How do you guys choose between buzzbait, popper, walkers, propbaits?

If I'm looking to cover some water quickly or when fishing wood, I'll have the buzzbait on. In super clear water where I need an extra long cast, or to cover a point or hump, I throw the Spook. If there are shad present on or near the surface I throw the popper or prop bait.

If the water is dead calm, I'll pick a popper/chugger or possibly a Spit'n Image.  Even a buzzbait at times like that, although I like a little ripple on the water for that.  If the water is fairly choppy, out comes the prop bait, preferably one with two blades, one at each end (you need to make a lot of commotion at times like that  )

I'll try 3 different topwater types before moving on.  A twitch bait (renosky crippled shad), a walking bait (spook) and a constant retrieve bait (dying flutter, buzzbait)

If one of these doesn't bring them up, I move on.

Something you might try that has really worked for me is "walking" a prop-bait.

I managed to do very well about three weeks ago doing this and was walking it pretty fast (5 twitches per second or more). It makes about as much noise as a fast buzzbait, but is moving slower. With the muddy water we have been having that bit of extra time for the fish to find it was paying off.

The main difference I make in whether to use my prop-bait or walker is size. My prop bait is a Tiny Torpedoe and my walking bait is a Super-Spook (started out using them for hybrid stripers, but black bass love them too).

I never really had much luck with poppers.

I'll use buzz baits when the bass are really moving fast to catch food. Otherwise I get way too many short strikes. When I do use them, it will usually be close to weed beds or tree tops.

Another topwater I use a lot is a weedless frog. I fish some ponds that are 90% weed cover, so this comes in really handy.