Battle Of The Poppers

[Mr_Poche']

Looking to pick up a few high end popper.

I've been eyeing the ricos and such for a while now

Who make your favorite, highest producing popper?

Color suggestions for stained/very stained/muddy water would also be appreciated.

[RyanFishing]

My best producing is the old Strike King popper, the Spit-N-King. My two best colors are Green Gizzard Shad (clear water) and Sexy Shad (stained water).

[Jrob78]

I favor Yellow Magics, Splash-Its and Rico's.  

[bigbill]

The rebel pop r in blue still produces.

I picked up some high roller poppers they work too.

[poisonokie]

Pop-Max, brother.

[iabass8]

Yellow Magic

Bone and Smokey Shad

[Weld's Largemouth]

xcalibur zell pop. I have seen no other popper sit in the water like this one does. Its tail sits down in the water and when you pop it, it creates an amazing slurp sound

Get one before the are out of stock everywhere.

TW no longer carries them.

[Jrob78]

xcalibur zell pop. I have seen no other popper sit in the water like this one does. Its tail sits down in the water and when you pop it, it creates an amazing slurp sound

Get one before the are out of stock everywhere.

TW no longer carries them.

I thought Booyah was picking up the Zell Pop.  I agree with you though, Zell Pops are probably just as good as Yellow Magics and Ricos for about half the price.

[Maxximus Redneckus]

Not high end but mag pops work for me i use others also and i catch plenty so i see no need to go over 10$ after that its just a ultra prestige lure IMO

[MIbassyaker]

Um...could I hear some explanation as to why I would want to buy a "high end popper"?  This is a serious question -- for the particular model you like, what added value, exactly, would I be paying a high-end price for?

[MDBowHunter]

Popmax all the way, color just pic one you like it will work. Me I like darker colors for topwater because it contrasts with the sky and clouds. 

[Mr_Poche']

I'm going to pick up a few Megabass , ricos, and yellow magics

Seems to be the most mentioned between this site and others. Decided to get a couple of each to see which produces the best for me.

So I guess colors that will produce in dark stained south Louisiana water is my next debate.

[Mr_Poche']

Um...could I hear some explanation as to why I would want to buy a "high end popper"? This is a serious question -- for the particular model you like, what added value, exactly, would I be paying a high-end price for?

Well to be honest if I'm going to spend money on a high dollar lure it's going to be top water. Less likely to lose it and if you do it floats. That aside people have been killing it on early morning top water with a popper in my area but as hard as I try I can't make my pop rs work for me. I've thrown every color. Tried a variety of diffrent cadences. Nothing works. So after getting my butt kicked several day in a row I've decided to upgrade.

At the end of the day if I find 2 or 3 that catch fish it will be money well spent for me. Considering how much money I spend on soft plastic each year, a few hard baits that I can use season after season is not a big deal in my opinion.

[deaknh03]

Sebile splasher..pigs love it.

[Crankinstein]

Um...could I hear some explanation as to why I would want to buy a "high end popper"?  This is a serious question -- for the particular model you like, what added value, exactly, would I be paying a high-end price for?

One thing high dollar poppers can offer is the ability to not only pop the bait but to also walk the bait. Fine details as far as better spitting and chugging and better neutral action as well. You'll have to decide for yourself if these things are worth it to you. For me I agree with the post above that they are absolutely worth it if for no other reason than the fact that topwater lures typically last a lot longer because their rarely lost.

[Crankinstein]

And to add to my post the poppers I'm speaking of are the megebass popx/pop max and the Duo popper 64

[scaleface]

I dont have a single popper listed on this thread so far.I have some Rebels , Storms, a Pico and a Heddon .

 

Oops Big bill said Rebel . my mistake .

[rippin-lips]

I like my pop x and pop max baits, BUT I do just as well with the River2Sea bubble popper. The 65 and 88 sizes are about the same as the MB ones. More than enough great colors to pick from too. You can get 2-3 to 1 if look around.

[ClackerBuzz]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HX60m9CxIoo

[MIbassyaker]

One thing high dollar poppers can offer is the ability to not only pop the bait but to also walk the bait. Fine details as far as better spitting and chugging and better neutral action as well. You'll have to decide for yourself if these things are worth it to you. For me I agree with the post above that they are absolutely worth it if for no other reason than the fact that topwater lures typically last a lot longer because their rarely lost.

 

Right, ok, it's not so much that I think those things are not worth it, it's that I want to get a handle on what they actually are. I can walk a Storm chug bug or a Heddon chug'n spook (although I don't use walking baits very often). Does a Pop Max walk better? Does it walk $10-$12 better?  Spitting and chugging...I'm not sure what better vs. worse actually means for this sort of thing. Does a high end popper have better durability? I've got old hula poppers and Rebel Pop-rs that have taken a ton abuse, over many years, and still catch fish; I see no evidence they lack of durability.  

 

Do you see what I'm saying? I'm not against paying more for a better lure. I just want to get to the bottom of what the added value per added price over the ol' cheap stuff actually is. 

[Mr_Poche']

I ordered a bone Rico, smoke shad yellow magic, and a pop-x pm thread fin shad. Going to compare actions and decide which one I perfer, then order diffrent colors from there.

I'll be in the Gulf of Mexico for the next 14 days working so my order will be waiting for me when I make it home. Needless to say it's going to be a long hitch.

[Mr_Poche']

Add a black beauty Rico and a perch pop-x to the list as well

[Hogsticker]

And to add to my post the poppers I'm speaking of are the megebass popx/pop max and the Duo popper 64

These are my choices thus far. I prefer the bloop effect over the spitting effect.

[edfitzvb]

My favorite popper is made by L&S... the mirro-lure folks. They make a jointed popper that casts like a bullet, sits at an angle, and produces a variety of effects. Available in several colors, I have never lost one and have had them for decades. I don't recommend walking them, but I haven't tried. If I want to walk a bait, I have others that are better. For a popping lure, I usually reach for the L&S first.

[smalljaw67]

If you are getting a high end popper so it will walk, well you may end up disappointed. A lot of good poppers sit with the tail down at a steep angle, this makes it easier for a bass to get it and it makes for a ton or water movement but walking a bait like that is tough. The best ones to walk are the ones that sit level, the Storm Rattlin' Chug Bug is far from high end but it walks on its own and if you want high end at a better price, the Yo-Zuri 3DB poppers are excellent!!!! The 3DB has great finishes but it sits level and has a little depression at the top of the mouth, sort of a second cup, this is for spitting because the bait sits level and if you do a series of short, fast pops the bait will walk the dog and spit water at the same time. If you prefer the "ploop" sound of a stop and pop type bait, all you need to do is make a slightly longer and harder pop of the rod and you can get the bait to go down creating that effect. I'm really high on those poppers because of the ease of walking and popping, when a bait excels at one type of presentation, it usually lags in another but this isn't the case with the 3DB popper.