Top water pikes

[FIN-ITE 34]

Here is a popper for pikes and musky that I put together last night. It is patterned after Brad Bohen's "Sponge Bob Square Head", which is basically his Hang Time Optic Minnow with a square popper head.
I tied it on a 6/0 Partridge Universal Predator X hook, again using the Fire Tiger color scheme because I like the way it looks and it seems to be a good color for the local pikes. The length is between 8-9 inches from hook eye to saddle tips.


I plan on giving it a test run as soon as the water goes down a bit from this last rain event.

 

[Rusty Spinner]

What line weight are you fishing with those larger poppers? I'm thinking 8 or 9?

 

[FIN-ITE 34]

What line weight are you fishing with those larger poppers? I'm thinking 8 or 9?

I'm throwing a 9wt Rio Outbound Short floating line. It has very short 375gr. 30' head that really is very efficient at casting all those large pike flies. I don't think a regular 9wt or 10wt with a longer head would come close to working as well as the Outbound Short.

 

[lightenup]

Here is a popper for pikes and musky that I put together last night. It is patterned after Brad Bohen's "Sponge Bob Square Head", which is basically his Hang Time Optic Minnow with a square popper head.
I tied it on a 6/0 Partridge Universal Predator X hook, again using the Fire Tiger color scheme because I like the way it looks and it seems to be a good color for the local pikes. The length is between 8-9 inches from hook eye to saddle tips.
View attachment 11841

I plan on giving it a test run as soon as the water goes down a bit from this last rain event.

So what kind of thread do you use to tie those things.....and I know it ain't Olive green 6/0 Danville.....

 

[FIN-ITE 34]

So what kind of thread do you use to tie those things.....and I know it ain't Olive green 6/0 Danville.....

The reverse tied bucktail takes a lot of torque so yea, 6/0 olive is out. My preference is one of the GSP threads, either the UTC 100 or Veevus 100 because you can really put tension on the thread without worry of breaking it. The GSP also keeps the bulk down when laying all those materials down in one area. I usually use ZAP-A-GAP over each new tie-in, makes for a very durable fly, especially for the toothy critters.