3 Tips To Catch Fish With The Power Prawn Rigged Under A Popping Cork
- By: Wyatt Parcel
- on
Here’s something all of us anglers have experienced at some point: finding old lures or rigs in the grass, trees, or docks.
On one of my recent trips, I found a popping cork and thought I’d give the Power Prawn a shot under the cork and see how it does!
It was originally designed to pitch under docks and around structure, but as it turned out, it did great under the cork!
And in this video, you’ll see some fun underwater footage of how it looks compared to some other lures, as well as three tips for catching more trout and redfish when using popping corks.
Check it out below!
Popping Cork Tips [VIDEO]
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Popping Cork Types & Rigging
Before we even talk about how to catch more fish under a popping cork, let’s talk about what type of popping cork to use.
Here’s what to avoid: popping corks with a wire strand in the center.
This is because the wire will often bend after you catch a few fish on them, which affects how well the cork pops, which can decrease how many fish you can catch.
This is exactly what happened to me with the abandoned cork I found.
After a few trout and redfish, the cork was all bent out of shape and much less effective.
Instead of the wire popping corks, go with a higher-quality cork that has a synthetic strand in the center.
These can be bent and twisted and still snap right back into their original shape.
Some of my favorite brands include Four Horsemen Tackle and the Paradise Popper.
They may be more expensive, but you’ll save money by not having to get a new cork every time you hit the water.
As far as the shape of the float goes, I like to use egg-shaped floats when I’m using shrimp lures, and open-faced floats when I’m using baitfish lures.
And finally, use a snug knot to tie your lines to the cork.
It’ll help you maximize the action on your popping cork.
Here are links to tie my favorite snug knots:
Using The Power Prawn Under A Cork
We’ve been having tons of success pitching the Power Prawn under docks for big snook, redfish, flounder, and grouper.
But as I quickly discovered, it’s also great under a popping cork.
As you can see in the picture above, it sits horizontally in the water at rest (unlike some other brands of shrimp lures) and has great action when you pop the cork because of the jointed body.
You can see how other brands of shrimp lures look under a popping cork in this article.
3 Tips To Catch Fish Under A Popping Cork
1. Cast up current of the feeding zone
When you cast up current of the feeding zone, the current will stealthily bring your lure right to where the fish are feeding.
2. Tie your leader so that the lure sits about 6″ above the bottom
Most predator fish are hanging near the bottom waiting for an easy meal to float by, so tying your leader so that your lure is about 6″ above them gives you the best chance at having your lure fall right in front of their faces.
3. Pop your cork often
One mistake I see most people make is that they don’t pop the cork enough.
Popping the cork is what attracts fish to it, so when the water is warm and the fish are aggressive, I’ll pop it about every second, with a few pauses sprinkled in here and there.
When the water is cold and the fish are lethargic, I’ll do a few pops every five or six seconds.
Bonus Tip: Use Pro-Cure to catch more redfish
Pro-Cure does a great job at attracting predator fish to your lure, and the jointed body of the Power Prawn is helpful for keeping the Pro-Cure on it.
Redfish hunt more by smell than trout, so Pro-Cure can help you attract more reds.
You can get Pro-Cure from our shop here.
Conclusion
If you want to catch more fish with shrimp lures under popping corks, then let the current take your lure down into the strike zone, make sure your lure is sitting about 6″ above the bottom, and pop your cork often to attract fish to you.
The Power Prawn is an excellent lure to use under a popping cork, and you can get it from our shop here:
Have any questions about using shrimp lures under popping corks?
Let me know down in the comments.
And if you know someone who needs to see this tip, please TAG or SHARE this with them!
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Related articles:
- HOW TO USE GULP SHRIMP UNDER A POPPING CORK LIKE A PRO
- HOW TO SET THE HOOK WITH SHRIMP JIGS (AND STOP MISSING FISH)
- HOW TO HOOK SHRIMP ON A JIG HEAD (EASIEST WAY TO CATCH FISH)
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Will be implementing this technique on my next trip.
Hey Guys, also consider freelining a popping cork with the current, opening that bail, letting line out but popping the cork to keep tension on the line, and keeping contact with a possible fish strike lets the bait stay lower in the water column. Upon a strike, set the hook, flip the bail and keep your rod tip up with pressure on the fish. So much fun and a great technique!
Thanks for the great info Wyatt! I’ve had quite good luck making popping corks from the traditional 4″ weighted cone-shaped corks (with no slit, and shaft glued in place) and adding egg sinker beneath with beads and swivels, using a 40-50lb mono to connect it all. Holds up well for many trips, line gets bent and still works as expected since it’s flexible from the start. When saving money is part of the plan, this shines brightly. Also great for storing in a tackle box slot.
I have really enjoyed going on without my wife of 37 years.She has had two major back surgeries.Why would I want to take her to Florida or spend the rest of my lying ,cheating,abusing,drug using ways with her she is used up.
Thanks Wyatt. Can you tell me how long of a rod you use with the popping cork? Also is it medium heavy with a faster action? Thanks!
Where can I get my hands on some power prongs
Head over to http://www.fishstrong.com and search “power prawn” – you’re going to love them!
Here’s the direct link to them:
https://fishstrong.com/products/power-prawn-shrimp?variant=38036495696046
What’s your recommendation for the jig head size under a cork? I’ve used popping corks a lot through years mainly with a 1/4oz. Curious on what you use primarily or if you change it up based off conditions.
I always use a 1/4th oz. You want that cork to reset vertically and if you use too light of a jighead, it won’t, and the beads won’t clack right, and the cork won’t splash as well.
The cork “resets” when the weight of the jighead pulls it down straight. The 1/4th oz jighead is perfect because it does a good job of allowing the lure to bounce (if you use heavier, you’ll lose out on action) while still having enough weight to reset the cork.
That’s what I’ve always used, and good to know the more seasoned fisherman like yourself uses the same. Thanks Wyatt.
Yep, that 1/4th is tough to beat! No problem Blair!
Good info. I enjoy fishing with a popping cork and you can usually boat a variety of fish with different techniques
Thanks Nick! Glad you enjoyed the video!
Thanks for the information. I did have have a question though. How do you store a popping cork? I haven’t found a great way to store it that will keep it straight. I thought I should see if any one had found a good way to do this. Thanks.
If you purchase one of the good, high quality corks that I mentioned in the video, the cork stand won’t stay bent! Another reason I recommend avoiding the cheap corks.
Thanks for the info.
No problem Jean! Thanks so much for watching!