Getting poppy seeds to stick to bagel
After boiling, drain the bagels and then press the top of the bagel firmly into a dish containing the seed of your choice. Too much water still on the surface of the bagel and they won't adhere properly. This is how they did it at a bagel shop I worked at, and here's a corroborating video:

http://videos.sorensonmedia.com/San+Francisco+Baking+Institute/7.2+Boiling+and+Seeding+Bagels/b8ec0e85a84f3948ccca841Xb2fe940df302