What in the tarnation is "pop-gear"?

[catfish-logic]

I've heard of anglers using what is called pop-gear.
What is it? Is it when a fisherman uses a can of soda pop with firecrackers to attract fish?

Someone please explain.[fishin]
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[fishin_nut]

Generic statement for any setup of trolling apparatus that uses a series of a rudder, blades, and colored beads to mimic a school of fish traveling through the water. Intent is to reflect sun in many directions and much noise as an attraction for fish in the area.

The "trolls" vary in size, and colors. The trolls are tied to a heavier monofiliment line and let out along ways behind the boat with the theory the longer out and slower you travel the farther it goes down. People will also add weights such as "banana" weights to get the line down deeper in a shorter distance.
Also they are commonly set up behind lead-line that changes colors every 10 yards so that you can easily return to the number of colors out you were catching them at.
Also they are sometimes put in line behind the downrigger for the attraction at even deeper depths.

In all cases they are trailed by varying lengths of mono line typically 12 to 36" with whatever lure, spoon, spinner, hook and bait combo you want to use for hooking the fish.

We have used them a lot in these varying ways and have caught wipers at willard on a silver trol trailed by a variety of crankbaits and spoons.

My most productive trolls have been the "medium cowbells" in polished brass and silver for trout followed by a hook with a gulp shaky shad stuck on it or simply a worm with or without the gulp pink or green worm.

My wife prefers using the 18lb lead core line with the troll over the downrigger and she catches as many and sometimes bigger fish than I typically do on the downrigger. But keep in mind that I just got the downriggers this year and am just gaining proficiency with them.

Here is an image of a typical troll (pop gear) from cabelas website:
[url "http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/pod/horizontal-pod.jsp?_DARGS=/cabelas/en/common/catalog/pod-link.jsp_A&_DAV=MainCatcat20166-cat20301_TGP&rid=&indexId=cat20301&navAction=push&masterpathid=&navCount=1&parentType=index&parentId=cat20301&id=0011729"]http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/pod/horizontal-pod.jsp?_DARGS=/cabelas/en/common/catalog/pod-link.jsp_A&_DAV=MainCatcat20166-cat20301_TGP&rid=&indexId=cat20301&navAction=push&masterpathid=&navCount=1&parentType=index&parentId=cat20301&id=0011729[/url]
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[Troll]

Pop-gear is all that was said above.
The origional "Pop-Geer" was an old man in Gilbertsville, NY that made several spoons and several styles of pop-gear for use in the Finger Lakes region for trout.
Pop-Geer was a pioneer of many spoons, the famous "Lake Clear Wobbler" is still made in Gilbertsville although "Pop" is long dead.
There were several kinds of pop-gear made by Pop Geer. Cowbells and Ford Fenders are a few.
There are many kinds of "pop gear" available now, some have brass blades like the origional, some have mylar blades, some have plastic blades and some use steel blades. Each has it's particular action and comes in many color schemes.
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[catfish-logic]

Oh! I have used those before. But it was at Utah Lake fishing for white bass, heh heh! In fact that day a few white bass would attack the blades, serious, not making this up. Never caught a white bass though.[:/]

I had noooooooo idea that was pop-gear.

Thanks for your answer—but I have another question.

What are UFOs?
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[mactuna]

No one has figured that out yet.
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[sinergy]

Unidentified Flying Objects ... Plays X-Files music in background


Or
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[fishin_nut]

Sorry, I have been away over the weekend so my answer is a little untimely.

Another theory I heard was that if you get big blades, they will swing around and hit the fish which then get snagged by your trailing hook thereby increasing your catch rate. When fishing with trolls/pop-gear one should always vigilantly watch the waters behind the boat. Not to see if the pop gear floats up, but to see if any big fish escape the snag and are floating on top of the water from being stunned. You can then double-back and net them which in turn makes a great photo op. Ever notice all those people with their fish and no tackle to be found in the picture????

As for ufo:
Ugly Friends Obituary usually denoted by the lack of a picture. Also usually a funeral without a body as they usually have been abducted by aliens.
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