Poppin Corks

[JeffB]

Just got back from St. George Island for a week and got some fishing in. My wife and I fished a couple of days before the kids and grandkids got there and had a good time. I caught what I thought was a big black drum until she caught one. Her's was a really big black drum. I had more fun watching her catch hers than I had catching mine. Anyway, back to the subject. I took the kids out fishing while my wife took the grandkids to the beach and we didn't really catch anything but croakers and a few short trout but almost every poppin cork that I had wound up getting reeled up in the end eye on the rod. Not only did it bend the wire going through the cork's but on one rod the insert came out. My oldest daughter has fished with me since she was small and knows to watch for this but my step daughter and son in law haven't fished very much and would just get excited and reel the cork all the way until they couldn't reel anymore.
Have any of you had a similar experience with this. If so, have you found a way to prevent it.
Also, is there a way to straighten the wire through the cork once it's bent?

[silverking]

I like to use the Bomber Paradise poppers. The wire is titanium so it doesn't usually bend, plus there's a big loop with the swivel that doesn't go through the rod tip typically.

For the ones you have now (Cajun thunder?), you might try putting them in a vice to straighten the wire. Might take most of the bend out of it. For rigging with novices, try adding a plastic bead to the running line before tying to the cork swivel. That would act as a stopper before the wire gets inside the tip guide. Some tackle shops sell the beads (like those on Clark spoons/CT) or craft stores like Hobby Lobby have them and possibly the dollar stores.

[fishfalcon]

I take our boy scout troop fishing at the coast every year and for a lot of the boys it is their first time fishing like that. Silverking's bead solution is the one I use. It is cheap simple and will save a lot of wear and tear on your gear. I also spend a lot of time straightening the wire on the corks.

[DixieReb]

I spend the most time trying to get novices to not reel in all the way, but they do it anyway. Once they lose a good fish that I can't get in for them, they usually do it right from then on!

[Jumptrout51]

The only time I use a cork is bream fishing.

[fishforfun]

Mine is a "strike indicator", not a cork....

[leonreno]

I only use the ones with titanium wire because the others bend too easy and are hard to straighten. I would also
Suggest a plastics bead on the line then the cork. I try and use the H&H Lure corks, cheapest ones with titanium, if can't find them then I buy the Bomber brand.

[Juan]

I make my own using a piece of stranded leader wire (the kind that's coated) and crimp the loops with a sleeve. That way I can use different shaped corks, add different weights and beads of different colors, sizes and shapes for extra clatter. Works great since the wire is flexible and will hold it's shape and won't crimp.

[Seachaser]

Like someone suggested. A bead or a large knot. Beats replacing eyes.