Another plopper question

[rboat]

Have yet get a strike on the whopper Plopper. I have a 90, 110, & 2, 130s. You guys that are getting the strikes could you share some info please. Do they work better dead calm or with a slight chop on the water? Do you work it on a slow steady retrieve or quick jerks? Is it best in open water or real close to cover? Time of day matter? Just trying to get dialed in. Thanks.

[npl_texas]

I prefer it to be as calm as possible.  Even small waves kill the action. 

 

I typically just work a steady retrieve, like medium fast, enough to get it ploppin'.  

 

I've caught more fish throwing it past cover and coming across it than in open water, but I've caught plenty in open water.

 

The most productive time of day is early morning and late evening for me.  Low light conditions.

[BrackishBassin]

Definitely find it more effective when it’s not dealing with chop, but it still works when the wind is up. I’ve had bass hit it on both situations. I’ve caught them near cover/structure and in open water. Steady retrieve has always worked best for me, but if I’m going to be pausing a bunch, I’d just as soon fish a popper. 

 

Don’t think that really helps narrow things down for you, but in my somewhat limited experience with the bait, I’ve caught fish when I’ve fished it. 

[IndianaOutdoors]

I agree with both the above posts.  Just keep in mind that even though the whopper plopper is the new hot ticket and can be a very effective bait, it isn't a magic lure.  If it isn't working it is possible it's not you but that the first just don't want it.  There have been days I have been very successful with it and days it got no strikes at all.  

[rippin-lips]

It’s worked in all the scenarios you mentioned above. You just need to figure out how they want it at that specific time. Some days they won’t even look at it. 

["The Ghost" fisherman]

I own three 130's, eight 110's, and four 90's. 

 

First off, I just wanna say hello to my fellow anglers. I'm new to the forum and I'm always seeking (and willing to give) knowledge about this beautiful sport that we all so fiercely love. I hope y'all welcome me with open arms to the family.

 

Rboat, I'm not sure what colors you particularly own, but I'll tell you that the "loon" color is deadly at night. For day time, I've had great success with the "Bone" and "Monkeybutt" color. Now, I'm 100% certain that some others here will say color doesn't matter on topwater, because I used to say the same thing too. But, the Whopper plopper changed my way of thinking real quick like.

 

Anyway, you can fish it almost any way you want too. Rip it, burn it, twitch it, retrieve it, pop it, walk it etc etc. Some days you just have to find what action they're lookin for. Usually, I like to cast it alongside embankments with a 4 to 5 second steady retrieve, followed by a sudden stop. Then, use 2 quick sharp twitches, let it sit for 2 seconds and then start the process all over again. 

 

Oh, and uh, may I ask what your rod n reel setup is? 

[tcbass]

I actually like the Whopper Plopper because it works great in chop and wavy waters when other topwaters don't make enough of a commotion. 

 

I've caught most of my fish on either the landing or straight retrieve. I have caught some on stop and go but that's less. I'd find the speed the fish want that day and then you'll know, whether it's fast or slow. Here we do it a little bit slower than some but definitely a pretty quick retrieve back. 

[npl_texas]

4 minutes ago, tcbass said:

I actually like the Whopper Plopper because it works great in chop and wavy waters when other topwaters don't make enough of a commotion. 

 

I've caught most of my fish on either the landing or straight retrieve. I have caught some on stop and go but that's less. I'd find the speed the fish want that day and then you'll know, whether it's fast or slow. Here we do it a little bit slower than some but definitely a pretty quick retrieve back. 

I mostly fish the 110's and they seem to dive right into the wave and stop plopping for me.

[tcbass]

9 minutes ago, npl_texas said:

I mostly fish the 110's and they seem to dive right into the wave and stop plopping for me.

 

Try keeping your rod tip up, that might help. But I haven't had to do that.

 

 

On days that we've had chop and I thought, well, too windy, no topwater fish today, and I've tried it, stil caught them. So awesome.

[MassYak85]

I fish the 130 95% of the time, and occasionally give the 90 a go if the water is dead calm and they don't want the 130. But for me with my 130 (perch color) I've had my best day fishing wind...I'm talking whitecaps. It's one of the reasons I like the 130 over the smaller sizes, it can stay afloat in rough water and still casts a mile into wind. I've had good luck fishing around weed edges, lily pad edges, around wood, around drop offs, rock piles, points...random open water. Just throw it anywhere you think there are fish and you will get bit eventually. Strangely I've had most of my luck fishing it during the day but I have got some at night too. I do best with a steady retrieve, I rarely do stop and go but that can probably work well if you are trying to trigger bites. The bites I get are usually pretty aggressive on the straight retrieve. A lot of times I think it just annoys them more than anything. Sometimes I'll also get strikes when it lands if I get it right next to something or into a pocket in vegetation. 

[Bluebasser86]

Slow down, then reel slower. 

 

Straight retrieve, straight braid, rod tip up. It'll work with a stop and go retrieve, but I've had much better luck on a straight retrieve. 

[GrumpyOlPhartte]

One thing that worked for me was to cast the whopper plopper and let it sit as long as I can stand it, then twitch my rod just enough to jiggle the lure ... and I mean just barely move it. I do that a couple of times, then begin the slow retrieve mentioned by the guys above. Discovered this by accident when I cast my WP, then let it sit while I was stowing my paddle and got clobbered. My best (and totally unsubstantiated) guess is that the splash might get their attention, but their caution may prevent them from attacking the lure immediately. I’ve caught bass before my whopper ever really started plopping or very shortly after I started my retrieve. Never caught a bass if I just cast and retrieve. If you’re not getting any strikes, you might want to try this. Good luck. By the way, best conditions for me are cloudy days with slight surface ripples in the late afternoon and evening. I happen to do best with the 110 size, but that’s probably because I caught my first WP bass on a Monkey Butt 110 so that’s what I tie on first.

[MassYak85]

10 hours ago, GrumpyOlPhartte said:

One thing that worked for me was to cast the whopper plopper and let it sit as long as I can stand it, then twitch my rod just enough to jiggle the lure ... and I mean just barely move it. I do that a couple of times, then begin the slow retrieve mentioned by the guys above. Discovered this by accident when I cast my WP, then let it sit while I was stowing my paddle and got clobbered. My best (and totally unsubstantiated) guess is that the splash might get their attention, but their caution may prevent them from attacking the lure immediately. I’ve caught bass before my whopper ever really started plopping or very shortly after I started my retrieve. Never caught a bass if I just cast and retrieve. If you’re not getting any strikes, you might want to try this. Good luck. By the way, best conditions for me are cloudy days with slight surface ripples in the late afternoon and evening. I happen to do best with the 110 size, but that’s probably because I caught my first WP bass on a Monkey Butt 110 so that’s what I tie on first.

This is a good tip. I do this a lot around cover. If I cast and it lands right next to lily pad edge/pocket or right next to a tree I let it soak for a good 10-15 seconds and usually It will get crushed the instant you put tension back into the line. 

[burrows]

River 2 sea sure made a boat load of money on the plopper I bet.

[Dens228]

I've got a couple 90's and 110's.  I've thrown the darn things all season and had zero success until recently.

All my catches were on Bone 110's.  Slight chop or very calm conditions, and my retrieve has been two cranks of the reel, slight pause, two cranks, slight pause.  Every catch has been during the pause or just as I start to crank the reel. 

 

I've caught 7 or 8 bass in my last three outings that I've used it.  From 14" up to 18".