Popping for barbel

How do you like to use a popper

  • 1. Hard single pops

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 2. Imitating falling prey

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 3. Smaller pops

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 4. Consective pops then a rest

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 6.lure if so what lure

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 7. What colour lure

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 8. Short hook link

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 9 long hook link

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    1

deisel

Sealiner
I have now spent 2 seasons popping relentlessly with baits and pumpkin seeds and have done very well. My big leap forward was understanding the lure to float ratio and the way in which i had to pop to get them actice. Each dam is different some dams dont respond to popping its very in depth perhaps so indepth this should be on the artlure section. Share your experience and info lets get a discussion going around this mystryfish and its feeding habits. Perhaps you had succsess with a different lure of popping technique. _seal1__seal1_
 

Exavier

Senior Member
Hi Diesel.
I enjoy the popping.
My biggest is 14 kg on the orange pumpkin.
I have noticed a lot of fish goes for the popper itself and had added a hook directly on the bottom of the popper - still to be tested.
My thoughts is that the most important factor is the length of the line between popper and hook to be fitting to the depth in which you pop.
 

bassbug

New member
Great topic
I've popped several times recently to no avail. I do think I have the distance between lure and popper wrong, what is the general rule for placing the lure below the popper, I generally dont fish deeper than 3 meters of water
Thanks
 

deisel

Sealiner
30 to 50 cm.i have caught barbel in 4m of water popping with a 30cm long link. I tjink the true trick is to find a water where they respond well to popping. Not all dams do. Then i try to imitate falling prey under tree or spawning fish . However popping seems to be magic or tragic
 

deisel

Sealiner
bassbug wrote:
Great topic
I've popped several times recently to no avail. I do think I have the distance between lure and popper wrong, what is the general rule for placing the lure below the popper, I generally dont fish deeper than 3 meters of water
Thanks
sorry my replay is above
 

bassbug

New member
Thank you Diesel for your response and help
It seems like I'm doing it right and most probably fishing water that's not so great for popping as you mentioned. I'll persist until I get it right
Thanks again boet ;)
 
There is still a lot we don't know about our beloved catfish and how to target them on the popping technique. I only use lures below the popper

I've caught them popping in shallow water less than 30cm, deep water of couple metres and everything in between.

The most extreme case was with the Vaal Barrage releasing 111 cumecs and catching them in the Vaal River just upstream of Parys in pitch darkness drifting and working the popping rig in the very fast current in coldish conditions. We missed a couple, but when they wanted in and was in the hunting mood - they nailed it.

Agree that some waters are not ideal for popping due to the fact that the catfish feed more passively there, instead of actively hunting and reacting to external stimuli in their environment.

Been experimenting with popping for well over 5 years and still have lots to learn by trial and error.
 
Here is a comprehensive list of videos on the popping technique for those with a lot of questions:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUYe4PK8nbI&t=616s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IH1EBYY8fVM&t=75s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPeuL7PM8MY&t=104s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ajEdhtQ-xM&t=147s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pupGgpoD6qI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1o-j6EyLO14&t=12s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zH0S97rJmRc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZsQy0U1jzc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrjysHyLmQM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBIMOU9xwJg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbOaHQfkAec

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NwXicEhOfQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xTQW2Hrp5Y

https://fb.watch/2n9IAN3qhp/

https://www.facebook.com/100004676569501/videos/1829406650558536/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6zh2AhSVOs (not catfish, but similar techniques applies)


Happy watching and learning!
 

deisel

Sealiner
kaptein delarey wrote:
Here is a comprehensive list of videos on the popping technique for those with a lot of questions:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUYe4PK8nbI&t=616s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IH1EBYY8fVM&t=75s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPeuL7PM8MY&t=104s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ajEdhtQ-xM&t=147s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pupGgpoD6qI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1o-j6EyLO14&t=12s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zH0S97rJmRc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZsQy0U1jzc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrjysHyLmQM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBIMOU9xwJg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbOaHQfkAec

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NwXicEhOfQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xTQW2Hrp5Y

https://fb.watch/2n9IAN3qhp/

https://www.facebook.com/100004676569501/videos/1829406650558536/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6zh2AhSVOs (not catfish, but similar techniques applies)


Happy watching and learning!

Quality post im sure alot of guys will appteciate that. Anydams around gauteng you guys suggest.

Pereonally i can give 2 dams where popping is effectve.
1. Leeukop prison main dam.
2. Alberts farm dam but guys please dont fish here alone and unarmed its risky.

Any other spots you guys wanna share. If you dm me a venue i wont repost. It will be our secert. We all know some dams are a waste of time to pop in like emmarentia as the canoes and water activity mess with the catfishes ability to sense movement. Perhaps we can help eachother out and possibly open up a spot or 2
 

deisel

Sealiner
kaptein delarey wrote:
Here is a comprehensive list of videos on the popping technique for those with a lot of questions:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUYe4PK8nbI&t=616s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IH1EBYY8fVM&t=75s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPeuL7PM8MY&t=104s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ajEdhtQ-xM&t=147s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pupGgpoD6qI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1o-j6EyLO14&t=12s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zH0S97rJmRc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZsQy0U1jzc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrjysHyLmQM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBIMOU9xwJg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbOaHQfkAec

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NwXicEhOfQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xTQW2Hrp5Y

https://fb.watch/2n9IAN3qhp/

https://www.facebook.com/100004676569501/videos/1829406650558536/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6zh2AhSVOs (not catfish, but similar techniques applies)


Happy watching and learning!

Quality post im sure alot of guys will appteciate that. Anydams around gauteng you guys suggest.

Pereonally i can give 2 dams where popping is effectve.
1. Leeukop prison main dam.
2. Alberts farm dam but guys please dont fish here alone and unarmed its risky.

Any other spots you guys wanna share. If you dm me a venue i wont repost. It will be our secert. We all know some dams are a waste of time to pop in like emmarentia as the canoes and water activity mess with the catfishes ability to sense movement. Perhaps we can help eachother out and possibly open up a spot or 2
 

JohnSam

New member
Krugersdrift dam barbel respond well to popping, I learnt today from a new friend to sight them rising and then cast to at least 2m radius of them give a couple of big pops just as the cast hits the water then rest. Then the retrieve goes hard pop rest 1,2,3,4,5 hard pop or pop pop rest 1,2,3,4,5 etc.

I sometimes add in a 'zoom' where I pull the popper underwater about 30cm the rest 1,2,3,4,5 pop pop etc.

My friend explained that the popping is the only way it can locate the lure so keep popping. The lure stays put if you pop and then leave the slack instead of winding in.

Hardest thing is casting at a big one pop pop etc and it doest take but then you see a much bigger fish 45degrees away from your lure. So you have to decide, carry on popping or reel in and cast at the other one... often what happens is by that time both are gone. I think once you've cast out. Keep popping that cast till its back to you, don't wind in and recast. The fish are there if you chase them around the lure isn't getting as much presentation. Eish but its hard though.

My first barbel and first on new rod reel and first popping. Lots of firsts but darn fun!
 

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JohnSam

New member
My friend knows the dam very well, he got a bigger one wading thigh height and wiggling his rod tip in the water then swinging just the lure around his rod tip as if using a 'roepstok' caught this beaut about 1m from his legs that way.
 

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deisel

Sealiner
JohnSam wrote:
My friend knows the dam very well, he got a bigger one wading thigh height and wiggling his rod tip in the water then swinging just the lure around his rod tip as if using a 'roepstok' caught this beaut about 1m from his legs that way.

The babrel poppong bug has hit you buddy. Well done.
 

deisel

Sealiner
So heres a question. Why in eart do we target barbel as bottom feeders and scaverngerswhen they are actually active predators that hunt in all water columbs and seldom dig on the floor. We had it all wrong chaps
 
so we have also tried the popping thing.

we have managed to get 3x fish so far, all in a farm quarry.

my braid also snapped at a point in time, and while i was retying the bimini, a barbel grabbed the bait.

lucky there was no hook up and it came back up to the top.

we also tried with a piece of fillet.
that also worked.
 
deisel wrote:
So heres a question. Why in eart do we target barbel as bottom feeders and scaverngerswhen they are actually active predators that hunt in all water columbs and seldom dig on the floor. We had it all wrong chaps

I think that all methods have merit, but targeting them as predators is just a lot more satisfying for me than sitting and waiting for them to smell bait
 
Although I've had success on popping at certain Joburg/city dams - I don't visit some of them anymore after a mugging incident a couple of years back...

City dams that produce on popping:

Zoo Lake, Hymany Park, Leeuwkop Prison dam, Lonehill Dam

But because of their small size, the cats usually go off the bite after a bit and are normally quite overfished, so difficult to find a spot to pop.
 
JohnSam wrote:
Krugersdrift dam barbel respond well to popping, I learnt today from a new friend to sight them rising and then cast to at least 2m radius of them give a couple of big pops just as the cast hits the water then rest. Then the retrieve goes hard pop rest 1,2,3,4,5 hard pop or pop pop rest 1,2,3,4,5 etc.

I sometimes add in a 'zoom' where I pull the popper underwater about 30cm the rest 1,2,3,4,5 pop pop etc.

My friend explained that the popping is the only way it can locate the lure so keep popping. The lure stays put if you pop and then leave the slack instead of winding in.

Hardest thing is casting at a big one pop pop etc and it doest take but then you see a much bigger fish 45degrees away from your lure. So you have to decide, carry on popping or reel in and cast at the other one... often what happens is by that time both are gone. I think once you've cast out. Keep popping that cast till its back to you, don't wind in and recast. The fish are there if you chase them around the lure isn't getting as much presentation. Eish but its hard though.

My first barbel and first on new rod reel and first popping. Lots of firsts but darn fun!

Yes, Krugersdrift produces nicely on popping.

Also, try the Modder River above the dam and the inlet area. Some huge, aggressive cats there. Once caught a 15kg and a 13kg on consecutive casts in the river, which fishes extremely well when the water level is very low. Cats lie in the deeper outside bends of the river and very close to structure.
 
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