Bob's Banger

Bob's Banger is a popular saltwater fly for striped bass fishing. It is a popper. It is a good choice when the fish are feeding near the surface.

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About the Bob's Banger Fly

Fly fishing with poppers can be very exiting. Nothing beats seeing a striped bass or bluefish attack a popper on the surface. Once you catch a fish on a popper, you want to keep doing it over and over again. One of the best poppers to use to fly fish in saltwater is the Bob's Banger.

The Bob's Banger Fly, developed by Bob Popovic, is a foam popper. The foam Bob prefers is called "Live Body", a close-cell foam by Dale Clemens Custom Tackle. This foam has the best texture, density, and buoyancy, and it is more durable than cork or balsa. The popper also has a bright reflective prism tape wrapped around the foam body which gives the fly a sparkle and further increases its durability. It also features large prism stick-on eyes.

When a toothy bluefish attacks this fly, instead of being bitten in half, which often happens with cork or balsa poppers, it is usually only indented by the bites. In time, the indentations slowly diminish as the foam resumes its normal shape.

The Bob's Banger Fly is easy to tie. It requires no paint, no glue, no shaping or sanding, yet it has flash, durability, pops better, and tracks better than most poppers.

More information about Bob Popovic's flies can be found in his book
"Pop Fleyes: Bob Popovic's Approach to Saltwater Fly Design", which he co-authored with Ed Javorowski.

If you are going to fly fish for striped bass, make sure you have some Bob's Banger Flies.