Steady Action This Round!

Fished Bethany Lakes this morning and caught a few Bass and Bluegill/Sunfish.  Then, checked out another pond and caught Bluegill, and then one Bass that went 14" in size! Used several fishing flies - Tube Popper Fly, COAF Guadalupana, Purple COAF Damsel Fly, Foam Damsel Fly, and a Balsa Popper Fly.  Overall, the Bass went for the Purple COAF Damsel Fly; Bluegill went for the Balsa Popper Fly.

PS:  Great to meet Dan and Jody from the Bassgrabbers Organization!

Click-on Fish Bulletin Board to checkout fish caught by our readers.

Slow Bite This Round

Slow bite this round at  Bethany Lakes.  We managed two Bluegill and two Bass.  Did have a few more strike but missed the hook sets.  Bluegill went for the Foam Damsel Fly, and the Bass went for the Tube Popper Fly.

Click-on Fish Bulletin Board to checkout fish caught by our readers.

Quick Trip This Round....

Short on time this evening but still enough to time for a quick trip to Bethany Lakes to try another Tube Popper Fly.  Lost the one we made yesterday to a snag.  This time brought two; luckily only needed the one. Caught two Bass and missed a third one. Largest Bass went 14" in size.... Fun Stuff!

Click-on Fish Bulletin Board to checkout fish caught by our readers.

More Topwater Action at Bethany Lakes Today!

Cool temps today but overall a really nice day not to pass up a chance to go fishing.  Made another Tube Popper Fly; caught a Bass with it before losing it to a snag. No worries, had a Balsa Popper Fly to replace it and managed to catch several more Bass as well as a Bluegill. Did have some missed hook sets, one looked like it could have been a Bruiser. Anyhow, going to make another Tube Popper Fly and see if we can keep it longer next time!

Click-on Fish Bulletin Board to checkout fish caught by our readers.

Mini Balsa Wood Lathe and a Tube Popper Fly

Decided to tinker with "material in the scrap bin" and made a Mini Balsa Wood Lathe for making Balsa Wood Popper bodies. Got it put together, and made a fishing fly... calling it the Tube Popper Fly based on the same concept of Tube Fishing Flies where the line passes through the body and the hook is not permanently attached to the body. Like the idea of being able to change hook sizes as needed.

Tips for my next lure!

Fishing Gear I Recommend

Check out my curated list of fishing gear, tools, and accessories that I actually use when making flies and fishing poppers.

Visit My Amazon Fishing Shop

Disclaimer: Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you choose to purchase through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. These funds help support Average Angler Life and keep new fishing content coming. Thanks for supporting the channel and the fishing community!

Mini Balsa Wood Lathe

Been tinkering with "material in the scrap bin".  Came up with a Mini Balsa Wood Lathe using wood, a small electric motor, and nuts/bolts/nails.  Works well making Balsa Popper Bodies. Made two so far... one of which is a Tube Balsa Popper that is based on Tube Fishing Flies. More to come once we get it tested.  Also, do stay tuned to our updates; plan to post an article on how we made the Mini Balsa Wood Lathe!

Click-on Fish Bulletin Board to checkout fish caught by our readers.

Balsa Popper Gets 13 Bass This Round!

Windy day but did manage to get out and do some fishing.  Fished Bethany Lakes; went with the Four Weight Fly Rod and Red Balsa Popper.  Liking this one a lot; added some Living Eyes that we picked up from Cabelas.  Guess the fish like them!  Going to need to make more; down to one in Red (really beaten up, too) and one in Black.

Click-on Fish Bulletin Board to checkout fish caught by our readers.

Having Fun On a Saturday!

Fished the morning and caught fish; went back this afternoon and caught more fish. Started out at Bethany Lakes, then went to Murphy City Hall Pond, and then went back to Bethany Lakes. Caught Bass, Bluegill, and Sunfish.  No Bruisers but still a lot of fun!

Click-on Fish Bulletin Board to checkout fish caught by our readers.

Balsa Popper Again This Round

Another variation of a Balsa Popper.  Have tried two others this past week; this one is based on the "Old Marm Popper".  Made one many years back and did well with it in a pond back in Rhode Island.  Decided to give it a go at Bethany.  Caught Bass and Bluegill with it.  Of the three Balsa Poppers, would say this one was the easiest to make!  Would say the next ones we make, will apply a coating of epoxy instead of clear fingernail polish.  The fish really put a beating on the little popper; epoxy would definitely make a difference.

Click-on Fish Bulletin Board to checkout fish caught by our readers.

BPKH Fishing Fly Worked Well!

Six Bass and one Bluegill this round. Fished a Balsa Popper Krystal Hackle variation of the one used the other day. This one was made using colored Sharpies instead of paint and a smaller hook.  Simple fishing fly, going to try making another variation found on the internet. Will see how those turn out!

Click-on Fish Bulletin Board to checkout fish caught by our readers.