Spopper wanted

[Richard Isaacs]

Some dimensions for those interested

They come in at 5oz unloaded.

 

[Eddie Bray]

Good job Richard, your spods are smaller than mine, mine are 62mm wide and 170mm long.

I have one the same size as yours, but I bought that one.

 

[Eddie Bray]

I forgot, your tip about the tungsten rod worked great!!!

 

[Richard Isaacs]

I forgot, your tip about the tungsten rod worked great!!!

Absolutely it works
Nothing sticks to tungsten.

 

[Richard Isaacs]

They are crap spombs to be honest
Very cheaply made Chinese things
These don’t close flush all the way along and if you squeeze them right shut with the pin they need too much force to open.
Doesn’t stop them doing what they meant to do.
They’ll work spot on it’s just stuff like that grinds on me.

 

[Eddie Bray]

Here is my first attempt:-

It is 62mm wide at it's widest part and 170mm long. It weighs 8.4oz unladen.

I had already made my first trigger wire before the suggestion to just make it with 2x 90 degree bends.

It works well if not a little ungainly.

 

[Richard Isaacs]

Ha
That’s a beast. Nice one

 

[Richard Isaacs]

3.8oz on the left
4.8oz on the right
Sold all 4 now some more will be arriving later in the month.

 

[Mark Harridence]

View attachment 10745View attachment 107463.8oz on the left
4.8oz on the right
Sold all 4 now some more will be arriving later in the month.

They look the business!

 

[Richard Isaacs]

Some proper field tests done today with some bait and actual casting and I’ve drawn to one conclusion. Where do droppers come in now??
Before watching one of these things hit the water filled with bait I was always under the assumption (wrongly) that for intimate small rivers they’d make too much disturbance and a small dropper is more appropriate but it’s far from the case.
I was using a loaded lighter midi size spopper today and while at 5oz loaded it’s too heavy for a 1.75 Barbel rod to cast it was hitting the water like a dart. My tiny 2oz dropper makes far more disturbing splashes than this thing and I’ve spent my entire barbel fishing life living and breathing the 2 oz dropper.
I think the mini size could simply see small bait droppers to non existent as there is no advantage of them over these wonderful tools.
up until now from my perspective these spoppers have the (wrong) reputation of only been a big tool for getting lots of bait down on big waters quickly.
that’s total poppycock!!!! in the right size with the right weight they could be the most discreet way of getting bait down on the tiniest of streams for the spookiest of fish too.
I reckon I could make it 1.75 TC castable too and keep the fully loaded weight under 3.5oz

It’s a sad day for me cos I could easily loose the trusty dropper altogether purely based on some awesome field tests today.

 

[Terry Harman]

I was using my small spopper that I sent you pics of on kings weir... less disturbance than a dropper and less casts because it carry’s more bait

 

[Richard Isaacs]

I was using my small spopper that I sent you pics of on kings weir... less disturbance than a dropper and less casts because it carry’s more bait

And they fly like Robin Hoods arrows.

 

[Eddie Bray]

I was boiling up some hemp today and with the discussions recently about spoppers I thought I would put mine to the test.

I weighed both spoppers unladen. 1/2 full of hemp and 3/4 full of hemp using a funnel in the upper hole.

I also did a little video of each simulating use.

There was no difference in the spopper opening whether I used the stopper to increase the level or not. The spoppers opened every time.

I have decided that the Large spopper is only really suitable for extreme cases as using the Midi spopper and utilising the stopper hole to fill to 3/4 level is much more manageable and could easily be used with a 3lb test curve rod rather than require a specific spod rod.

 

[Eddie Bray]

Not enough space for the video files on upper post, would have posted them on here but it won't allow mp4 files.

 

[Richard Isaacs]

What on earth did you drill those holes out with where the pin comes through Eddie.
It looks like they’ve been chewed out

 

[Eddie Bray]

The large ones came with the big hole as part of its mechanism, I just filed the bottom into more of a curve. The little one was all me though, I just made 2 holes with a 3mm bit and cut the bit out in the middle with a scalpel.

 

[Richard Isaacs]

I’ve got the mini down to 56 grams unloaded it needs plenty of holes to speed up the initial fill up once it’s hit the water but done right it sinks like a brick on impact.
These are a bit of a pain as I haven’t got a mold for the leads so lots of material removal from the midi leads required
I won’t be doing many

 

[Richard Isaacs]

FYI to those thinking of trying to make a spomb a little tip for the mold.
kids modeling clay.........
Grease the inside of your spomb where the weight goes then Push some modeling clay into your spomb and form it till you have a good shape. It forms dead easy by hand so you’ll get it perfect then bake it for 20 mins or so and ..... awalla!! One dummy lead to pour your silicone over.

edit .... I’m giving all my trade secrets away

 

[Eddie Bray]

I use

FYI to those thinking of trying to make a spomb a little tip for the mold.
kids modeling clay.........
Grease the inside of your spomb where the weight goes then Push some modeling clay into your spomb and form it till you have a good shape. It forms dead easy by hand so you’ll get it perfect then bake it for 20 mins or so and ..... awalla!! One dummy lead to pour your silicone over.

edit .... I’m giving all my trade secrets away

I use Polymorph to make the dummy lead, good thing is it can be reused afterwards.

Another tip is buy your High Temperature Silicone direct from the supplier, ebay High Temperature Resisant Silicone Mould Making Rubber 500g £20.20 directly from supplier dwrplastics.com 500g £17.50, 1000g £25.50 (these prices include shipping).

 

[Richard Isaacs]

There was no difference in the spopper opening whether I used the stopper to increase the level or not. The spoppers opened every time.

Yes I’ve had the same results.
you can top them right up and the mechanism pushes through just fine especially with the shorter compact pin simply bent at 90°.
they are miles better with a way of filling them properly. Half the number of casts required