlier this year and he fishes year round for smallmouth. i am in western pennsylvania and the season for smallmouth on topwater is anywhere from mid april until the first frost. anyways this guy was going to take me and show me some other tactics for smallmouth after the temperature change then Covid hit. hes and older fella and he doesn't want to be around anyone until this passes hopefully soon. 

my friend that i do all my fishing with hes a stubborn one... he only fishes poppers as well.  he likes hunting as much as fishing so after the first frost he starts to focus on hunting seasons. i don't hunt anymore and i am missing 6 or 7 months of the year when i could be catching bass using another tactic. 

[fshng2 0]

Very nice ones as usual Denduke, I will have to try your variation Dairydave.

I picked up a set of cutters yesterday and cut out a few popper blanks. I used 3/8 to 1-1/4 in thick foam and a couple of wine corks.

Set up: a board is placed on top of the drill press table with a sacrificial piece of foam on top of that to keep the cutters sharp.

Thicker foam requires lubricant (oil) because the foam sticks to the inside of the cutters and gets chewed up with the cutter.

A little oil and a vise is needed to hold the wine corks.

 

[Sandan 0]

denduke nice stuff

[denduke 0]

Fshng2 you’ve been giving those flip flops he!!.  Gonna get the punch set I recon...my cartridge hulls might work better, thinner thru the cork.   Actually cork is way easier to shape than the foam w/emery paper.  I don’t like sharp corners and like cupped faces.  I slolved the paint deal with SallyHansens or UV and glitter powder.  The foam ones don’t need nuttin but spots or glitter.  You can go wild with flash, tinsel with the UV/Sally on big stuff.

[fshng2 0]

10 hours ago, denduke said:

Fshng2 you’ve been giving those flip flops he!!.  Gonna get the punch set I recon...my cartridge hulls might work better, thinner thru the cork.   Actually cork is way easier to shape than the foam w/emery paper.  I don’t like sharp corners and like cupped faces.  I slolved the paint deal with SallyHansens or UV and glitter powder.  The foam ones don’t need nuttin but spots or glitter.  You can go wild with flash, tinsel with the UV/Sally on big stuff.

Real nice ones Denduke, I like the effect you get with the UV and glitter powder.

How do the ones with the V mouths swim?

 

[denduke 0]

Negative just pop

BTW.   DAIRYdave do you work a dairy?   Didn’t see your location.  Bout all the small dairies down here have stopped.   Got a Bud was tryin to keep one going and his old established guy had to quit.  They got to where couldn’t get a truck to get the milk.  That’s one tough line of work.  Milking twice a day way before daylight.  My hats off to you and to all others.

[skeet3t 0]

Born and raised on a dairy farm in central Ohio. Dad and uncle worked a lot of 16-18 hour days, seven days a week. Invest about a million bucks in a McDonald's franchise. It can be paid off in 2-5 years.