As the title states, when is a popper better than all other topwaters? Or what can a popper do that other topwaters can't?

 

I went out Saturday for a couple hours with the sole intent of practicing 2 baits I have low confidence in- a popper and a jig. I brought a box of jigs, my topwater (non frog) box, 2 rods with jigs, and 2 rods with poppers. Caught about a dozen bass evenly mixed between a jig, popper, and plopper. The only reason a plopper got tied on was to cover water and locate some fish, but then I started experimenting. All of the popper fish were smaller than the plopper and jig fish. I had to really work it fast like a spook to get bit until they started setting up in more predictable spots. 

 

So what I'm really getting at is when is a popper better than a frog, spook, plopper or buzz? Seems like if they want a topwater worked relatively in place, a frog is better because I never have to worry about snagging cover with trebles. If they want a walk-the-dog action, a spook excels. If they want a steady retrieve then a plopper or buzz would be best. So when is a popper just a better choice than these others? Or is it just a confidence deal?

     Popper are unique in the noise they produce when popped.  Experiment with the retrieve and try to determine if you need to really "pop it" or just a short tug that makes it "spit" the water out in front of the lure when popped. When it is really popped it will make a distinct blurp this can draw in actively feeding fish and will seduce those bigger bass too.  You can also walk them too.  

     I've had poppers excel when they are hiding in shade lines, under trees and close to undercut banks.  Especially when there are grasshoppers around those banks. 

     Sometimes the bite is explosive and heart stopping when a big fish blasts out of the water engulfing your popper. Sometimes I've had them just levitate up to the popper and gently sip it off of the surface. 

     Don't give up on the poppers, they were one of the original topwater lures been around for many, many years and there is a reason why.  It's up to you to discover it!

FM

 

Seems like you can fish a popper much slower which allows you to keep it in front of their noses longer. Compared to a buzzbait/plopper.

 

If there's not a lot of junk to worry about, your hooking percentage would be much higher than say a frog.

I only throw a popper when the fish are actively smashing bait on the surface.   I think that forward splash imitates a fleeing fish very well.     having said that, when the fish are boiling on the surface, is NOT the time to dig out a popper and tie it on.  hahah..  fastest improved clinch knot on the west coast, for sure.  

 

 

41 minutes ago, Fishingmickey said:

     Popper are unique in the noise they produce when popped.  Experiment with the retrieve and try to determine if you need to really "pop it" or just a short tug that makes it "spit" the water out in front of the lure when popped. When it is really popped it will make a distinct blurp this can draw in actively feeding fish and will seduce those bigger bass too.  You can also walk them too.  

     I've had poppers excel when they are hiding in shade lines, under trees and close to undercut banks.  Especially when there are grasshoppers around those banks. 

     Sometimes the bite is explosive and heart stopping when a big fish blasts out of the water engulfing your popper. Sometimes I've had them just levitate up to the popper and gently sip it off of the surface. 

     Don't give up on the poppers, they were one of the original topwater lures been around for many, many years and there is a reason why.  It's up to you to discover it!

FM

 

But how is that any different than a popping frog? Is the sound that much different? 

 

40 minutes ago, HawkeyeSmallie said:

Seems like you can fish a popper much slower which allows you to keep it in front of their noses longer. Compared to a buzzbait/plopper.

 

If there's not a lot of junk to worry about, your hooking percentage would be much higher than say a frog.

This is about the only thing I can figure. But on the flip side, when I get a frog hook in a fish it's coming in the boat every time. When I get trebles in a fish, it's probably coming in the boat, but no guarantees. 

 

12 minutes ago, Darth-Baiter said:

I only throw a popper when the fish are actively smashing bait on the surface.   I think that forward splash imitates a fleeing fish very well.     having said that, when the fish are boiling on the surface, is NOT the time to dig out a popper and tie it on.  hahah..  fastest improved clinch knot on the west coast, for sure.  

So a popper is more of an open water bait for you? I've always thought of them as more cover/target oriented. The Showerblows is my favorite spook and I can make it splash in a similar way. That's what I'm getting at I think- can everything a popper does be done just as well by another genre of bait? For instance, that Showerblows can spit like a popper or walk like a spook. Having that tied on gives me the advantages of a popper and spook without having to retie or pick up another rod. 

When the wind dies off and the water flattens out,

it can be tough sledding here for big smallmouth.

Couple of years ago I started throwing a popper during this time.

A painfully slow Pop- Pause- Pop ended up being the most productive presentation for me.

It's an exercise in self-discipline fishing it that slow for sure, especially for this chunk & wind guy.

Had to get it in my head that a motionless bait is still 'fishing'.

#easymeal

That stupid long pause has drawn up some very nice brown bass for me, 

when NOTHING else would.   And I do mean nothing.

The Megabass Pop Max (already mention in this thread at least once) is my popper of choice.

A long cast can help get bites in the calm, super clear water here.

I go with Medium spinning gear which launches these baits nicely.

 

In the past, once the sun got up, the skies cleared and the morning moving bait bite died,

I used to go home.

Not any more.

https://youtu.be/sITpRNLz_04?feature=shared&t=347

A-Jay

 

47 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

When the wind dies off and the water flattens out,

 

And the clouds part and the rays of sun shines down upon lily pad heaven on earth laid out before my very eyes and I see a human figure walking on the water yelling your time has come! Throw a popper!... a divine message!

 

oh, and honestly, the best time to throw a popper is when NOTHING else is working! Need a hail Mary? Reach for the popper.

 

Its the kitchen sink and then the popper. 

 

(This comment is meant in jest. Just humor)

 

To me a popper is just another topwater. A popular twist to it around these parts is a popper frog. Two in one. Can't beat it. Get to do both at the same time. Pop'a frog! Had my ars handed back to me with one of those- once.

48 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

When the wind dies off and the water flattens out,

it can be tough sledding here for big smallmouth.

Couple of years ago I started throwing a popper during this time.

A painfully slow Pop- Pause- Pop ended up being the most productive presentation for me.

It's an exercise in self-discipline fishing it that slow for sure, especially for this chunk & wind guy.

Had to get it in my head that a motionless bait is still 'fishing'.

#easymeal

That stupid long pause has drawn up some very nice brown bass for me, 

when NOTHING else would.   And I do mean nothing.

The Megabass Pop Max (already mention in this thread at least once) is my popper of choice.

A long cast can help get bites in the calm, super clear water here.

I go with Medium spinning gear which launches these baits nicely.

 

In the past, once the sun got up, the skies cleared and the morning moving bait bite died,

I used to go home.

Not any more.

https://youtu.be/sITpRNLz_04?feature=shared&t=347

A-Jay

 

I've seen similar with spooks. Almost seems like that rear-feathered treble settling into position as the bait comes to rest is what draws the strike. Do you think it was size, profile, or sound that made a popper work when a spook wouldn't?

 

I guess it would make sense to use a popper instead of a popping frog if you're in smallmouth country. Maybe an open water, clear water situation where you're worried about braid being too visible. 

 

I have not tried the MB Popmax yet. Figured I'd see if I could find some confidence with poppers before I spent on the Megabass version. I only threw 6th Sense Splashbacks and Lobina Ricos the other day. All the fish came on the Splashback, but I think the Ricos would've worked if I'd had a feathered rear treble. 

 

35 minutes ago, FloridaFishinFool said:

And the clouds part and the sun shines down upon heaven on earth before my very eyes and I see a human figure walking on the water... wake up! oh, and honestly, the best time to throw a popper is when NOTHING else is working! Need a hail Mary? Reach for the popper.

 

Its the kitchen sink and then the popper. 

 

(This comment is meant in jest. Just humor)

 

To me a popper is just another topwater. A popular twist to it around these parts is a popper frog. Two in one. Can't beat it. Get to do both at the same time. Pop'a frog! Had my ars handed back to me with one of those- once.

I have a ton of confidence in a popping frog. Which is kinda what triggered this thread. I'm debating if it's even worth the tackle box space to carry a few poppers if I can cover that niche with my popping frogs and spooks. 

 

When NOTHING is working, I tend to go looking for an active population instead of cycling through every bait in my box looking for the right one. 

Any time you see or hear surface feeding activity a surface lure is a good choice. Poppers are generally smaller size less then 3 1/2” long unless you are taking about pencil poopers 5” to 6” long so they don’t make a lot of surface disturbance for bass to key on.

Flat smooth water without a breeze work the poppers slowly with longer pauses. Light breeze with surface ripples little more aggressive retrieve stop and go retrieve. Light wind with waves you want to create more source disturbance with splashes and a few pauses and large size poppers.

Tom

I like to have one tied on when I see bass chasing bait and throw it right at the action. Immediately pop it a few times to get their attention. A great bait for summer schoolies. Otherwise, I think it's down the list of my preferred topwaters, simply because it's a less effective search bait. It just can't cover water the way a buzzbait, plopper or Spook can. 

 

I think it's a good bait to throw at specific targets or areas where you suspect a bass might be.

5 hours ago, JHoss said:

 

So what I'm really getting at is when is a popper better than a frog, spook, plopper or buzz?

 

For me, the popper excels in late summer though the fall.

 

1 hour ago, the reel ess said:

 

I think it's a good bait to throw at specific targets or areas where you suspect a bass might be.

 

Yep.

 

I also like to fish it in bogs with heavy cover. An opening of a couple feet is a great place to drop one. I get a far higher hookup than I do with a frog. Yes, it can be hard to land those bass with all those hooks.

 

3 hours ago, WRB-2.0 said:

Flat smooth water without a breeze work the poppers slowly with longer pauses. Light breeze with surface ripples little more aggressive retrieve stop and go retrieve. Light wind with waves you want to create more source disturbance with splashes and a few pauses and large size poppers.

 

Great advice.

I'll start with a popper when I'm fishing matted vegetation.  If the bass are up near the surface under the mats they will usually come out when I bring the bait past.

@JHoss  yup.  open water bait.

 

we all have been there, seen it, heard it.  we are casting to shore and we hear a ruckus behind us.  we look and we see that wolf-pack of bass smashing bait out in the wide open.  grab that popper and get it to them.  it is almost a 100% bite for me, if I get it to them on time.  

 

in cover where the trebles won't gum up or snag..I am toss a walking bait.    having said that, I only have Megabass poppers and I can almost walk them.  

 

the smaller Megabass pop-whatever.   I have one on a rod I kinda hate.  spinning.  the rod is a Powell Naked spinning rod.   it is a one-hit wonder in my hands. it throws the smaller popper like magic.  the light, super stiff broomstick vibe I get from that rod just works those poppers kinda nice for me.

The best time is when big bass want a popper.  I don't know why, but some days the popper is it.  I didn't get a bite on a Whopper Plopper, or a spook then I tied on a Pop R. and my luck started to change.  

I know fish eat them, but I too rank poppers way down my list.  A buzzbait, walking bait, or frog/toad will be my first choices depending on the cover.  I struggle to fish a popper as slow as it needs to be fished in the situations where it shines.  And then we also have a ton of vegetation in most of the lakes here which make treble hooks tough.  As a result, a toad/buzzbait/plopper take up the bulk of my ‘finding fish’ duty depending on the cover (heaviest to lightest respectively).  For open water (rock) or submerged grass i like a walking bait to be able to cover a ton of water but they are also great around docks where you can walk them down the side and even up under the edge.  And of course if things get thick a frog is sometimes the only thing to get through it.  

I like poppers when I’m fishing targets and calmer conditions. I’ve done better on a popper than all other top waters this year.

It's one of my go to top waters. Spit'n Image, buzzbait, popper, and jitterbug. I rarely use a plopper, and never get bit on them.

2 minutes ago, Bazoo said:

It's one of my go to top waters. Spit'n Image, buzzbait, popper, and jitterbug. I rarely use a plopper, and never get bit on them.

Try downsizing the size of the plopper. Go to a 75.  It can help 

I’ve had best luck around the shad spawn on the edges of pads. A place where most guys are throwing buzzbaits, toads, and frogs. It’s something highly pressured fish in these places don’t see as often and it stays in the strike zone. I rarely hard pop it, just slight rod twitches. A popper will come through sparser patches of pads better than you’d think 

I’ve been throwing Berkeley bullet pop 70 the last week or so on my pond trips. I’m really liking it. I don’t mind real slow working lures though. I got a chug bug as well. But I’ve done better on the bullet pop. The subtle slow action is great. 

Cadence: Chug... Bug ... Let it Rest ... Chug... Bug ... Let it Rest ... One of the best ever made. 

Good Fishing

Its been a few years since I've done this. I have a bigger Pop R. Dont know what its called.I like to throw it mid day in the hot summer. I targeted the edge of main lake standing timber. Making as much commotion as I can. Short sharp rod snaps that spit water a distance. I've had 50 to 70 fish days doing this. I dont fish on those days anymore.

11 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

I like poppers when I’m fishing targets and calmer conditions. I’ve done better on a popper than all other top waters this year.

This

12 hours ago, Darth-Baiter said:

@JHoss  yup.  open water bait.

 

 

Yep, same here. Too many weeds here for a traditional popper. Open water.

 

Although you could certainly throw a popping frog in the cabbage. Lots of good ones on the market. However, I don't fish a frog popper so others here might be much better informed on the topic.

10 hours ago, Bazoo said:

It's one of my go to top waters. Spit'n Image, buzzbait, popper, and jitterbug. I rarely use a plopper, and never get bit on them.

Not to hijack the thread, but the Plopper is a funny bait in that way. I fished it a while, but didn't really commit to it until a couple years ago. Then I just thought "I'll tie it on and fish nothing else for a day. I caught a few fish, and good ones. I kept it in my rotation and the bites kept coming. This calendar year it has been one of my top 2 producers. This year I've learned to fish it over a little deeper water and structure. It will call bass up from deeper than you think. Now it's jut one in my rotation with walking baits and poppers/Chug Bug. But I like to start with the Plopper if they'll bite it because it covers water so much quicker.