Poppers - better with legs or without?

[pillcaster]

Had some smallie fun this summer with Walt's poppers and decided to try tying up some of my own. The one I fished with had no legs, but I see some do use legs.
http://www.mossycreekstore.com/Walts-Popper-4-WP2-4.htm - Walt's w/o

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_HaBvI7HO4Xs/TJ...w/IMG_5394.JPG - walts with

http://www.murraysflyshop.com/flydes...20Poppers.html - Harry's with

What is your experience - legs or no?

[CoachBob]

Here's some ideas.
For small poppers resembling insects, legs add attraction. Use them.
For larger poppers resembling frogs, the same applies.
For larger poppers resembling minnows, no legs.
For slower worked poppers use legs. They wiggle enticingly even when the fly is at rest.
For faster retrieves, no legs.
Only use legs appropriately sized to the fly. Too long and they will foul in the hook. To big and they can hurt the action of the fly. Too short and they don't resemble anything attractive. Rubber legs are stiffer than silicone but stand out more.
For small insect patterns use FINE size rubber legs. Available at jannsnetcraft.com.

[WarrenP]

pillcaster,

I have limited experience with smallie poppers, but, I do intend to change that this coming summer. I have caught a few on poppers and sub-surface and find that they are a lot of fun to catch. Since my trout water is getting more and more crowded each year, I have decided that it is time for me to explore other areas of my rivers for bass.

I have done a lot of searching on the Internet for bass fly patterns to tie up and poppers and I would say that 98% of the bass poppers I have found do not have any legs and the bass poppers I have tied up without legs have worked very well. Most flies with the rubber legs end up losing the legs soon after being used but continue to produce strikes. I think that adding legs is more for appealing to the person buying them then to their fish catching ability.

Most of the bass poppers I tie up are tied using the "blockhead" type head which I really like and since I found a source for the unique shape blockhead material, I have not tied up any using any other type head. I do not install any legs on mine and feel that they are not needed for bass. I do feel that legs are needed on poppers that are going to be used for bluegill.

Just my thoughts on your question based on a limited experience using bass poppers. Hopefully, I will know more after spending time this summer chasing the smallmouth on my rivers and lakes. Come join me and we can gain knowledge on this together......

[Tig]

I find that using poppers with legs helps to give them some stability on the water but they sometimes have a tendency to rotate in the air and twist the leader. Coach Bob's outline is great. I prefer legs on bass flies because you can use a more sublte motion when it calls for it (shallow water-less than 2 ft.) by just vibrating the legs instead of popping the whole bug. We had some great weather in Canada at Thanksgiving so I decided to take my nephew out bass fishing. I figured the sun and warmer temps would turn the bass on. By the time we were done we had caught and released 139 smallies. Poppers are my favourite for the fun factor but you would have a hard time beating a clouser that matches the local bait fish on our smallie rivers.

[Tig]

bug.JPG Some of my favourites.

[DG]

I vote for legs on mine, but I don't fish them very often.

[flickfly]

Wow! looking at that picture,Who'da thunk of such a thing! Actually they use them on the leopard raindows in alaska

[Steven]

Attachment 9437 Some of my favourites.

This should be a FOTW submission.

[hap]

We use a lot of minnow-imitating poppers and legs improve them... Mostly we are fishing for lake trout feeding on out-bound salmon smolts up to about 6" long. Schools of them get hammered by schools of lake trout. Dazed smolts drift downstream and can be seen behind the thrashing lake trout schools frequently.

Most are trying to get it together and spasm and twitch regularly. Legged poppers get more action than floaters.