Rob G Posted June 8, 2018 Report Share Posted June 8, 2018 It's been a little slow around here and I'm always a little curious what I'm missing out on, soooooo OK, so what's your very favorite topwater fly when you just gotta bring a smallie to the top? And yea, you can throw in an honorable mention if you want. (Pics are always welcome) Would it be a cupped popper like a Boogle Bug? or a flat faced popper like a Krebs popper or blockhead ? a Crease fly, a Gurgler, or a stealth bomber? Dahlberg Diver? Deer hair bug? dare I say it,,,,,,,,,,,,, a dadgum Jude Bug? What do you have the most confidence in if you're going to be carrying only one (or two) topwater flies? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Gillio Posted June 8, 2018 Report Share Posted June 8, 2018 This is it, with or without eye shadow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy C Posted June 8, 2018 Report Share Posted June 8, 2018 Sneaky Pete for me. I always err on the larger size Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rich mc Posted June 8, 2018 Report Share Posted June 8, 2018 for years it was the sneaky pete. then came the gurgler. i have found the stealth bomber to be too foamy as the fly will move when a fish rushes it= more misses. i have seen the jude bug just catch fish after fish. funny but for shabbona ,sliders and divers work best in the am and poppers in the pm. same goes for spinnerbaits in the am and buzzers at pm. been that way for years Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike G Posted June 9, 2018 Report Share Posted June 9, 2018 I risk repeating myself. The one topwater for me would be my Streamer Stealth Bomber. It is a 4-in-1 fly. Depending on how you work it it will slide, dive, pop, or rise and fall (on a a sinking line. Favorite size is #4 Mustad 3366 shown here. The legs are optional. PS on the rise it has a nice wobble. 4wayPopper by Michael Gerharz, on Flickr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bart Durham Posted June 9, 2018 Report Share Posted June 9, 2018 Boogle has been working well for me. I think the Dupage smallies like the rubber legs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gavin Posted June 12, 2018 Report Share Posted June 12, 2018 These work really well. Its a blockhead dressed like a sneaky pete. Size 1/0. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Dodge Posted June 12, 2018 Report Share Posted June 12, 2018 I like the blockheads but so far this year nothing seems to out fish the Jude Bug. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Gillio Posted June 15, 2018 Report Share Posted June 15, 2018 I'm not sure where this recipe came from, but I tied them on Double Barrel popper heads last winter. I have not used them in a river, but have used them in weedy areas in still water. The hook rides up. In open water the back portion hangs below the surface somewhat like the Chug Bug does. They work fairly well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob G Posted June 16, 2018 Author Report Share Posted June 16, 2018 Is there a hole in the popper body to thread your line thru in order to tie to the hook directly or is there a loop or hook shank within the popper body? So many questions, but I really like that black one. Does that free hook in the rear really swing side to side with that rabbit? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Gillio Posted June 17, 2018 Report Share Posted June 17, 2018 Rob, the rear will dangle below the head when sitting still in open water. If there is a side to side motion it is only slight. It does not move side to side when in weeds. The hook is an Eagle Claw L091G-1/0 connected to a Fish Skull 3/4" articulated fish-spine shank that I pushed through a medium double barrel popper head. The white one had been colored yellow with a marker, but it faded with use. The deer tail is wearing thin as it has been in a number of mouths. I hope that helps. I cannot for the life of me find the recipe, so I'm not sure that those were the actual materials called for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob G Posted June 17, 2018 Author Report Share Posted June 17, 2018 Do you get better hook ups with the hook hanging low in the rear ? What is the advantage ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Gillio Posted June 17, 2018 Report Share Posted June 17, 2018 2 hours ago, Rob G said: Do you get better hook ups with the hook hanging low in the rear ? What is the advantage ? The dangling backside of a chug bug seems to entice fish so I thought this may as well. I have been using it in areas of heavy duckweed. It seems as though the hookups have been better when the tail end slowly dips below the surface. Hookups have been poor when it is on heavy matted weeds. The heavier spin gear weedless baits have produced better for me in heavy cover. Probably because they are heavy enough to move more water and be noticed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Gillio Posted June 18, 2018 Report Share Posted June 18, 2018 I just saw this today. It's a cool way to color your poppers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaKM2iztCFc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Gillio Posted June 24, 2018 Report Share Posted June 24, 2018 These Double Barrel heads really make a nice glub sound. Just tied these the other day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bart Durham Posted June 24, 2018 Report Share Posted June 24, 2018 John, these double barrel poppers look great and will be interested to hear how these work after the water gets back down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Gillio Posted July 1, 2018 Report Share Posted July 1, 2018 On 6/24/2018 at 2:33 PM, Bart Durham said: John, these double barrel poppers look great and will be interested to hear how these work after the water gets back down. Bart, they have been working well for largemouth. Haven't had a chance for smallies yet. Rob, the ones first posted and tied with rabbit strips are called slop busters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob G Posted August 20, 2018 Author Report Share Posted August 20, 2018 This smallie and several of his friends today voted for my Crease Fly and I probably have to agree with them. It seems that an erratic wounded minnow imitation is often hard to ignore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Gillio Posted August 20, 2018 Report Share Posted August 20, 2018 9 hours ago, Rob G said: This smallie and several of his friends today voted for my Crease Fly and I probably have to agree with them. It seems that an erratic wounded minnow imitation is often hard to ignore. Rob, we truly think alike sometimes. I was nailing large whites on a large half and half when suddenly the water changed from white roils to bronze. The smallies wouldn't touch the streamer so I took out the crease fly and skittered it through the riffles Landed 3 small bronze and lost a good one right before the heavens dumped a bucket of water on me and ended my morning fishing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Gillio Posted August 21, 2018 Report Share Posted August 21, 2018 I got to try that stealth bomber recently. I really like it's action. Picked up some small bass and sunfish with it while fishing a creek. I think it may become a favorite. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob G Posted August 21, 2018 Author Report Share Posted August 21, 2018 John, if you truly believe that we sometimes think alike while on the water, I can think of no higher compliment given to any fisherman, seriously. As to those white bass on a fly rod, I spent some time down at Lake of the Ozarks this summer and was catching those huge fighting whites on a hollow fly and having a ball. I whipped up a few more Crease flies last night using standard 2 mm foam, a mallard feather for the tail, all on a Gamy off set shank #2 worm hook. About 10 years ago I purchased those Crease fly cutters for our fly tying group down this way and only wish I had gotten the one size larger, the 1/0 rather than the #2 though it seems to work OK. I used to for years would coat each fly with epoxy or Sally Hansens Hard as Nails but have been leaving it off recently and the flies still hold up pretty well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Gillio Posted August 21, 2018 Report Share Posted August 21, 2018 Rob, you are too kind. Your flies always look great. The mallard feathers look very nice as a tail. The few crease flies I have tied (they do seem to last) all have different tails. The next one I tie will have a mallard feather tail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob G Posted August 8, 2019 Author Report Share Posted August 8, 2019 Mike, It’s true you’ve spouted the benefits of the stealth bomber fly for a long time, but up until a couple days ago, I never had much luck with that fly. And for the life of me, I couldn’t figure out why because it has so many wonderful characteristics. The water is presently very low and clear around here and there were several key stretches of the river that made for an excellent top water opportunity. My usual favorites were doing just OK but then I decided to try the one Stealth Bomber fly that still resides in my fly box and it caught fire. I landed over a dozen smallies with it including the largest of the day, and for that matter, the largest of the year, a nice 19”er. I like that in slower water, when you give it that first sharp tug or two, you actually get a bubble that rises to the top of the water, likely due to the air that becomes trapped in that foam hole. It makes a more subtle pop that I appreciate and of course if you strip it hard, it dives slightly and gives that nice shake and bake motion, stop the retrieve and it floats back to the top which sometimes will elicit a strike. So now I’m a believer and will fish it with more confidence in the future. Thanks for bringing it to our attention. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Gillio Posted August 11, 2019 Report Share Posted August 11, 2019 That is a wicked looking fly Rob, and some nice fishing. I expect to be popping some small streams. I'll be sure to remember my bombers are in the bag. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob G Posted August 12, 2019 Author Report Share Posted August 12, 2019 Hey, I pulled a Johnnie G. today. While smallie fishing, I came upon a bunch of grassies holding in some slack water and cast my stealth bomber their way, and low and behold, one moved over quickly and sucked it in. This never happens to me and the one was my only taker. Took quite a while to get that tanker in but I'm sure enjoying that Stealth B. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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