when do you choose a pop'r over a walking bait like a spook or sammy?

Given the choice, you can probably force a bite on either in basically any (suitable) condition. Both can stay in the strike zone as long as you'd like,and you can make them both work as slow or erratic as you desire as well. I never use popper style baits anymore. Walking or buzzing baits always get the job done for me.

Whichever one that the fish prefer

i was just wondering because over the last couple years I've really put them down and now i rarely throw them at all lol 

i was just wondering because over the last couple years I've really put them down and now i rarely throw them at all lol 

 

Top water is a huge part of my arsenal. Usually catches big fish, you can cover some serious water (and junk), and its freaking awesome! 

i usually opt for a popper over the walking baits, but throw them both.  the river2sea rover is an awesome walking bait for me.  i've recently splurged on a couple megabass pop max and pop x's and really like those!

For me, I tend to use poppers earlier in the spring and walking baits later and through the summer & fall.  I tend to fish Zara spooks kind of fast, so it may be me more than the bait selection.

 

Further, this is on a lake that isn't notoriously great for a top water bite.  I typically use them first thing and the types of strikes (or lack of strikes) tell me a lot about the mood of the fish for the rest of the day.

For some reason I haven't pegged one on a Spook yet. They've crushed my poppers, but the bass in my ponds don't seem too like spooks. I plan on fishing one this next year until I do catch a bass, because it really frustrates me.

I will always go with a Spook first but look for fish activity level, if you see them busting baitfish or insects on top then try a spook as the fish are in a more active mood. If it is dead calm and I see no ripple or any fish, I'll still throw the Spook but I'll do no more than 6 cast and then switch to a popper. Last year a single prop bait really came on strong, the Yo-Zuri 3DB Prop was beating both a spook and an array of poppers in both numbers and size.

I tend to fish poppers slowly in calm water and walkers at a steady pace in choppy water. This is not a hard and fast rule but it's a good start.

You can walk the pop'r really well or do the 3 pops and pause but most would say poppers are for target casting and calm water, walking baits cover water and good for windy or clear since work them fast, but know they merged....During spawn or when bluegill spawn the rebel pop'r sounds like a bluegill and you rrcan cause a rucus without moving bait far but calling them in..3 sizes, but make sure you change to larger trebles or lots of swipers this time of year, I use #4 something thin but wide...Love me the pop'r in 50,60,70, old rebel Zell pops which are now xcaliburs, but rebel walks fast if you want it to and it will spit and chug almost as good as a chug bug, It is different but walks fast like the pop n image.

Sometimes the key to the walking bait is the pause, sound and vertical vs. horizontal....I like the zara puppy some days, large spooks others, but I rarely throw big walkers in ponds with success, I find they cause to much noise so I stick with the smaller silent sebile stick shads and bongo minnows, ima is to expensive to throw in ponds, the skimmer is killer, but here are 2 walkers that are inexpensive and I use as much as Ima if not more for the Rebel T10 with a dressed rear treble, it goes verticle and walks sharp, last one is bps slim dog, has vents and is thin, gets job done, old yo-zuri walk and pop is like a 3" thin gunfish and really good, yo-zuri does good on topwater so does sebile

For some reason I haven't pegged one on a Spook yet. They've crushed my poppers, but the bass in my ponds don't seem too like spooks. I plan on fishing one this next year until I do catch a bass, because it really frustrates me.

I rarely throw a walking bait. I get to many misses with it. Maybe they work better in clear water lakes. 

I rarely throw a walking bait. I get to many misses with it. Maybe they work better in clear water lakes.

Are lakes are substantially stained and walking baits dominate.

I like a Popper style bait when the water is a little slicker. I go to a walking bait when the wind picks up a little.

Poppers are better at night than spooks.

Usually fish a spook or sammy when I am covering water or fishing more open water situations.  I usually use a pop r when I am fishing more target specific stuff like laydowns or stickups.

I will always go with a Spook first but look for fish activity level, if you see them busting baitfish or insects on top then try a spook as the fish are in a more active mood. If it is dead calm and I see no ripple or any fish, I'll still throw the Spook but I'll do no more than 6 cast and then switch to a popper. Last year a single prop bait really came on strong, the Yo-Zuri 3DB Prop was beating both a spook and an array of poppers in both numbers and size.

 

Definitely agree with what smalljaw67 said here if you see them busting bait fish after a few experiences I had this past summer. In the past I have mainly started with a popper and then slowly allowed the fish to tell me what they wanted. I had a few days where they were busting bait fish and so I again started with a popper and caught maybe 2 fish on 15 or so casts. Switched to a spook and caught 6 fish on 6 casts. I thought it might have been a fluke...no not the lure )...but it happened again several more times that is changed my approach. Of course not all situations are the same but added knowledge is a great thing.

I prefer a popper, but I use a walking bait when the bass are feeding on baitfosh, and I use a prop bait when there is a slight chop on the water.

I gained a lot of confidence these past two seasons with poppers. I generally start with a walking bait a gunfish being my current favorite and if that is not working switch to the popper.

Strangely I have had more success with poppers when it's choppy rather than calm.

For some reason I haven't pegged one on a Spook yet. They've crushed my poppers, but the bass in my ponds don't seem too like spooks. I plan on fishing one this next year until I do catch a bass, because it really frustrates me.

 

What size Spook?  I ask because I used to fish the 4.5" model with success until I began fishing a smaller lake.  I had very little success & then tried the Zara Puppy, which is just 3" in length.  For this smaller body of water, it made a huge difference.  When they are in a top water mood, they hammer this smaller bait.  The water here is fairly clear (4-5 ft visibility), so I have had success with the ghost minnow pattern (blue & translucent).  If the water was stained a bit more, the darker colors may be better.

 

One note, the puppy is a lot lighter than the regular spook, I believe it is under 1/4 oz.  If you have any issues getting distance with casting it, consider using a spinning rod.

For some reason I haven't pegged one on a Spook yet. They've crushed my poppers, but the bass in my ponds don't seem too like spooks. I plan on fishing one this next year until I do catch a bass, because it really frustrates me.

 

Get yourself  a Lucky Craft Gunfish. If your bass don't hit that, they dead. 

Usually fish a spook or sammy when I am covering water or fishing more open water situations.  I usually use a pop r when I am fishing more target specific stuff like laydowns or stickups.

^^This^^ is textbook for deciding when / how to choose between a popper and a walking type bait .

What size Spook?  I ask because I used to fish the 4.5" model with success until I began fishing a smaller lake.  I had very little success & then tried the Zara Puppy, which is just 3" in length.  For this smaller body of water, it made a huge difference.  When they are in a top water mood, they hammer this smaller bait.  The water here is fairly clear (4-5 ft visibility), so I have had success with the ghost minnow pattern (blue & translucent).  If the water was stained a bit more, the darker colors may be better.

 

One note, the puppy is a lot lighter than the regular spook, I believe it is under 1/4 oz.  If you have any issues getting distance with casting it, consider using a spinning rod.

 

 

I have not tried the Puppies yet. They have them in my Walmart bargain bin for 1.50, so I'll have to pick one up. Thanks for the advice.

Like others said, if its calm im grabbing a pop-x. Little choppy and ill throw on a walker.

 

The pop-x is my go to bait, can pop or walk it...