Product Review- MX Poppin’ Cork
The MX Poppin’ Cork is as much a piece of art as it is a tool to catch fish, and it doesn’t disappoint in either category. Developed about eight years ago by James Counts, of MX Plugs, this 1.5 oz., 3” lure is hand-made, and each one takes between 7-10 days to craft.
When combined with a 2-3’ trailer and your choice of live or artificial bait (Counts recommends shrimp or Gulp baits), it excels at catching red drum, speckled trout, bluefish, striped bass, and any other fish that would typically be attracted by a popping cork.
And it’s only $9.99 (plus tax and shipping).
Counts, who currently lives in Stem, NC, has been making lures since 1972 and selling them since 2005. As a kid, he used to experiment with wine corks to make poppers, bird feathers to make flies, and pull-tops from soda cans to make spoons, and his technical skill and knowledge grew from there.
Today, the MX Poppin’ Cork is Counts’ only mid-line lure and the only lure that is painted with a glow-in-the-dark finish that illuminates in the water during the early morning and late evening hours. It’s made out of wood, so it’s very durable, and it’s weighted so that anglers can get more distance out of a cast.
The various beads on the lure create multi-frequency sounds, which, combined with the two fluttering spoons, attract fish from afar. Since fish are known to sometimes hit popping corks themselves instead of the trailer, Counts added a treble hook to the Poppin’ Cork to increase the chances of a bite and create the opportunity for a double hookup.
The biggest fish that Counts has caught while using the MX Poppin’ Cork, which comes in yellow, orange, red, and green, was a 30 lb. striper.
You can reach out to Counts to purchase your own Poppin’ Cork by texting him at (516) 449-1077, emailing him at mxplugs@frontier.com, visiting www.MXPlugs.com, or finding him on Facebook by searching for MX Plugs.
