Never used one. I thought they were more of a salt water deal . Clue me in on  where and how you like to use them .

I have never been a fan of large popping lures for bass.  Back in the day, Hula Poppers were a thing. They never worked that good for me.  Small poppers always seemed better.  When fly fishing for bass, a small popper is a deadly bait.  The Pop-R had it's day in the sun.   A Storm Chug Bug is about as close to a salt water popper as you can find.  Poppers call bass to them with their sound.  This works very well with many salt water species like Sea Trout.  I'm sure you can catch bass with a popper and I have.  Personally, I have better luck with more natural top water lures like Rapalas and prop baits.

I use pencil poppers in more open water, especially over grass flats, or if I see schools of small baitfish being chased. I don’t walk it, but use a more downward pop to make the lure’s nose jump up erratically. When you twitch down you pull the lure under water a little but it’s buoyancy will make it pop upward, make sure you give it slack when it goes up to give it the upward popping motion.

Of all the bass poppers I have ever used, this is the best one I have found.  It's a kind of finesse popper.  Works better with short subtle pops.

 

 

My friends secret weapon is a Shower Blows.  Don’t understand the name, but he kills behind us whopper plopperers. 

The Evergreen SB (shower blows) and Lucky Craft Gunfish are amazing baits in many anglers arsenals.  OG Cordell pencil popper is great too if you swap out the hooks.

13 minutes ago, Captain Phil said:

Of all the bass poppers I have ever used, this is the best one I have found.  It's a kind of finesse popper.  Works better with short subtle pops.

 

 

I have poppers  , I'm referring to a  pencil popper . They are getting used at Lake Murray in the Bass Elite tourney and last year at Table Rock I saw the owner of the cabin I was renting had one tied on .Yeah, I was checking the rods on his deck out. I've never used one .

I like the Cultiva Zip N Ziggy.

 

1 hour ago, Captain Phil said:

Of all the bass poppers I have ever used, this is the best one I have found.  It's a kind of finesse popper.  Works better with short subtle pops.

 

 

Definitely the best - half the price of a Rico and works better imo.

I use the SB like a spook but for choppy water. It casts like a dream in wind too. It also almost walks in place, so I can keep it in the strike zone longer.

The large Evergreen SB is a better choice than a pencil poppper. You can also cast it easily in wind and you can work it in more ways than a pencil popper

59 minutes ago, looking45 said:

The large Evergreen SB is a better choice than a pencil poppper. You can also cast it easily in wind and you can work it in more ways than a pencil popper

just curious… Why did you swap out the treble hooks?

1 hour ago, looking45 said:

The large Evergreen SB is a better choice than a pencil poppper. You can also cast it easily in wind and you can work it in more ways than a pencil popper

I thought that was a pencil popper.

 

 

The in-line hook has a better hook up ratio than a treble hook. There’s also less chance of a fish throwing a single hook. Also,a lot less time spent getting untangled if you use a net. 

21 minutes ago, scaleface said:

I thought that was a pencil popper.

 

 

They are similar. The SB throws more water than a pencil popper

1 hour ago, looking45 said:

They are similar. The SB throws more water than a pencil popper

 

From Tackle Warehouse:

Quote

The pencil popper that other companies are still trying to copy, the Evergreen Shower Blows is one of the best kept secrets in professional bass fishing. Whether you like a spitting, bubbling chug or a wide, dog walking action, this pencil bait does it all.

 

2 hours ago, scaleface said:

I thought that was a pencil popper.

 

 

It is!

Long “pencil” body with larger rear end that sits tail down in the water at rest. Cordell came out with a plastic pencil popper popular for Stripe Bass in the 70’s-80’s.

Newer versions are smaller and designed for LMB feeding on Blue back herring and larger Shad bait fish.

You can work a pencil popper at several speeds, faster splashes creates more strikes for me.

Tom

 

I like the Evergreen Shower Blows and the Lucky Craft Gunfish. I fish them with a cross between a walk the dog and a regular popper. 

Cotton Cordell Pencil in 5"(3/4 oz) works great. Rotating front swivel and it casts far. I've had crazy hard blowups using the Cotton Cordell. Loud rattle too! Both treble hooks are heavy duty, I don't know who makes them but I don't need to change out those trebles. I've also use this as a popper and have been slammed that way too. The bass I've caught stay pinned when I use this pencil versus some other walk the dog lures.

I've never thrown a pencil bait either, and don't really understand why I might need one over something like a Heddon Chug'n Spook. Is there something a pencil bait does that it can't do, or does it walk or spit better? Or maybe that weird shape just offers a little different action?

I've never thrown one either, and I don't think I have ever seen anyone on the lakes around here fishing with one.  It may be an option for heavily fished water.

On 4/23/2023 at 9:50 AM, Junger said:

I like the Cultiva Zip N Ziggy.

 

Excellent dog walking lure and one of my favorites but not a pencil pooper.?

Tom

 

On 4/24/2023 at 2:48 AM, fin said:

I've never thrown a pencil bait either, and don't really understand why I might need one over something like a Heddon Chug'n Spook. Is there something a pencil bait does that it can't do, or does it walk or spit better? Or maybe that weird shape just offers a little different action?

i think it spits a tiny bit of water?  i tried to steal my friend's but he caught onto my wily ways rather quickly.

I've only used them in salt water for stripers and bluefish. Very effective.  I haven't thought about using them for bass.  The ones I've used weigh close to 3 oz.  A bit heavy for fresh water.  I'll to check my salt water box and see if I might have a couple of smaller ones and give them a shot

Nothing wrong with experimenting. Be surprised how many saltwater lures bass will hit. I've hooked them with big 6.5" 3oz pencil poppers, same ones I use for sharks. The Shimano Orca stickbaits they also like! Bass will hit ANYTHING....eventually.