Doc's Perspective on Fishing Popping Corks

Of all the items of fishing tackle that a fisherman includes in his saltwater arsenal, the popping cork is one of the least understood. Folks from up north call it a "bobber". Folks from the east term it a "float". And folks from everywhere that just want to play it safe call it a "cork". Whatever they might call it, almost all of them fish it incorrectly.

A popping cork, you see, is a very specialized type of float, cork, or bobber. In general, all floats are useful in that they signal the strike as they are pulled underwater; and they also effectively control the depth at which the bait is being fished. On grass flats, a fisherman using a cork can adjust his line so that the bait is fished just barely above the grass, in the strike zone, but still where it will not hang up on the grass, other bottom debris, or oysters.

Unlike other corks, the popping cork is concave, hollowed out at the top. When given a sharp jerk, this concavity is forced against the water creating a popping noise that imitates the sound made by the mouth of a big speck attacking a school of shrimp or bait fish. Since one feeding fish usually will attract others to the area, the utility of the popping cork is obvious.

Popping corks are made in a variety of different styles and sizes; and selection should be based on being able to see the cork at a distance and, of course, being able to cast the cork effectively. Other than these considerations, the smaller the cork can be, the better. The smaller cork will be more sensitive to the fish's strike and less resistant to the water once you begin fighting one. In shallow water, large popping corks can also cast a shadow that will frighten fish off.

Most of the corks you'll find locally are of styrofoam composition and either with a slit down the side so that they can be attached to the line easily, or with a snap swivel at the base and a barrel swivel on the top. Selection here is largely a matter of personal preference and will not affect your fish-catching ability one way or the other. There are also weighted and unweighted models; and I recommend the weighted ones for best results.

Boone manufactures a popping cork that is especially designed for improved castability. The fixed distance between the cork and the bait on typical popping cork rigs means that the line can only be reeled until the cork reaches the rod tip, leaving a length of line dangling from beneath the cork. This arrangement makes for awkward and difficult casting. The Boone popping cork has no stick in its center hole, and the cork can slide freely up and down the line. Instead of the stick, these corks have a plastic disk above the cork which also can move freely along the line. A small slip knot is then tied on the line at a prescribed distance from the hook. This small knot will easily slip between the guides on your rod, allowing you to reel the line right up to the cork. After you make your cast, the weight of the bait will pull the line through the cork to the pre-set distance wherever it is stopped by the plastic disk.

Fishing a popping cork effectively is an art in itself. Some fishermen are good at it, and others simply fish the thing as if it were a mere float. The popping action that makes the popping cork an effective fish-catcher is effected by rod action. A whip retrieve in which the rod tip is brought from the two o'clock position through an arc to about the eleven o'clock position works best, but it must be done with speed if an effective popping sound is to result.

How frequently a fisherman repeats the popping action varies tremendously from one person to the next. The late Judge Bill Dugan of Long Beach probably fished live-bait with a popping cork more effectively than anyone I've ever seen. And when he was on the pier with a bucket of shrimp, you could hear that rod working a hundred yards away - Fweeew...fweeew...fweeew...as it sliced the air. The almost constant motion was kept up until he got a strike, which with Bill was never very long. Other fishermen take a more conservative approach, whipping the rod back every thirty seconds or so. It very shallow waters, if a popping cork is called for at all, it should be a small one; and this conservative approach should be taken. However you might decide to start fishing with a popping cork, it will not be long before you develop your own special rhythym and start catching fish using this useful piece of gear. . .