Explained: The Upside Down Popping Cork Rig
- By: Tony Acevedo
- on December 28, 2021
Are you familiar with the upside-down popping cork rig?
Do you often fish using popping corks?
If you want to learn everything you need to know about the upside-down popping cork rig, then check this out!
Learn more below!!
Upside Down Popping Cork Rig
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At a recent Bassmasters Redfish Tournament, some anglers were using a normal slip-cork but upside down attached to a lipless crankbait on the end.
Lipless crankbaits naturally sink quickly to the bottom.
The upside-down popping cork was in place to help keep the lipless crankbait off of the bottom and at a desired level in the water column.
Lipless crankbaits are usually retrieved at a fast, steady rate but paired with a popping cork and it opens the door to different retrieves.
The popping cork allows you to work the lipless crankbait slower like a suspending twitchbait to induce strikes.
Why Is The Popping Cork Upside-Down?
When the popping cork is upside-down, you have less resistance on the cork as you pop it in the water.
If you want to get the most action out of the lure, you turn the popping cork upside-down.
In this case, the popping cork is not used to attract attention or create splashing, however, it is used solely as a float.
You also will not have to use as much force when you try to set the hook because the popping cork is faced away from you and not towards you.
If the popping cork were faced the normal way, you would have to apply more force on a hookset because there is much more resistance on the cork itself.
You can also use this technique when you are fishing with soft plastic lures and shrimp imitation lures.
The upside-down popping cork will not be the center of attention, rather, the lure underneath it is the star of the show.
One major thing to keep in mind is the popping corks are sold in weighted and unweighted versions.
You do not want to use the weighted version.
This is because the cork will want to naturally sit down in the water because of the weight placement near the bottom.
When you go to retrieve it, the cork will still create a lot of resistance if it is weighted.
You want the cork sitting flat on the surface and moving straight towards you.
Upside Down Popping Cork Rig [VIDEO]
Conclusion
Popping corks are an excellent tool in an angler’s tackle box for shifting presentations and controlling the depth of lures and bait.
Sometimes using the popping cork upside down can work to your advantage!
Be sure to purchase an unweighted cork if you are trying out this technique!!
Do you have any more questions or suggestions on the upside-down popping cork rig?
Let me know down in the comments!
And if you know someone who wants to learn more about the upside-down popping cork rig, please TAG or SHARE this with them!
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Tony … good lesson on the small cork. The “Ol’ Salt’s” secret of the ‘pointy end up’ was pop hard to make cork travel about a foot or more, then pause, allowing the lure to float down under the cork. This makes a ripping sound, similar to small bait scattering on the surface. It has been very successful for me, especially on beachfront in calm to small surf conditions. In the bays, shallow and grassy, and out at distance, it allows the lure to rise quickly, then float thru the whole water column, instead of returning in a relatively straight line. The strike is usually on the float. Hope this is useful to all … I’ve had lots of fun with it !
Have you come up with a way to keep the cork on braided line? The popping corks with a slit in them always come off for me when I hook a fish. The braid sneaks around the “stick” thingy and I have to go retrieve some corks after the bite shuts down.
Hey Steve! If you plan to keep your cork on your line I would recommend feeding the line through the pin itself, and then loop it around the cork through the slit and push the pin through. You can still adjust the depth as needed but the pin will have to stay on your line unless you cut your hook or lure off, slide it off, and re-tie. You could also wrap the braid around the cork and then put the pin in, but if using very thin line it may slice the cork in half if you hook into a decent fish.
Hello I have a question I live in San Antonio Texas I drive down to the coast to port A.
Down here there is ALOT AND I MEAN ALOT OF sea weed what do you suggest I use? My wife and I usually use live shrimp 🦐 and try our luck what should I use thnxs for your help
Hey David! I believe I saw your question on another post and answered it there.
Bet this would be money floating a power prawn in current with a little wind and chop on the water. Marsh drain oyster bars on a falling tide?
For sure! You could even rig those lures up on a regular wide gap hook with no weight. The natural buoyancy of the lure will help keep it up in the water column. If anything you could add a tiny split shot weight if the current is strong to sort of keep it at the right depth as it’s drifting.
I never heard of that before, Thanks Tony
My pleasure Jerry!
The A Just A Bubble could also work well for this type of presentation. Although the float can’t be added or removed from the line when a lure is already tied on, you can add water to cast tiny lures. I saw a video that Marsh Man Masson posted about this recently too. Interesting tactic for sure.
For sure! I have used those to fish with flies on spinning gear for small tarpon. Works great!
Any underwater video? Never heard of this technique
Hey Mike! Not at the moment but I will be getting some soon!
Never heard of that setup before but maybe that’s because I dont fish or pay attention to tournaments but I do use floating rattletraps that work great around oysters and ducks I’m surprised in the tournament you mentioned the anglers didn’t use the floating rattletraps they dive to about 3 ft max which is perfect for shallow water oyster bed fishing thanks for the info and all you do😉👍
Bass fishermen tend to get pretty creative with their rigs. If you go into most tackle shops you will see freshwater lures definitely out number inshore saltwater lures. I still say keep it simple!
Ha! This ol’ dog just learned a new trick. Thanks, Tony!
My pleasure Warren!
How long of a leeder (how far) do you place your lure from the cork?
Hey Jeff! It will depend on the depth you are fishing and whether or not there is grass or structure on the bottom (and how far off the bottom the grass or structure goes). If the depth is 3ft, but there is a foot of grass I would have the cork at least 1.5ft from the lure. Give a 6 inch to 12 inch buffer to keep the lure out of the grass or structure if it is not a weedless lure. If it’s weedless, you could go longer on the leader to get the lure in or very close to the grass or structure.