23 replies to this topic

[christopherwofford]

I have had a decent amount of trouble this week using top water poppers, I fish on Lake Lanier around docks hardly ever on a boat. So I figure just use them as they are implied to use. But I am constantly casting next to docks and only a handful of times have I seen a bass surface to the lure and then all I see is his belly turn when he goes back down, never striking the lure.

Am I supposed to keep popping when i see him surface or leave it be till he strikes? I cant figure out these things and my father says I may have to wait till later months but I believe hes talking about Jitter Bugs.

Let me know your opinions on top water poppers and what I could be doing wrong.

Thanks!
Christopher W.

[buzzfrog]

i fish most topwater slow, not sure in your neck of woods, but right now i am using topwater, soon as it hits water i wait the most a minute and let the wake around it die. then i vary my retrieve, usally 3 pops, then let the ripples die pop it maybe once, pause a sec, then 3 more pops, really no right answer, not sure if all fisherman do it but with topwater i make several repeated casts to same spot

[Nodda4me]

If you see a fish coming up, try letting it sit for a couple seconds, if the fish stops and stares, pop it again, if the fish is coming up towards it fast, wait and see if it hits it, if not, pop it.

[Mike L]

i fish most topwater slow, not sure in your neck of woods, but right now i am using topwater, soon as it hits water i wait the most a minute and let the wake around it die. then i vary my retrieve, usally 3 pops, then let the ripples die pop it maybe once, pause a sec, then 3 more pops, really no right answer, not sure if all fisherman do it but with topwater i make several repeated casts to same spot

x2

[Fishes in trees]

For the most part, I don't fish poppers that slow. I think of them as a buzz bait with multiple treble hooks on them. I like to move them pretty quickly, pop, pop, pop, don't stop. The advantage that poppers have over a buzz bait is that you can stop them, which I will occasionally when I'm just past what I consider a prime target. I don't stop them all that much though, very seldom when I'm fishing them in relatively open water.
Just for the record, this isn't my favorite bait or presentation. I generally have one tied on, but I'll only fish it in what I consider very positive or pristine conditions. Anyway, I might not be the best guy to listen to on this subject.

[Bluebasser86]

I fish poppers very slowly in most of the clear water lakes that I fish. They will analyze the bait for a long time sometimes when they eat it. I like to use smaller poppers in natural colors and even clear at times. Sometimes in clear water a faster retrieve will work better but in those situations I usually switch to a walking bait. It's possible they just don't want to break the surface. You might try a floating worm or wacky rigged senko for those fish.

[WookieeJedi]

What kind of popper are you using? Some are made to fish more slowly, like the pop-r, while others like the chug bug are meant to fish faster, and use a dog-walk motion. If you are using the first kind, make sure you have some kind of dressing on the rear hook, I rarely catch anything on one with a bare rear hook. If you are using the second type, try to keep the lure walking until the fish takes it under. They usually want those to keep moving. You can slow down the cadence if they are missing or not striking. I like to toss a tube, slug, or senko in on a fish when they just come out to look.

[Frog Turds]

many ways to work a popper, walking it with or without pauses, typical slow chug pause, quick erratic snaps popping it along for 3-5 pops then pause. sometimes too slow is too slow and the fish looks at it like ah hum. when that same fish when erratically popping it along will elicit a reaction strike etc...letting it sit and just subtly twitching it with long pauses may work at times in that situation just after a swing from a fish. there are also many reasons it could be that the fish isn't committing, who knows...

depending what i feel, i may throw repeatedly with the popper with a different presentation or i would of most likely thrown a weightless plastic right after. with a high probability if i miss a fish for whatever reason on a topwater & i follow up throwing something else to the same spot/fish, i'll get'em...

[ww2farmer]

IMHO one of the worst things to do in gin clear water is to stop it and let them look at it for very long. Keep it moving, often I move it FASTER when I see one come up behind it to try to get them to react, you may only draw one out and it never hits it, but now you know where he/she lives and you can pitch a slower jig or soft plastic bait to that spot in a little while.

[tmier]

^ What ww2farmer says ^
I got a hard strike throwing a swimbait right after the bass poked my popper and retreated under a jet ski. If you got his attention he has to be hungry right?

[smalljaw67]

Try using the popper in low light conditions like overcast days, early morning or early evening. Also, anything more than a slight ripple on the surface isn't great for poppers, so what you want to do is try using it when the coditions are good for it, that way you'll be able to hone your skills with it.

[tmier]

But what about the middle of a hot sunny summer day? A buggy popper may be the only thing to produce. And if it's windy why can't you walk a popper with rattles?

[lavbasser]

Learn how to walk your popper. Also, whether they want it slow or fast don't use the exact same cadence all the way back on every cast.

[bigbill]

Do you use a scent on the lure?

I notice the presentation i always use has to be perfect. Its a 1, 2, 3 short pops(walk the dog) then a pause. Then repeat it perfect. Timing is everything.


I do wash my tackle boxes out and my lures every fall to get the foul oders and the smell from using scents all season off of them. I wash my hands before going fishing and do not touch a gas pump on the way to fishing too. The fish can smell up to 2ppb in the water.

[Caver]

I love poppers, and I've caught some of my biggest bass on them. I like to fish them early morning or night and when the water is calm. I kind of agree with your dad that I seem to have the best luck when the water is a little warmer in later months. Definitely vary your pop and retrieve speed. You'll figure out what the fish like and stick with it.