Nature Boys's Pelican 220F is a floating diving swimming popper designed to swim just below the water surface, wrapping itself in the bubbles generated during the action. It's a lure developed for targeting big predators both from shore and from the boat, with tuna as the main target, but also amberjack and GT. After being tested in extreme and highly selective areas such as the Tsugaru Strait, Hokkaido, Niigata Sado, Boso, the Goto Islands, the Genkai Sea and Sotobo, the Pelican 220F was re-released in 2025, also with UV color patterns. Its design was created to offer a highly effective mix of surface attraction, sub-surface swimming, tight rolling action and the possibility to vary its floating posture according to the treble hook or hook configuration used. The body is made of wood in Japan, a material chosen to ensure buoyancy, natural movement and a lively response during the action. The internal structure is equipped with two tungsten weights, designed to improve balance, stability and casting distance, allowing the lure to deliver excellent performance even with powerful big game tackle. The Pelican 220F measures 220 mm in length and weighs approximately 100 g. Despite its compact body in relation to the amount of water it's able to move, it maintains good casting ability and a stable swimming behavior during retrieve. Its strong rolling action makes it particularly effective on powerful pelagic predators, especially when it is necessary to work just below the surface with a very marked visual and hydrodynamic presence.
How to use it? Short to long jerks
Use it with short to long jerks, which represent the main basis of its action. With each rod input, the lure dives just below the surface, wraps itself in the bubbles generated by the movement and develops a very pronounced rolling action. With short jerks, the movement becomes more compact, controlled and reactive, ideal for keeping the lure in the strike zone and stimulating fish that follow without committing. With longer jerks, the Pelican 220F produces a wider and more progressive action, useful for covering more water and attracting predators from a greater distance. This versatility allows the lure to adapt to different situations: actively feeding fish, scattered bait activity, currents, rough seas or predators holding just below the surface.
How to use it? Straight retrieve and tight rolling action
With a retrieve mainly based on the reel, the Pelican 220F develops a long swimming action just below the surface. In this mode, the lure maintains a continuous, stable action accompanied by a tight rolling movement, making it particularly suitable when you want to present the lure in a regular and persistent way. When used with #4/0 treble hooks, the Pelican 220F assumes an inclined floating posture of approximately 70 degrees. This configuration favors a straighter retrieve and a typical "guri-guri" action, with a tight and continuous rolling movement, particularly suitable for amberjack and predators that respond well to a constantly moving lure. A straight retrieve is also ideal when fish do not want to attack lures that are too noisy or aggressive, but react better to a lure that swims in a smooth, stable and natural way just below the water surface.
How to use it? Popping and stop action
It can also be used with a controlled popping action, alternating sharper rod inputs with moments of pause. In this mode, it creates splashes, bubbles and strong surface appeal, while maintaining a shorter forward travel distance compared to many traditional poppers. This feature is very useful when it is necessary to insist on a precise area, such as a feeding frenzy, a shoal or a spot where fish activity has been detected. The stop action allows the lure to remain longer in the strike zone, increasing the chances of a strike during the pause or at the moment it starts moving again. With #5/0 or #6/0 treble hooks, the Pelican 220F assumes a more vertical floating posture. This configuration is particularly suitable for tuna, as it favors more pronounced pauses, an effective rise before the stop and a very attractive stalling position for tuna and related species.
Technical specifications
- Type: Diving Swimming Popper
- Length: 220 mm
- Weight: 100 g ±
- Hooks weight: 8-16 g ±
- Split ring size: #9-#10
- Through-wire stainless steel construction
HANDMADE IN JAPAN
