Getting Ready for the Reds and Speckled Trout

Saltwater inshore anglers know the popping cork .Speckled Sea Trout ,Redfish, and most people do not know as much about it but a lot more and anglers  are catching Stripe bass, Hybrid, and even crappie using a popping cork  that can double or triple the number of fish in the  boat. Its all about the sound and the feeding frenzy it creates it is calling as much as a turkey call can call in a big gobbler the popping cork can call in big fish. Popping corks call fish with a splash that imitates a fish taking bait on the surface and the  “click” from the beads ,cork on the wire matches that sound. The fish are attracted by the sound and surface disturbance, then see and attack the jighead and swimbait hanging from 1 to 5 feet below the cork. It is the slow drop and presentation that gets the jig done along with the clicking and popping.

 

The “pops”  of the  cork is done by  twitching the rod, the cork shoots ahead a few inches and creates a splash and sound on the surface, while the jighead and swimbait below it comes quickly to the surface and drops  back down. The strike happens a lot of times while the jighead or fluke is falling.

 

 

 Not all popping corks are created equal, cheap popping corks bend to poor wire, which decreases quality of the action and sound. Some just have a single ball bearing produce a good, loud “pop,” and“click.” The bearings themselves may be low quality and not send the sound.

 

The best guide we know that is a popping cork magician is Pat Mcgriff in Keaton Beach Florida,Pat  makes a living  every day with popping corks he almost always hands them a rig consisting of a Cajun Thunder or Back Bay with a jighead and live bait or  Berkley Gulp bellowt.

The fish are coming to that sound and you want the bait where they can find it most all species of fish are curious, and when you pop that cork it’s making a clicking sound like a Sprimp or bait.

He said he was fishing alongside another angler, both using the same jighead and swimbait under brand new popping corks. Both caught fish early on, but then Iverson started catching five-to-one over his client. The difference, he said, was the washer between the cork and beads. The washer keeps the beads from chipping and wearing out the underside of the cork.

 

 Pat Knows that when you have a charter and guest  want to catch  60 or 70 specks in a morning and  all the time he spends taking off fish and handling the boat, he does not need additional time wasted  due to poor equipment.

 

An important key to success with a popping cork is the pace and strength of the twitches with the rod, and most guides suggest a similar starting place: two or three hard pops then let the cork settle, pause, and then a couple lighter pops. It’s important to pay attention to what’s working We all know fish are funny and whatever was the last feeding frenzy sound is fresh and the depth of the water are critical.

You have to have the right rod or all is not, we recommend a 7’0” rod with 8-17lb line weight and the best set up is 7”6” to 7”9” which makes the tip lively enough and gives the maximum click and pop with the twitch of the wrist. No more than the Bass Angler on Tour wants to have to work double time to get the right action on the bait the popping cork is no different than walking the dog just a different sequence. Cajun Custom Rods, has come out with a rod specifically designed for this technique.

The Cajun Popit

 Hands down … the Cajun Popit™ rod series are the best popping cork rods in the world!  Made in the USA and America’s only exclusively designed popping cork fishing rod, these technique specific inshore popping cork rods are Cajun-designed to sling, launch, catapult, rocket, fly, and hurl your favorite popping cork rig!  From Florida to Texas, the Louisiana coast, and up the eastern and western seaboards, anglers are geared up with their favorite popping cork rigs for redfish, speckled trout, and similar inshore game fish using their Cajun Popit™ rods.  Measuring out at 7’6” with a medium power backbone and fast action taper to handle up to to ¾ oz rigs and any mono, flouro, or super braid up to 17 lbs … whether you’re drifting a deep leader or just cruising the flats, your Cajun Popit™ rod let’s you sling it, pop it, hook it, and land it … one trophy redfish or gator trout at a time!

The CAJUN POPIT comes in three colors so that the set ups can be identified when you rig your cork set up and depths before you hit the area you want to fish, All corks on the market follow a Green, Orange, and Yellow color variation so when you order on get three or the one color that you like to use on the cork.

 

 

 

The Set –up of the rod is pretty sexy and the action is perfect, the guide spacing, number of guides and the length of the rod are specific to the fishing of popping corks. So try on and pop and click your way to a limit with the Cajun Popit.

CSP-776MF-S (CP) ROD SPECS:

7’6” / 10-17 lb / Medium / Fast / ¼-1 oz.http://www.wahoowaterworld.com/Cajun-Popit-p/cfx-popit.htm

  http://www.wahoowaterworld.com/Cajun-Popit-p/cfx-popit.htm