I hear people using pop gear on Lake WA for trout. What is it?
Thanks for the info. All I've got off lake WA so far is Perch.

Hunter

Pop gear or gang trolls are three or four metal blades on a long (24-36") piece of wire. Pop gear is made in several different configurations (computer talk). I like the willow leaf shaped pop gear because it imitates a school of bait fish. Put a wedding ring type lure behind the pop gear and then you have a school of bait fish followed by an injured or slower bait fish. A small flatfish behind the pop gear also works really well. Throw a big fat worm on the wedding ring for flavor. Big cutts love that. They think it is an easy meal.

Pop gear does create a lot of drag through the water when trolled and is not real sporting when catching a fish. On a big lake like Lake WA every bit of flash and noise helps to attract hungry naturally eating fish. Power bait will not work on Lake WA.

Thank God powerbait doesnt work to well over here. One thing I remember about the fishing over in east (I know I havent done as much as you guys but you'll probably agree anyways) is that you could just put a gob of powerbait on a hook and toss it out! I havent caught more then a handful of fish over here without some kind of action or meat on the hook.

As for the pop gear, look at the fishing techniques, the trolling on this site. You get some nice pics, and once you see them, it will totally click in your head what it is.

Thanks guys

Let's throw a monkey wrench into the Pop Gear Equation.

Why not try a Ford Fender, they work the same as Pop Gear.

Grew up using both on Loon Lake in the 1940's and in the sound at Manchester in the l950's.

Isn't a Ford Fender just a different type (shape) of pop gear?

A Ford Fender is Two Large Spoons on a jointed wire instead of six to eight spoons on a jointed wire used in the same manor as Pop Gear.

I've seen Ford Fenders with four blades... It's all the same idea really... heavy, to much weight, and sacrificial to a good fight.

As I understand it, "Pop Gear" is a brand name, but in common usage has become the generic label for all gang trolls. I remember Jack Lloyd's, Jack o' Diamonds and several others. My Dad used to call all of them "yard and a halfs", because that's how long they used to be.

All of these are undeniably one of the most effective/productive lure combinations for putting fish in the boat, but not too much fun to play a fish on.

I have used ford fenders , cowbells, ace o diamonds. All different names and types of pop gear or gang trolls. I do not use them anymore. I do not like the extra weight that they add. I have switched to useing the small 3" to 4" inch dodgers. They have a lot less trag than pop gear. Another one that I use is seps ultralight pop gear. Sep has developed a whole setup and system for ultralight trolling . I have a couple of the gang trolls he makes. The line used is not cable or wire. The blades are smaller. Just much lighter and more fun to fish with.

There's also the style made by Macks. It's another UL version of "pop geer". This style is a " V " shape piece of plastic,with Mylar tape on both sides. I like this style because it's only 12" long and weighs next to nothing.

Troller, How do you like the little dodgers? I bought a couple, but have yet to use them.

I have been using them pretty much exclusivly for the past 8 or 10 years. I dont think you can beat them I keep a good supply of different colors. I have found the the all chrome or chrome with prism on one side work good when their is less light. So I fish those early in the morning or late or cloudy days. I use the colored ones with the prism on the side during the afternoon and when sun is out and bright. I am not really looking for it to give my lure behind it any action so i keep my leader length a little longer . They are getting easier to find the 4/0 ones now for awhile they were impossible to find. I had one at one time that was about half the size of the 4/0 but lost it on a nice size rainbow. I have even played around with taking old spoons and removing the hooks and using them inline as a dodger or attratant with some good results. That was back when I lost the last one I had and coundnt find any around to replace it. One thing I keep some of those twist on weights You know the ones with the rubber piece in the middle in different sizes . So i can put on above the dodger to get it down if I need to . A half ounce usually does the trick. Dont forget the shrimp oil or scent you like to use cover that dodger and your lure with it.

I am partial to the plastic ones now... I have been making them myself. Pretty simple...
Buy prism tape in the color of your liking, fold over, cut to shape. That's it. Between the blades I arrange glass beads to the color of choice... Total cost to make one will run you under a buck. Best of all, no drag!

Do you folk on the big lake run downriggers for the Cutts? Seems to me one might run the gang trolls off the ball and place the lure right above and slightly back... I do this for Koke's
and works like a charm...

Downriggin'

Downriggin, Could you post a pic of your home made 'pop gear'? I am interested in how you put it together.

Anyone - what speed is best for trolling for cutts or bows? I can't get down too slow with my big boat.

I generally have my best luck trolling at about 1.5 m.p.h., but I constantly zig-zag and turn, which will speed up or slow down the lures depending whether they are on the inside or outside of the turn.

Another trick is to occasionally kick the motor out of gear and let the lures settle deeper. often when I put the kicker back in gear I'll get a strike.

Try using about 1.5 mph as a baseline, unless Easy Limits tells you otherwise. If he does, do what he says!

I would start slow and work my way up. Their is a profesional guide that fishes for the cutts all the time and he says troll slow to sometimes he is going 4 mph. I am allways fighting the feeling that I should go slow all the time. But I have found out sometimes it takes some more speed to make those fish a little more aggressive.

This is what I use for big Lake WA cutts.

Willow leaf pop gear with a wedding ring. Notice the two single hooks on the wedding ring. Two single hooks holds the worm and fish on better.

Have used basiclly the same setup shown above in saltwater for Cuts about ten feet off beach with worms and a little Florescent Pink or Red Yarn on the Hook.

I have also used the same setup for trout all over the state for trout for the last fifty plus years. Thats the way my Granddad taught me back in the l940's when I was a kid.