With all the popping corks on the market, it is tough to see how any of them are better or even different than the next, but guide Rick Percy said some are definitely more suited for his style of fishing. The main concern, he said, is that the cork must be easy to throw into the wind, and it must make the proper popping noise with little effort.
“The cork has to be weighted. If you’re casting into the wind, which is going to happen sometimes if you fish often enough, then having a weighted cork is an absolute must. Even if it’s not windy, you want a cork that will travel without straining your arm on every cast,” said Percy, whose favorite is the MidCoast Products Evolution cork.
“It’s weighted on the bottom, and all it takes is a simple twitch of the wrist to give it that popping noise that brings trout in for a closer look.”
Evolution also has a swivel to which the leader is tied that cuts down on line twist and allows a more natural presentation of your bait or lure.
Percy uses leaders that some anglers may consider short.
“I want that leader to be around 16 inches. I like it a little longer than that if I’m redfishing, but for trout, especially around these shell banks on the incoming tide, I like the bait or lure closer to the cork, and I’ve found that 16 inches is a good length,” he said.
Percy said not to make a mistake of using that cork the same way that most freshwater anglers do.
“When trout fishing, the cork is not there to keep your bait in one spot. It is there to keep your bait suspended off the bottom, but just as importantly, it is there to allow the current to push your bait where the natural baitfish are getting pushed,” he said.
Once the cork settles after the current pushes it, Percy said anglers should give it a twitch, then let it settle again a time or two. If that doesn’t entice a bite, Percy said it’s time to reel it in and cast again.
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