Keith Lusher 04.13.23
Living in South Louisiana and speckled trout fishing go hand in hand. I remember chasing speckled trout in the marshes of Lafitte with my dad since I could hold a fishing pole. Back then, popping corks were rather simplistic, and there were only one or two brands. Granted, they served their purpose and helped to hold the lure in the strike zone along the surface of the water where speckled trout were feeding.
Fast forward to today. It seems everything in the fishing world has been improved including the popping cork.
I recently had the chance to purchase a cork that drew my interest down here in bayou country. It’s called The Undertaker Cork. Local speckled trout angler Kenny Kreeger Jr. has worked years on perfecting his line of corks and I owed them at least one fishing trip to see what the fuss was all about.
I tried the “3-inch Cupped
Popper” and was pleased with the appearance. Bright orange with a set of beads and a 1/2 oz. weight on a wire shaft. I liked the weight because it comes in handy when moving in on diving birds. I can cast father with a heavier cork.
I was able to cast it 35-40 yards, and with the bright color, I easily spotted it bobbing in the bay with one-foot waves.
The material used to make the cork seems tough and after a whole fishing trip, it looked as if I just took it out of its packaging.
While I liked the previously mentioned aspects of the cork, what I really liked was the placement of the beads on the wire shaft. They were placed with perfect separation on the wire shaft. The beads made a loud clacking sound which perfectly imitates trout chasing shrimp on the surface. After the “pop” the cork bobbed up and down which, in turn, moves the bait up and down providing great action.
