The Secret of the Popper...

[ib_of_the_damned]

I have been trying to get a topwater bite on a popper for quite some time.  How do you all fish the popper, I have used a random pops, constant pops, pop pause pop, and slow bloops. Not even a look... I mainly fish city lakes in the afternoon. What do you all suggest? I have different types of poppers, spro frog popper, BPS Popper, and Heddon Pop'n Image. Thanks!

[.dsaavedra.]

i like to fish poppers real subtle. fish can't seem to stand it.

[Nibbles]

Well first off, I've heard that these things work best in the early mornings.

Are you fishing parallel (or as parallel as you can get) to weedlines and cover?

I've found fish in my local ponds to hit my poppers more when I walk and pop them - I'd walk them for a foot or two, then make it spit a little water, and then walk it again. Dunno how the fish in your ponds would react to that though. In fact, I've had bass hit poppers that had been sitting on top of the water doing nothing for 5 minutes due to me taking a call!

[Vinny Chase]

I only fish poppers in VERY calm water. I like to pop and wait for about ten seconds. I know it seems like forever, but it works for me. I also like it throw poppers by weedlines.

[mk49]

Recently, I taught two guys how to use poppers.  They just started fishing a few months ago, and never used topwaters before.  They caught a few fish right away.  I don't know how you're moving it, but don't twitch too hard.  You don't have to make the popping noise all the time.  Sometimes, I even shake it.

The poppers have been my main lures for at least 15 years.  I've tried so many different ones, but right now, I can live with only three kinds, Evergreen One's Bug, Rio Rico, Lucky Strike T Splash.  The One's Bug is my main popper.  It can do so many things, and it walks very well, too.  You could just buy it, and forget about any other popper.  You might be able to save money that way, instead of buying many different kinds.  And, no, I don't work for Evergreen.

[Nibbles]

Another popper that walks well is the Yo-Zuri Wack-O. It doesn't make a very big splash when it pops, but that may actually be a good thing in some cases.

[burce]

throw it out, wait 10-15seconds after it hits the water...

*pop*...*pop pop*.......*pop*......*pop* etc

usually wait 5-15 seconds between movements

[MMan16]

All you can do is try different cadences and retreval speeds. But I would say try doing it early morning that's when topwater is best or later evening/night. I've never done well in the afternoon

[Primus]

I agree with those who talked about fishing a popper slowly in calm water, it will certainly catch some fish.

That said I've had some of my best days with a popper with a slight ripple on the water to a slight chop working it more aggressively. My favorite retrieve is to take a Yellow Magic or Excalibur Zell Pop and give it a quick splash with a 1/2 to 1 second pause followed up by 5-6 quick movements where it walks followed up by a brief pause then I repeat the same retrieve. Some times a slow to medium walk the dog retrieve with no pauses will be effective as well. To walk these baits keep twitching the slack on semi slack line., it takes a little practice and certain poppers work better for this retrieve like the ones I mentioned but you'll get it down.

I also like using the Lucky Craft G Splash 80 when there is some chop on the water. With this bait I favor a 1-2 cadence (that is pop, pause, doublepop and then start over) trying to spray a lot of water.

Another great option is the Lucky Craft Gunfish which is hybrid slender popper walking stickbait. This bait does a little bit of everything. It sits tail down in the water, you can give it gentle pops in calm water when you want a subtle presentation, it can be walked very nicely or combine it with a more aggressive popping in the retrieve. Also, with a little practice you can make it jump out of the water.

I favor 6'6" graphite medium action casting rod (not overly stiff on the tip) with a LH Shimano Citica casting reel spooled with 12 lb. mono to fish these baits.

I reccomend 3 color patterns though there are others that will work as well. I like a bone or Chartreuse shad for overcast days. I like Ghost minnow when fishing clear water with sunny skies and also like a chrome body like Lucky Craft's American shad when fishing algea green or slightly stained water on a sunny to slightly overcast day.

Though poppers will definetetly work at times on clear sunny days but they tend to work better during low light conditions such as early morning/ evening or overcast days. Good luck, keep fishing these baits and one of these days the fish will cooperate and your going to enjoy a fun day of topwater fishing.

[brushhoggin]

are there poppers that are walk the dog friendly?

[Nibbles]

are there poppers that are walk the dog friendly?

I mentioned the Yozuri Wack-O earlier. I can walk it just like a spook. The downside of its superior walking ability, though, is its lowered ability to pop. By this I mean that when it pops, the splash is about 1/2 the size of say, a Rebel Pop-R. Still plenty big to attract bass though.

TW is having a sale on them for 9.88 or so. Wouldn't hurt to try one.

[brushhoggin]

are there poppers that are walk the dog friendly?

I mentioned the Yozuri Wack-O earlier. I can walk it just like a spook. The downside of its superior walking ability, though, is its lowered ability to pop. By this I mean that when it pops, the splash is about 1/2 the size of say, a Rebel Pop-R. Still plenty big to attract bass though.

TW is having a sale on them for 9.88 or so. Wouldn't hurt to try one.

sweet

[Jigfishn10]

All you can do is try different cadences and retreval speeds. But I would say try doing it early morning that's when topwater is best or later evening/night. I've never done well in the afternoon

Agreed. As Zell Rowland would say, "let the fish tell you how they want it".

Try popping it and then leaving slack in your line. The lure will go to the side and on the next pop will go in the oppisite direction. Make hard pops and soft pops. The soft ones will sound like a bluegill feeding on dragon flies and will barely move the lure.

I also agree, that you should try fishing poppers in low light conditions, just to to get confidence in them prior to trying to fish them on a blue bird sky.

[bilgerat]

Replacing the rear treble with the next size up (make sure it's dressed) will give it that "tail down" position. It gives a nice tail dance in choppy water.

[Primus]

are there poppers that are walk the dog friendly?

I highly reccomend a Yellow Magic or Excalibur Zell Pop for this type of retrieve.

[LazyBASS1301600404]

the city park lakes around so cal is not very good on top water in the afternoon,  I use poppers and thats it when I fish the city lakes but only in the early morning.  Bite seems to shut completely in the afternoon for top water.

[dday07]

the city park lakes around so cal is not very good on top water in the afternoon, I use poppers and thats it when I fish the city lakes but only in the early morning. Bite seems to shut completely in the afternoon for top water.

you hit it right on the head.i fish puddingstone lake and i only topwater early in the morning,right when the light is just appearing.most city lakes are closed by the time the night bite begins.3pops,pause,3pops pause is my fav. retrieve .

[Coonedawg]

are there poppers that are walk the dog friendly?

The Academy H20 Express Brand popper is the only pop-r style bait I know that will consistently walk the dawg. The come attached with an oval split ring and that split ring is the main reason it walks so well. Also they contain a unique rattle and come dressed with a long white feather on their rear treble. I have had several days this year of 100+ fish days on these baits. I use to use the bone white color religiously, but since they introduced the bluegill color I tend to throw it more and for only 3.79 per bait its hard to beat. I have also found that using a spinning rod helps walk the dog better with a pop-r style bait. Here are a few pics of fish that fell victim to an H20 Express Pop-R in the bluegill color. The pics of the stripers came practing for a tournament. Me and Buddy caught about 25 a piece each day for 3 days over the course of an hour and half schooling at Lake Greenwood.

[Fishes in trees]

When I fish a popper, I like to keep it moving most of the time.  I like it spitting and popping and dog walking,  I work it pretty aggressively.  Basically, I use it in place of a buzzbait, because you can stop it occasionally and it floats.

[SJB1226]

Recently, I taught two guys how to use poppers. They just started fishing a few months ago, and never used topwaters before. They caught a few fish right away. I don't know how you're moving it, but don't twitch too hard. You don't have to make the popping noise all the time. Sometimes, I even shake it.

The poppers have been my main lures for at least 15 years. I've tried so many different ones, but right now, I can live with only three kinds, Evergreen One's Bug, Rio Rico, Lucky Strike T Splash. The One's Bug is my main popper. It can do so many things, and it walks very well, too. You could just buy it, and forget about any other popper. You might be able to save money that way, instead of buying many different kinds. And, no, I don't work for Evergreen.

Those are all OUTSTANDING poppers My all time FAV's are the One's Bug and the Megabass Pop-X

mostly I fish Pop pop pop pause...pop pop pop pause.. that will catch fish most times here in FL.. I love popper fishing I have caught countless fish on poppers and 8 over 10# on them.. 100's in the 5-7LB range... and won lots and lots of cash in tourneys thanks to mainly Pop-X's and Ones bug's. Subtle pops with a harder one every now and then will draw strikes.. Poppers catch LOTS of fish and catch them year round.. Overcast days early morning and late evening are prime time Popper times!

[iceintheveins]

Rapala skitterpops are the best poppers made IMO, as they pop AND walk the dog very well. Heddon Popn Images also incorporate both actions in one bait.

The key to poppers is timing. Almost always good topwater bites will come in morning and evening periods as the sun goes down, or in cloudy weather. I usually give the lure a pop or two, varying the intensity of the bloops or blips. I will pause anywhere from 5 to 30 seconds.