dapper n also dabber*, damper*. A weighted hook used with bait in hand-line fishing for cod near the surface of the water; FLICKER. FLOAT n. Cp JIGGER. Also attrib.
   1937 DEVINE 17 ~ A hook weighted with a lead haft for quick sinking in codfishing. 1937 Seafisheries of Nfld 31-2 ~ This is about the same size as the Float, except that there is a small portion of melted lead fastened to the end of the hook to which the line is attached. P 102-60 Spare dipnets, prongs, jiggers and dappers [were] all under lock and key. T 50/2-64 Take up your squid an' cut it up, or your herring—whatever [the bait] might be. They use dabbers for caplin—snake that onto your line an' skiver your caplin on. T 76/6-64 They'd catch the fish on dappers—they'd have only couple o' fathoms o' line out, first o' the fishin'. P 171-66 Dabber. This is a hook which is enclosed in a piece of lead, baited, and thrown out under the boat to catch surface fish. It is used in the early part of spring when the fish are 'up' after caplin, i.e. the fish swim near the surface of the water to catch the caplin which habitually swim near the surface. T 272/3-66² [You] catch 'em on floats—some people calls 'em flickers, some more calls 'em dampers; made about that long an' a hook into it. You just put the caplin onto that an' throw 'em out an' the fish take hold to it. 1967 FIRESTONE 96 The dapper hook was smaller than a jigger hook. It was baited and put overboard on an eight to ten fathom line. 1977 Evening Telegram 7 Oct, p. 6 We heard familiar phrases such as 'I caught my fish today on the rock or on the shoal with dabber and ground lead.' 1979 TIZZARD 290 Each fisherman had two dappers and lines so that he could fish from both sides of the boat.

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