Poppers

For a while now I have had an interest in making bass poppers. I had been collecting the necessary parts to make them, so I decided to document my efforts either good or bad in the following tutorial. As I went along on the build process, I quickly learned that certain steps should have been done prior to proceeding to the next step. 

So, let's start this tutorial.

Mustad CK52S Size 4 hook covered with thread to give the crazy glue a better surface to cling to and for a slightly tighter fit on the popper body slot.

I took a Wapsi brand hard foam popper body and sanded the bottom to be flatter than the original rounded shape and sanded all of the mold lines off that remains from the molding process. I use a standard flat file for the operation. Sanding off the mold lines is probably not necessary but if you decide to do it you will have a smoother end product. Apply your favorite brand of crazy/super glue to the thread covered hook shank and position the popper body to your liking.

Tying Tip: Now is a good time to decide if you want rubber legs coming out of the popper body. Drilling the hole NOW will make things easier later on in the build process such as not damaging your paint job. Its your choice.

Time to paint the popper. I used acrylic paints from Michaels Craft Store and some cheap throw away brushes.  Use your choice of colors.

Tying Note: In order to speed up the drying of the paint, I used a portable hair dryer on a low setting. Worked great.

Now it's time to paint the eyes. For this popper it was a 3-step process.  For step 1 I used a 1/4 diameter nylon screw for the first part of the eye and black paint. I also have a Wasatch Eye Painting Tool set that I used for the next 2 steps.

Step 2 of the eye painting process.

And finally the last step.

Tying Tip: If you want a black eye with a white pupil or a white eye with a black pupil, then just stop there. Use your imagination when painting eyes.

Top View

Painting the rest of the body is entirely up to use. This popper is rather simple (it's only the 2nd one i made). You can go from mild to wild.

Bottom View

Side View

Remember that hole? Should have drilled it earlier but it came out all right.

Bottom View 

Now its time to protect your paint job. After letting the paint completely dry, I used Diamond Hard UV Cured Resin. What you use is strictly up to you. 2 part epoxy is another choice and its cheaper.

Top view

Side View

I chose 1 strand of orange and 1 strand of chartreuse for the rubber legs and threaded them through the drilled hole in the popper body. The rubber legs are held in by a drop of the Diamond Hard on each side.

All finished. 

I used some congo hair, northern lights tinsel, orange and black hackle.

As always, thanks for looking.