1 hour ago, FloridaFishinFool said:

 

Maybe my buddies are not using them slow enough?

 

But when you say the lure was hit as soon as it lands tells me those fish would have hit just about anything that moves that came within range.

Yes... In that instance, a popper would likely have done as well. Some were on the retrieve, but very close to where it landed.

 

The thing I like about them is you can slow them down way slower than a buzzbait. I usually use the 90, but have some 75 and 110 as well

10 fish.  I counted them.  a Berkely Choppo I found in Oklahoma.  the bigger ones.  10 fish total certainly isn't a success story.  not by a long shot.   I dont even bring it anymore.  and. mine is bone colored which I feel is my  main topwater color if available. 

 

I found that a longass cast is my secret. I stay back and just let it rip.  the fish hammered it when I was way out.  

Quit using them because every piece of grass would catch and stop the blade. I can drag a log attached to a tiny torpedo and the blade will still spin.

 

Allen 

I like wp's but have the same grass problem. It seems like I'm always downwind of a weed control harvester. I'll have to try a tiny torpedo. 

I've caught bass on the 110, 90, and 75, and like most people, I fished them a lot when each of those models came out, but much less now.   

 

The biggest problem I've found is not so much that bass have stopped hitting them entirely (although probably less), but that, in most situations, I find there is some other bait that pretty clearly a better choice.  For instance, summer vegetation is a real problem with the tail, and even the tiniest bit of grass ruins the retrieve. Buzzbaits and frogs are much better options in that case.  In more open water, a popper or walking bait is usually better in my experience (or a crawler, like a jitterbug or pompadour).  Unless a whopper plopper is going to draw strikes when other things aren't, there doesn't seem much reason to use them. 

 

The one time and place I still use them regularly is in rivers, and I've been using the 75 exclusively.  I fished one for the first time this year yesterday and caught 2 bass (1 good one)...and 3 pike.  And that's the other problem:  They seem to attract pike and bowfins as much or more than they attract bass.  

I have 4 whopper ploppers of diff sizes. Have caught a few, but tbh I catch more on swimming frogs like the Ribbit, Horny Toad or the Zoom Floating foam frog. Prob because I have more confidence in the swimming frogs. But they are also weedless & work well for the grass & pads I often fish. 

In all seriousness, there was one summer ten years ago or so when it was a ridiculously hot bait.

 

I remember one day there was a 69 minute period when I caught a bass on almost every cast. It was insane.

 

It produced one or two fish almost every time out, especially afternoon fishing. But then it just stopped. Not a single bite.

 

I might throw it once or twice a year, but I can’t remember the last time I got bit on it.

On 7/23/2025 at 8:00 PM, 12poundbass said:

Who can’t not get a bite on a Whopper Plopper? I’ve had a couple on but they always come off, other than that nothing. Not even a short strike.

 

@A-Jay can I get a refund? 😂

Man, this is one of my confidence baits! I have one tied on now. I have to ask if you've really buckled down and dedicated time to it. I was starting to think it was a very situational niche bait. Then one day I decided I would tie it on and use it all day. I caught a few, enough to know it does work. Since then, I've had some stellar days on it. This year, I've caught bass in broad daylight over deeper water on it. I caught a bass in February of this year on one. It's a great search bait. Big bass love it-or maybe hate it, not sure which. There are times that it will work better. Obviously, in lower light conditions. A rainly day with little or no wind is perfect. Prespawn is really good for it. Big cruising females will nail it. And then there's nighttime. But I do still get a few crushing bites from big bass in direct sunlight. It's a killer bait around bluegill beds.

 

When you cast it, it's tempting to just start retrieving because it's similar to a buzzbait. Let it soak a few seconds. You'll be surprised at the fish that will bite it before it moves. Others will give chase when you start the retrieve after letting it rest. I like to use it with 30# braid with a 7' MH rod. You can cast it a very long way and it can be harder to get a hookset in a fish with that much mono out. You can also get longer casts with 30# braid than 15# mono. The more water you cover, the more bites. If you're losing fish, you can change to a slightly larger hook. I changed the hooks on my 110s to Gamakatsu EWG treble #2. I like the hooks that come on the 90 size. I don't use any other sizes. I will loosen the drag when I have a big one on unless it's in the grass and I have to drag it out. I've lost a bunch on this bait by trying to horse them. The last big one I caught on a topwater had one hook in the top of its head by the time I landed it. Carry a net. They'll thrash around at the last moment if you don't get a quick hand on them. Also, use a fast reel. Good luck. 

 

 

7 hours ago, the reel ess said:

Man, this is one of my confidence baits! I have one tied on now. I have to ask if you've really buckled down and dedicated time to it. I was starting to think it was a very situational niche bait. Then one day I decided I would tie it on and use it all day. I caught a few, enough to know it does work. Since then, I've had some stellar days on it. This year, I've caught bass in broad daylight over deeper water on it. I caught a bass in February of this year on one. It's a great search bait. Big bass love it-or maybe hate it, not sure which. There are times that it will work better. Obviously, in lower light conditions. A rainly day with little or no wind is perfect. Prespawn is really good for it. Big cruising females will nail it. And then there's nighttime. But I do still get a few crushing bites from big bass in direct sunlight. It's a killer bait around bluegill beds.

 

When you cast it, it's tempting to just start retrieving because it's similar to a buzzbait. Let it soak a few seconds. You'll be surprised at the fish that will bite it before it moves. Others will give chase when you start the retrieve after letting it rest. I like to use it with 30# braid with a 7' MH rod. You can cast it a very long way and it can be harder to get a hookset in a fish with that much mono out. You can also get longer casts with 30# braid than 15# mono. The more water you cover, the more bites. If you're losing fish, you can change to a slightly larger hook. I changed the hooks on my 110s to Gamakatsu EWG treble #2. I like the hooks that come on the 90 size. I don't use any other sizes. I will loosen the drag when I have a big one on unless it's in the grass and I have to drag it out. I've lost a bunch on this bait by trying to horse them. The last big one I caught on a topwater had one hook in the top of its head by the time I landed it. Carry a net. They'll thrash around at the last moment if you don't get a quick hand on them. Also, use a fast reel. Good luck. 

 

 

I’ve gave it my all short of fishing it 100% of the time I go out. My time right now is precious so I don’t dedicate 100% of my time to it. As far as the hooks go, I bought them from @A-Jay so they’re premium hooks. To be fair, I’ve only fished them during the summer top water months and on good weather days. I either don’t get a strike (which is rare) or I lose it shortly thereafter. My PB came on a frog, early October, on a windy rainy day so I’ll be trying the Plopper this fall. Other than that, it’s a total dud for me.

16 hours ago, 12poundbass said:

I’ve gave it my all short of fishing it 100% of the time I go out. My time right now is precious so I don’t dedicate 100% of my time to it. As far as the hooks go, I bought them from @A-Jay so they’re premium hooks. To be fair, I’ve only fished them during the summer top water months and on good weather days. I either don’t get a strike (which is rare) or I lose it shortly thereafter. My PB came on a frog, early October, on a windy rainy day so I’ll be trying the Plopper this fall. Other than that, it’s a total dud for me.

I had a bad morning with the size 90 today. Only caught 3 on it. My buddy got one over 5 lb. on it first thing this morning. I took this pic over my shoulder. I trimmed him out of it.