Best popper design (cast-ability)?
 

I wanted to try my hand at some small poppers (<4") and I was wondering if the Gibbs Polaris design could be beat for cast-ability?

Personally, I've never cast a design that flew as well as Polaris, but I certainly haven't cast them all.

I'm also wondering if anyone is interested in sharing any pics of truly small saltwater-rigged poppers of any style.

Thanks.

The 2 3/4 oz super strike actually casts better in my opinion. Something to do with the size for its weight, the aerodynamics are obviously close. The large super strike does not cast as far.

Here are some little poppers

Left is a Gibbs Polaris, Lu copy of a BM peanut, and the best little popper, a small creek chub striper swiper.

On the right are 3 Gibbs.

That shiny spot in the center is a quarter

Here is a tiny atom (I think) with another little creek chub in the best color.

Also a little atom swimmer, a little gibbs darter, and a little gibbs pencil.

Somewhere I've got a tiny Gags needle fish to boot. :)

Thanks, George -- I appreciate the photos.

Give the Cutty Poppers a shot...they cast pretty well also.....a good chunk of lead in the Arse end

I am familiar with the Cuttyhunk Popper is the Cutty Popper different. The original cuttyhunk popper was a poor caster there was no lead in that plug and the taper was too much for aerodynamics.

Nothing will outcast a ss 2 3/8oz in a polaris popper design, nothing.

They're the same...and everyone I've tried has casted well.....and I put a chunk of lead in the arse end when I make them

except the 1 1/2oz loaded to 2oz will get you another 10+yds, but its a bit tuff to get it backon top fast unless your ready for it,

Ya Super Strike 2 3/8oz sinking is the way to go for polaris popper. i like the atom polaris as well. both plastic

For wood, a distance casting plug I made a few of was a skinny Polaris style, put lead all the way up to just short of the belly hole, and small slug just infront of the belly... sinks but casts a mile, and if you balance the weight right, it will swim a bit too....

small: 7/8 Oz Micro Cuttyhunk Popper making kits from Salty's Wooden Lures!

Large: 3 Oz BIG BLABBERMOUTH Popper Saltwater Lure making kits from Salty's Wooden Lures!

Ron Arra bought a finished Sheriff at the show in Somerset last week to do his casting demos. He came back and said thanks it cast perfect with no wobble and was easily getting 400+ foot casts. The guy knows his stuff so that means alot for him to seek me out and say that.

Interesting, the one I casted was about 30 to 40 yards short of the SS Little Neck consistently. I know the original that I had did not have a tail weight.

Thanks for the info.

I won't say best caster but pretty darn good and I have caught a bunch of good fish in the canal last 2 years on them. You can see their size compared to a small rootbeer colored SS popper. I took the SS little neck and head and sort of Gibbs body shape designs and combined them and kind of used that as my design. Picture makes them look a little fatter then they really are. They weigh the same as the SS and cast a mile even with me casting them. The ones with the mushroom tail wgt. will probably even cast better with more weight so far back when I try them this spring but I can get them that heavy with an inside the body weight too. They sink but come up real fast in the current of canal which is the situation they were built for and you can swim they nicely and sinking poppers are very effective under water. I use the same plug weighted lighter for the beach or boat. I use this design for my larger 3 plus oz popper too actually the larger one came first, but I use the smaller ones way more as I feel I can get them out there further.