This chapter details methods of attaching eyes, weed guards, and rubber legs to both balsa and foam popper bodies. It also describes painting techniques

1. Dressing 1
DRESSING
At this point your popper is fairly rudimentary. You have only
a popper body with an embedded hook or a body with a hook
and tail attached. Now it is time to add the finishing touches, the
elements that will bring your popper to life. Though their absolute
necessity is debatable, dressing a popper with rubber legs, a nice
paint job, eyes, and a weed guard makes it far more attractive and
enhances its effectiveness. For me, tying poppers is not just about
producing a fishing lure, it’s about the enjoyment I get from the
different crafts that combine to create a tiny piece of art.
RUBBER LEGS
Rubber legs add a subtle animation to the popper that entice a
bass to strike. The slightest twitch or current sets them in motion
as if they were appendages of a living creature. I have fashioned
rubber legs from virtually every rubber or vinyl material on the
market. None have worked as well as the material marketed as
Living Rubber Legs. It is sold in 1-inch-wide ribbons of individual
strands weakly bonded together. The medium thickness material
works best for bass poppers. A number of colors are available,
but I prefer black due to its visibility. I pull off 2 strands at a time,
leaving them bonded together. Each leg is made from a strip that is
actually a pair of individual strands. This produces a highly visible

2. 2 Chapter 6.
leg that is two strands wide, yet a very flexible leg, because it is
only one strand thick.
Rubber legs should be added to the popper after the hook has
been attached. This allows the legs to be placed above the hook
shank and makes it easy to avoid interference between them. Legs
are formed by threading doubled rubber strips through the pop-
per body in an “X” pattern. The result is 4 pairs of legs projecting
from the popper body. The legs should lie in the middle half of the
popper. They should not project from the body too close to the face
or tail.
Hard-bodied Poppers
For hard-bodied poppers made from balsa, cork, or high-densi-
ty foam, use a No. 62 (0.038-inch diameter) drill bit to drill holes
through which the rubber strips are threaded. Wrap the butt of the
bit with a thick layer of tape so you can spin the bit between your
thumb and forefinger to drill the holes. Do not use a drill or high-
speed tool for this operation. Accuracy, not speed, is the priority.
Position the tip of the bit above the level of the embedded hook
shank and at the front quarter point of the body. Angle the bit so
it will exit the body at the rear quarter point on the opposite side.
Spin the bit between your thumb and forefinger to drill the hole.
The bit should pass through the body in a level plane above the
hook shank. You must view the popper alternately from the front
and top to keep the bit properly aligned as you drill.
Once the first hole has been drilled, insert a straight pin through
it. This will assist in aligning the second hole symmetrically to
the first. Position the tip of the bit on the other side of the popper
opposite the entry point of the first hole. Align the bit so it will
exit the body opposite the exit point of the first hole. Spin the bit
between your thumb and forefinger and carefully drill the second
hole. To avoid splintering as the bit exits the body, drill rubber leg
holes after the poppers have been primed but before the color coat
has been added. Smooth splintered areas with spackling.

3. Dressing 3
This picture shows a method of positioning rubber legs. Grasp
the rubber leg on each side of the body with your thumbs and
forefingers. Pull tightly to stretch the rubber leg. Slide the body
along the rubber leg with your index and ring finger.
From the ribbon of Living Rubber Legs remove a strip of dou-
ble-strand leg material about 10 inches long. Do not separate the
individual strands. Insert a dental floss threader, which you can get
from any drugstore, or a piece of doubled monofilament through
one of the holes you just drilled in the popper body. Leave a small
portion of the loop projecting from the body. Drop one end of the
rubber strip through the loop. Hold the tips of the strip together as
you pull the floss threader or doubled monofilament through the
popper. Pull the midpoint of the rubber strip right through the hole
in the popper and out the other side. Grasp the looped end of the
rubber strip and pull it through the popper until equal lengths lie
on each side of the popper body. It should be a very tight fit, but
there is a trick that makes this easy. Grasp the rubber legs on each
side of the popper body and pull tightly. As the rubber legs stretch,

4. 4 Chapter 6.
Shown here are completed rubber legs on a short-shank style
popper. Note the popper tail has not been added at this time.
they will decrease substantially in thickness, and the popper body
will slide easily along them. Position the body with your middle
finger while stretching the legs between your thumbs and forefin-
gers. When the body is positioned in the middle of the rubber legs,
release the tension and it will lock into place. Clip the loop end of
the rubber strip at the floss threader and this pair of legs is nearly
complete. Repeat this process to construct the other set of legs.
When the second set of legs has been threaded through the
popper body, you will have a total of 4 pairs of legs. Trim each pair
until all 8 legs are equal and about 1 1/4 inches long. If a popper
does not right itself in the water and floats on its back, the prob-
lem is probably that the legs are too long. Trim the legs in 1/8 inch
increments until the popper rolls over and floats hook down. If you
have used the recommended drill bit size and rubber leg material,
it is quite unnecessary to do anything else to keep the legs in place.

5. Dressing 5
Their tight fit in the tiny hole and the paint on the popper body will
secure them in place.
Soft-Foam Poppers
The process of adding legs to soft-foam poppers is very similar
to that of hard-bodied poppers. However, it is not necessary to drill
holes in soft-foam bodies. Just pull off a 10-inch length of dou-
ble-strand leg material and thread it evenly through a No.16 yarn
needle. Push the needle through the popper so that it enters at the
front quarter point and exits at the rear quarter point. It should pass
above the hook shank on a level plane. Pull the needle completely
through the popper body. Grasp the rubber legs on each side of
the body. Pull tightly and stretch them until the foam body will
slide across the rubber strips. Slide the popper body to the center
of the legs and then release them. Clip the rubber legs at the eye of
the needle. Repeat this process on the other side of the popper to
form the second set of legs. Use the first pair of legs as a guide to
orient the second pair. When both pairs of legs have been threaded
through the popper body, trim them to about 1 1/4 inches.
PAINT SYSTEM
My ideas about painting and color schemes have changed over
the years. When I first began tying poppers, I was mesmerized by
the dazzling colors available and fascinated by the artful effects
I could produce. The neons and pearlescents and sparkles were
captivating. Producing beautifully crafted and painted poppers was
a satisfying end in itself, and rightfully so. But just as with today’s
commercial lures, the appeal of these beautiful finishes is more
often to the eye of the fisherman than to the fish. Now I pay more
attention to carving a popper body that produces the desired action
and tying a tail that will produce a lifelike silhouette. I am con-
vinced that the decision to strike is made at a distance far greater
than the bass’s ability to discern the details of your popper. Wheth-
er a bass torpedoes across the surface from several feet away or

6. 6 Chapter 6.
porpoises up from the depths, it has not counted the spots on your
popper or admired the fish-scale pattern. The bass’s lateral line
alerted it to the presence of prey and its searching eyes zeroed in
on the struggling silhouette.
I have caught bass on a rainbow of colors, but over the years
dark patterns have come to dominate my fly box. I think they pro-
duce the most visible silhouette in the water, regardless of the light
conditions. I like either very dark shades or very light shades for
the body. However, I always paint the popper face a highly visible
color such as yellow, orange, or chartreuse. Black, navy blue, and
hunter green are great dark shades. If bass are busting shad min-
nows, then I go with white or pearl in an effort to match the prey.
I have had very good success with both water-based and petro-
leum-based paints found in hobby shops. I prefer enamels because
they are so opaque. High-density foam bodies, however, must
be coated with the acrylic latex paint used on plastic model kits.
Acrylic latex paint works great on balsa or soft foam as well. I do
not recommend using vinyl jig head paints because they may not
be compatible with common enamels or clear finishes. The surface
may wrinkle badly. It is always a good idea to test the compati-
bility of different types of coatings before you apply them to your
poppers. However, if you stick to simple water-based or petro-
leum-based enamels and a petroleum-based clear coat, you should
not have any problems. Regardless of the paint type you select,
purchase the smallest quantities available; no more than 1/2- or
1/4-fluid-ounce bottles. It is amazing how many popper bodies you
can cover with a small amount of paint. Avoid using a heat source
to quick dry your coatings or details, especially on cork bodies.
The air inside tiny cavities may expand causing bubbles to form on
even thoroughly cured coats.
There is no need to invest in expensive brushes. Medium quality
brushes with nylon bristles are all that is necessary. I use a No. 6
flat style for base and finish coats and a No. 1 script liner for de-
tailing. Sponges and discarded tooth brushes can be used to dab on
mottled, blotched, and dappled finishes.

7. Dressing 7
Color Coatings
There are several simple techniques that produce color schemes
more interesting than one-color finishes. Multiple-colored patterns,
dots, blotches, streaks, and even sparkles are fun to make and add
attractive details to your poppers.
Single and double dots are made with small dowels or nail
heads. First apply your base color or colors. Next select a compli-
mentary color for the dots. Barely dip the dowel into the paint so a
small drop adheres to the tip. With a steady hand, lightly touch the
drop of paint to the popper without actually touching the dowel to
the popper. The paint drop should transfer from the dowel to the
popper body. The paint drop will not spread uniformly unless it
is applied to a smooth, dry surface. It is important to steady your
hands in order to produce circular dots of uniform size and spac-
ing. Hang the popper up and allow the dots to dry thoroughly.
Make double dots by selecting a smaller dowel and another
paint color. Using the same technique, place a smaller dot at the
center of the first. The striking effect is well worth the effort. The
main consideration is to allow the first dot to dry thoroughly before
applying the second color.
Generally a light-toned base coat is applied to the primed pop-
per body and then darker highlights and details are added. How-
ever, an appealing, two-toned effect can be simulated if the darker
details are painted on first and then covered with the lighter base
coat. For instance, stipple black paint along the back of a primed
popper. When it has thoroughly dried, paint the entire popper with
blue or green. The blue or green will have a lighter hue where it
overlays the white primer and a darker hue where it covers the
black. The dark details can be painted or stippled on with a brush
or even blotted on with a sponge. If you fade out the darker color
along the edges, the transition from light to dark hues will be less
distinct. I recommend that you test your technique and colors be-
fore you apply them to a popper body to ensure your color combi-
nations will work.

8. 8 Chapter 6.
A more effective way to transition from one color to another
is to use spray paint. However, spray paint is far more expensive
than brush-applied paint. It is difficult to obtain small cans of spray
paint and even a 3-ounce container will coat hundreds of poppers.
However, if you happen to have a can of spray paint on hand in
a suitable color, then you should try this method. Paint a primed
popper with pearlescent fingernail polish or some other suitable
belly color. Allow this coat to dry thoroughly. I suggest you wear
a disposable rubber glove on your left hand when you apply the
spray paint to keep from spraying your fingers. If you have already
tied on the popper tail, you must gather the hackle fibers of the
skirt, pull them back and cover them with your finger tips to avoid
painting them. You may also wrap the hackle and tail with tissue or
a paper collar. Shake the can of spray paint to thoroughly mix the
paint. Hold the spray can 6 to 8 inches behind the popper and spray
over the top of your hand towards the front of the popper. This will
prevent any spray paint from getting on the popper face. Spray the
paint in short bursts and apply several light coats to avoid sags and
runs. Rotate the popper body from side to side to ensure the paint
adequately covers the sides of the body. Make sure the paint ex-
tends the same distance down both sides of the popper and gives a
symmetrical coating. The popper will look very strange if the belly
color extends farther up one side of the body than the other. If any
hackle fibers get stuck to the wet paint, quickly pick them out with
a bodkin. If you have to touch up blemishes, spray some paint into
the lid and quickly brush it on.
I would strongly advise against air brushing your poppers unless
you already have the equipment and are experienced with this
procedure. Indeed, you can produce beautiful finishes. However,
you must have an adequate air compressor, regulator, dryer, a good
single-action or double-action air brush, and good quality air-brush
paint. The proper materials and equipment are expensive, but im-
proper equipment will result in endless frustration and poor quality.
I started air brushing with an inexpensive air brush and used
small cans of compressed air as a propellant. The propellant cans
did not have enough pressure to power the air brush and were a

9. Dressing 9
total failure. The air brush had a small glass jar mounted on the
bottom as a paint reservoir. Each time I changed color, I wasted
enough paint to coat several dozen poppers. I purchased a small
compressor that was rated sufficient to run a single air brush. It
also proved too small to do an adequate job. Finally I purchased a
small, general-purpose compressor with an air storage tank. It had
an operating pressure of 100 psi. I installed a pressure regulator so
I could reduce the pressure to around 25 psi and a dryer to remove
water vapor. I also purchased a double-action air brush with a very
small, top-mounted paint cup that held only a few drops of paint.
This outfit worked great, but by this time I had invested several
hundred dollars. I used this equipment frequently for a couple of
years and then went back to hand painting. Air brushing was fun,
but setup and cleanup time were just too great for my limited pro-
duction of poppers. Furthermore, the bass didn’t seem to care if the
poppers were beautifully air brushed or not.
Clear Finish Coat
Application of a protective finish coat is the last thing needed
to complete cork, balsa, and high density foam poppers. Apply the
finish coat after completing the eyes, rubber legs, and weed guards.
I have used various polyurethane products as finish coats. Thin
finishes appropriate for furniture, do not survive long under the
harsh treatment my poppers get. I soon began looking for a thicker,
more durable coating. I finally settled on a clear, self-leveling, two-
part polyurethane epoxy with a high-gloss finish. Two-part epox-
ies, unfortunately, have to be carefully measured and mixed. It is
difficult to purchase them in the small quantities you will need, but
they are available at craft stores. It is imperative to avoid fast-set-
ting epoxies. The coating must have adequate time and the proper
viscosity to flow very slowly over the popper surface and self-level
to produce a smooth and uniform coating. Water-based decoupage
glazes do not produce satisfactory results.
Apply the polyurethane finish coat with a small, flat artist brush.
The epoxy is thick like syrup, so do not apply a heavy coat or you

10. 10 Chapter 6.
will be wiping most of it off as it collects on the bottom of the pop-
per. Brush the coating uniformly over the entire popper. Hang the
poppers up to dry by their hooks. The coating will flow to the low-
est point, which is usually the popper’s face. This is good because
this is the area that will take the most abuse during fishing. The
coating will naturally be a little thicker here and thinner towards
the rear of the popper. Check the poppers periodically until the
coating has set and wipe off any drops that form around the rim of
the popper with your bodkin.
EYES
I put eyes on almost every popper. Poppers without big buggy
eyes simply look unfinished. However, I cannot attest to their ef-
fectiveness in attracting strikes. I question just how visible eyes are
to marauding bass, especially in murky water.
I have tried a number of stick-on eyes that have adhesive backs
and have had poor results. They are appropriate only for hard-bod-
ied poppers made of balsa or high-density foam. They just do not
stick very well and will come off after only a short time. They are
far more durable if you put them on before the clear coat is applied
to the popper body. Unfortunately the clear coat will often dissolve
the adhesive glue and the edges of the eye will curl. Once this hap-
pens you have a problem that is very difficult to correct. Needless
to say, I do not recommend the use of stick-on eyes.
For soft-bodied poppers I prefer plastic stem eyes. Stem eyes
are indestructible and cannot be knocked off the popper. The
6-millimeter size is the best for most bass poppers. Stem eyes are
plastic hemispheres with a 5/16-inch-long post projecting from the
back side. They come in various colors but all have black pupils.
Unfortunately their high-gloss finish dulls with use. Stem eyes
are the best eyes for soft-bodied poppers but can also be used on
hard-bodied poppers. It is quicker to install stem eyes, than to paint
multicolored eyes.

11. Dressing 11
Painted eyes, on the other hand, are great for hard-bodied
poppers but do not wear as well on soft-bodied poppers. They
range from a simple, black dot to bulging, buggy eyes composed
of four layers of paint. These multicolored eyes take several days
to complete, but the results are well worth the trouble if you want
really attractive poppers. I recommend using oil-based enamels for
making eyes. Enamels are more durable than latex paints and seem
to give more volume to multicolored eyes.
Stem Eyes
These instructions are appropriate for both soft-bodied poppers
and hard-bodied poppers. One caveat is that hard-bodied poppers
that are lathe-turned, have round bodies. The stem eye will not lie
flat against the popper. The spot where the eye is to be attached
must be ground flat before the eye will seat properly.
The first step is to locate the points where the eyes will be
attached. I usually place them between 45 and 70 degrees from
vertical and about 3/16 to 1/4 inch back from the face of the pop-
per. Placing the stem eyes low on the popper body will keep the
center of gravity low and help the popper land right side up. Of
course the location of the rubber legs will influence where the eyes
are located. It is important that the eyes are placed symmetrically
about the plane of the hook. Nothing looks worse than when one
eye is placed low on the body and the other high.
Insert a sewing pin at the point you selected for the first eye.
Align the pin perpendicular to the popper body. Place a second
pin at exactly the same location on the opposite side of the body.
Examine the pins from several angles to make sure they are exactly
symmetrical and located properly. Reposition them if necessary
until you are satisfied with their locations.
For foam poppers remove one of the pins and replace it with a
No. 16 yarn needle. Seat the needle 3/16 inch deep. Remove the
yarn needle and enlarge the hole by inserting a 3/32- or 1/8-inch
diameter wire. A 6d or 8d common nail works well. Leave the wire

12. 12 Chapter 6.
inserted in the popper until the stem eye is glued in place. Repeat
this procedure for the opposite eye.
On balsa poppers, mark the locations of the eyes with sewing
pins as described above for foam bodies. Use a 5/64-inch drill bit
to drill a hole at each eye location. The hole should be about 1/8-
inch deep and it must be perpendicular to the popper body. If the
popper body is round, the eye will not seat flat against the popper
body. Use the same spherical rotary cutter used to cut cupped faces
to flatten the spot where the eye will be located. Hold the rotary
cutter firmly against the body and twist it back and forth. Just a
few twists should remove enough material for the eye to seat flat
against the body.
Select two 6-milimeter stem eyes. Cut the posts on the back of
the eyes to a length of 3/32 inch with wire cutters. The posts must
be slightly shorter than the holes you drilled or punched to receive
them. Test the stem eyes to make sure they are going to seat prop-
erly. Place a small drop of glue on a bodkin and insert it into one of
the holes. Thoroughly coat the sides of the hole but avoid getting
glue on the surface of the popper body because it will squeeze out
when you insert the stem eye and ruin the finish. For the same rea-
son, I do not recommend putting glue on the posts. Insert the post
into the hole. Press the eye firmly against the body to seat it deeply.
Repeat this procedure with the other eye.
Painted Eyes
Painted eyes are not as simple to make as you may think. Plac-
ing dots of paint symmetrically on each side of a popper and
making them the same size is a little tricky. It requires a steady
hand and good concentration. I suggest that you mark the locations
with small needles as was directed for stem eyes. Once you have
the needles properly positioned, remove each one just before you
place a paint drop at the marked location. Mistakes are virtually
impossible to correct. It’s better to just accept the error.
I use the heads of nails to apply the paint drops. Select several
sizes and types of nails to give you a variety of sizes. The nail

13. Dressing 13
The popper on the left has plastic stem eyes, the one on the right
has multicolored eyes of white, pearl, red, and black paint.
heads should range from about a quarter inch to an eighth inch.
Dip the head of the nail in enamel, but do not submerge it. The nail
head should be completely coated and have a small bulge of paint
suspended from it. Touch the nail head to the popper at the location
of the eye. The more you press the paint drop against the popper
the larger the transferred paint spot will become. It may be neces-
sary on cylindrical bodies to rock the nail to spread the paint
evenly and produce a round eye. Remove the needle marking the
location of the second eye and repeat this process.
This procedure using only a single dot of black enamel produces
eyes quite satisfactory for most poppers. However, you can make
really fancy eyes by using several colors. The first step is to cre-
ate the white of the eye or the sclera. Apply a base coat of white
primer the same size as you intend to make the sclera. This base
will give intensity to the next coat of pearlescent enamel. Next
add a red dot for the iris. Then finish the eye with a black pupil.
The trick is to make the eyes appear to be looking forward. Do not
apply the paint dots so they have a common center like the rings of
a target. Instead, apply them so they have a common point on their
leading edge. For the left eye of the popper, the iris will be placed
so its left edge touches the left edge of the sclera. The pupil will

14. 14 Chapter 6.
be positioned so that its left edge touches the left edge of both the
sclera and the iris. The eye will appear to be looking toward the
front instead of to the side of the popper. You can add another twist
by making the sclera and iris slightly elliptical instead of circular.
This is quite easy on cylindrical bodies, since the paint drops have
a tendency to be elliptical anyway. Most important is to allow each
coat of paint to dry thoroughly over night. Otherwise, the eyes may
wrinkle or the colors may run together. This process is slow and
meticulous. But when done properly, the eyes look terrific.
WEED GUARDS
Good arguments can be made against the necessity of eyes on
poppers or an intricately patterned paint job. However, there can be
no argument about the advantages of a weed guard. I never tie on
a popper that does not have a good weed guard. In fact, I am more
particular about the weed guard than any other element of the pop-
per. If you fish emergent weed beds, then a weed guard is an abso-
lute necessity. Even if the water is open, with no emergent weeds,
my poppers invariably end up in the middle of brush, downed
trees, stumps, on top of docks, and occasionally on the bank.
When I first began tying flies for bass, I tied only hair-bodied
bass bugs. They were billed as superior to hard-bodied poppers
because they supposedly looked and felt more like real prey to
a striking bass. I never found them to be more effective in either
attracting strikes or hooking bass.At the time, I did not know of
a good weed guard for hard-bodied poppers. The standard weed
guard for hair-bodied bass bugs is a short monofilament loop tied
to the bend of the hook and arching forward to the eye of the hook.
The leading end is tied on immediately behind the hook eye. The
arching loop shields the hook point from weeds and stems. Invari-
ably the monofilament seems to lie to one side or the other of the
hook point, never giving it complete protection. I was never sat-
isfied with the effectiveness of this type weed guard, though I still
see it used today on commercial hair-bodied bugs.

15. Dressing 15
Fortunately, I stumbled across an article in an old fishing mag-
azine about a different style of weed guard. It also employs a short
loop of monofilament. However, instead of running longitudinally
along the hook, this loop is positioned perpendicular to the hook
and right behind the hook eye. It projects down from the hook like
a horseshoe. The loop is made just long enough so that when bent
back, it clears the point of the hook by about 1/16 inch. It is perfect
for hard or soft-bodied poppers and can be used on hair-bodied
bugs or streamers as well. As soon as I read the article I made
some cork-bodied poppers, and was amazed at the effectiveness of
this weed guard. I have used it exclusively ever since and in some
brutal environments.
The horseshoe loop guard works differently than the longitudi-
nal loop guard. It does not shield the hook point. When the horse-
shoe loop encounters an obstacle, it causes the tail of the popper
to raise up and the popper orients face down in the water. As the
loop clears the obstacle, the popper hops over the obstacle. I have
spent literally hundreds of hours teasing this weed guard through
emergent vegetation as thick as a lettuce patch and reeds as dense
as a wheat field with little fear of hanging up. The trick is to gently
crawl the popper, never stripping it through the weeds.
The horseshoe loop guard is constructed from 80-pound-test
Hard Mason monofilament. This line may seem too heavy, but it
definitely is not. Monofilament absorbs water, and the longer it
is in the water, the softer it becomes. The loop must remain stiff
enough to lift the tail of the popper without bending back and
exposing the hook point. Monofilament also abrades with use, and
its diameter and stiffness will diminish. This loop guard does not
seriously impede hookups, but select a hook style and size that
has the longest shank possible. If you set the hook properly with
a quick and forceful strip of the fly line, the loop guard will bend
back and expose the hook point. Don’t be tempted to use lighter
monofilament unless you are tying very small poppers. The stiff-
ness of round monofilament is proportional to the fourth power of
its diameter. Therefore, 60-pound-test monofilament with a diame-

16. 16 Chapter 6.
Demonstrated above is a properly constructed loop weed guard.
The loop has been colored to provide contrast.
ter of 0.31 inches is less than half as stiff as 80-pound-test monofil-
ament which has a diameter of 0.38 inches.
The weed guard should be positioned as far forward of the
hook point as possible. Yet it should be located behind the deepest
recess of the cupped face of the popper to avoid perforation of the
face. The legs of the weed guard should project from the chin of
the popper about 25 or 30 degrees on each side of vertical. If you
have used a hook with an offset point, orient the weed guard to the
center of the popper body, not the point of the hook.
Use two sewing pins to mark the locations of the legs of the
loop weed guard. Insert the first pin at a point behind any recess in
the popper face and 25 to 30 degrees off vertical. The pin should be
aligned to pass through the center of the popper. Insert the second
pin symmetrically on the opposite side of the popper. Examine the
popper from the side. Make sure the pins are located the same dis-

17. Dressing 17
tance from the face of the popper; otherwise, the weed guard will
be skewed to the center line. Reposition the pins if needed until
they are aligned properly. Push the pins 3/16 inches into the popper
to form pilot holes.
For hard-bodied poppers, it is necessary to drill holes in the
popper body to receive the legs of the weed guard. Remove one
of the pins and insert a No. 67 (0.032-inch diameter) drill bit into
the pilot hole. Twist the bit between your thumb and forefinger to
drill a hole 3/16 inches deep into the popper. Keep the bit aligned
perpendicular to the surface of the popper. Do not use an electric
drill, since a more accurate hole can be drilled by hand. Remove
the remaining pin and drill the second hole. I wrap a piece of tape
around the bit 3/16 inches from the tip so I don’t drill too deeply.
For soft-bodied poppers, the holes in the popper body are
formed with No. 16 yarn needles. Remove one of the sewing pins
used to mark the locations of the weed guard legs, and in its place,
insert a No. 16 yarn needle. Make sure the yarn needle is aligned
to pass through the center of the popper body. Insert it about
3/16-inches deep. Remove the other sewing pin and insert the sec-
ond yarn needle just as you did the first. Examine them to ensure
they are located properly. Leave them in place until you are ready
to insert the monofilament, otherwise the holes may close up.
Cut a piece of 80-pound-test leader material for the loop weed
guard. The length should be about 3 times the distance from the
popper face to the point of the hook. Clip the ends at a 45-degree
angle. This will make them much easier to insert into the popper.
Insert both ends of the monofilament into the holes just formed in
the popper. Push the monofilament to the very bottom of the holes.
This forms the basic weed guard, but now it must be sized so it
will not hang up on the hook point.
Bend the loop back against the hook. Note the distance between
the hook point and the loop. Pull one end of the loop out of the
popper and trim off that same amount. Remember to trim the tip at
a 45-degree angle. Insert the end of the loop back into the popper.
Once again bend the loop back. If it touches the hook, shorten one

18. 18 Chapter 6.
leg of the loop by an amount equal to the distance it touches behind
the hook point plus an additional 1/16 to 1/8 inch. Push the leg
back into the hole in the popper and test it again. Optimally when
you bend the hook point back against the popper body, it should
clear the point of the hook by 1/16 to 1/8 inch.
When the loop guard has been properly sized, remove it com-
pletely from the popper. Use a file to roughen the portions of the
loop guard that will be embedded in the popper. This will allow
the glue to grip the monofilament securely. Insert the roughened
tips back into the popper and check again that the loop clears the
hook point. Occasionally the roughened tips will not seat as deeply
as before and the loop guard will hang on the hook point. If you
encounter this problem, then you should ream out the hole popper.
Once the loop guard is functioning properly, it must be glued in
place. I do not recommend using super glue for this process. Reg-
ular head cements will work fine, since very little tension is ever
applied to the loop guard. Use a bodkin to dab a bit of glue into the
holes in the popper. Coat the roughened tips of the loop guard with
glue, but do not leave a big drop dangling from the tip. You want
to avoid a big, messy glob of glue squeezing out of the hole and on
to the popper body. This is especially true for soft-bodied poppers
because the glue will mar the surface of the foam. After both tips
have been seated, check again to ensure that the loop guard clears
the point of the hook. If not, then you must push one of the legs
deeper into the popper or pull it out and trim it again.
Due to their protruding thin lips, curved-face poppers require a
modification to the previously described method of installing weed
guards. When you drill or punch holes for the monofilament, the
drill bit or yarn needle will penetrate completely through the lip.
As before, select a length of monofilament 3 times the distance
between the hook point and the popper body. Roughen one end
of the monofilament. Push the roughened end completely through
the popper lip until it protrudes about 3/8 inch. Heat the end of the
monofilament until a small bubble forms. Apply a small amount
of glue to the roughened portion of the monofilament and pull the
monofilament back through the lip until the melted tip seats against

19. Dressing 19
the lip. Now push the other end of the monofilament through the
lip. Adjust the loop to make sure it clears the hook point by about
1/16 inch when bent backwards. After adjusting the loop, clip
the protruding monofilament 1/16 inch above the lip and push it
through until it protrudes about 3/8 inch. Roughen the end of the
monofilament and melt the tip back until a small bubble forms.
Pull the monofilament back until the bubble contacts the lip. Now
check the loop to make sure it still clears the hook point. If you
need to shorten the loop, simply melt a bit more of the tip. Once
the loop is the proper length, push the tip back through the popper
lip and apply glue to the roughened area. Now pull the loop until
the melted tip seats against the popper lip and allow the glue to set.
For curved-face poppers, the tips of the monofilament loop must
be pushed through the popper lip. Scuff the end with a file and
melt the tip slightly. Apply glue to the end and pull the melted tip
back to the surface of the popper. Cover the exposed melted tip
with glue. This loop has been colored for clarity.

20. 20 Chapter 6.
Loop weed guards are not handles. You should never pull on
them. Always grasp the popper by the body, and never by the weed
guard when removing the hook from a fish. If a weed guard does
come loose, simply roughen the tip, apply more glue, and seat it
back in the popper. You must have the confidence to cast your pop-
per into the heaviest cover without fear of getting hung up. This
weed guard will give you that confidence.