"Plopping" Topwaters

[fin]

2 hours ago, Primus said:

To any on the fence regarding the Whopper Plopper, they are not very expensive. Try it and see for your self. 

 

18 hours ago, GReb said:

WPs have worked when buzzbaits didn’t and vice versa. Just another tool in your box. No reason not to have it at your disposal

 

They range in cost from $12 to $20-something? There are a lot of less expensive options. In fact, I think it's safe to say there are more cheaper options than there are expensive options. Not everybody has the option to just throw that kind of money at every new lure that comes out.

[Dens228]

1 hour ago, Team9nine said:

So far, I've been wholly unimpressed the times I've thrown the bait, both the 90 and the 110. A handful of fish at best and a pretty poor hookup ratio when I have gotten bites. Maybe I've been unfortunate to throw it only in places, or at times, where it doesn't work well. Bought a few to try and so far have left most unopened on the shelf because of the poor showing.

 

...And please don't take offense, as this is directed in response to the bolded statement in general, and obviously not you since you read it somewhere else, but I'm filing that one under "load of crap" wherever it came from  

I can't stand the 90.  Doesn't seem to run right and haven't caught a fish on them.  The 110 is much better in my experience,,,,,,,I bought a couple of 75's and have caught a few bass on them but they were fairly small. 

[Heartland]

54 minutes ago, Hank. said:

 

 

They range in cost from $12 to $20-something? There are a lot of less expensive options. In fact, I think it's safe to say there are more cheaper options than there are expensive options. Not everybody has the option to just throw that kind of money at every new lure that comes out.

someone told me once to beware of a man who has a problem for every solution....

[Koz]

2 hours ago, Team9nine said:

...And please don't take offense, as this is directed in response to the bolded statement in general, and obviously not you since you read it somewhere else, but I'm filing that one under "load of crap" wherever it came from  

 

Actually, the info came from Larry Dahlberg, the guy who designed the Whopper Plopper for River2Sea. If I can find the article again I'll post the link.

 

My hookup rates with the 110 and the 130 have been great. In fact, the front hook usually catches the lip and the back hook catches the gill area. I don't fish the 90 very much because we have a lot of floating weeds and debris in the lagoons I fish and the tiniest amount of weeds stops the prop. Plus, casts need to be much shorter with the 90 for the prop to engage.

 

Next time try it in an area with a hard bottom and see what happens.

[fin]

10 hours ago, Heartland said:

someone told me once to beware of a man who has a problem for every solution....

That’s a good one. Here’s another - “A fool and his money are soon parted.”

[Derek1]

I picked up a 110 in bluegill mid season last year to try. Took it out of the package and crushed them all after noon on it that first day. Worked so well I got to more colors. Only one fish for the both of those for the rest of the season. Don’t care for the 90 much it’s harder to start up further out. As for the 110 in blue gill it catches fish but never again like that first day. I’ve only got to use the 75 a few times before the season ended but it caught a few. So in my expirience they catch fish, but I can’t say there better or worse then anything else. But they sure are fun to fish. 

[Deleted account]

1 hour ago, Hank. said:

That’s a good one. Here’s another - “A fool and his money are soon parted.”

I'll play." 'Tis a poor craftsman that blames his (topwater) tools".

[Heartland]

3 hours ago, Hank. said:

That’s a good one. Here’s another - “A fool and his money are soon parted.”

"Talk sense to a fool, and he calls you foolish"   Euripides

[J Francho]

I feel less ridiculous and catch more fish using a jitterbug for bass.  That said, the big WP is a very good northern pike bait.

[scaleface]

Remember the Rebel Buzzing frog that had   the blade on the rear . 

 

They still make those I see .

[IgotWood]

On 1/6/2019 at 6:31 AM, Heartland said:

Spend the 10 bucks and join the party. YOLO

^^^Seriously!^^^

The sound that they make is what draws the fish. On top of that, I honestly don’t think I have ever missed a fish on the WP. This trebles are money when they are biting too waters. You don’t even have to set the hook. Watch them eat it and simply start reeling. 

[fin]

10 hours ago, reason said:

I'll play." 'Tis a poor craftsman that blames his (topwater) tools".

That’s my point. If you can’t catch em with a $2 popper, spending money on more expensive tools might not be the best solution.

 

It’s a good lure, but it’s expensive as far as topwater lures go. For the price, you could get 2 different lures. If you’ve got plenty of money, then heck yeah, get one! More toys = more fun.

[Koz]

12 hours ago, Derek1 said:

As for the 110 in blue gill it catches fish but never again like that first day.

 

The fish got together for a meeting later that evening to discuss their experience and vowed to never let that happen again

[NYWayfarer]

WP are magical baits for river Smallmouth. It outperforms all my other prop and buzzbaits combined.

 

I especially like the 90 size. It sits nose up in the water when still unlike my 75.

[WRB]

On January 6, 2019 at 2:57 AM, Paul Roberts said:

I don't own a single WP. How's it different from a Jitterbug, Crazy Crawler, or buzzbait? Retread, or whole new thing?

The Whopper Plopper is a retread of the old C.C. Roberts Mud Puppy lure that dates back into the 30's. I have the original musky size Mud Puppy lure from my late farther inlaws tackle and it has the same exact tail plopper design with a cupped face front end.

The Pompadour lure is also a updated Crazy Crawler and this lure added a tail spinner and cast far batter then the original, plus it catches big bass!

Buzz baits can be worked over weed beds without snagging, WP or Mud Puupy can't because of the treble hooks, both are weed edge lures.

Tom 

[Dwight Hottle]

Paul they really are effective for what they do. First off they are a redo of the Bucher Top raider musky plug. That bait has been out for a least 20 years. They mostly resemble a buzz bait in cadence but can be worked slower because they float. My experience is they work the best when slowly retrieved allowing a following fish enough time to strike without missing. If your getting strikes where the fish are jumping out of the water and missing them you are fishing them too fast. They are a bait that appeals to the predatory instincts of all fish. We used to fish the top raider for pike because it seemed to get them so stirred up they sometimes went crazy trying to get them. I have even long line trolled them successfully. 

[Heartland]

25 minutes ago, WRB said:

The Whopper Plopper is a retread of the old C.C. Roberts Mud Puppy lure that dates back into the 30's. I have the original musky size Mud Puppy lure from my late farther inlaws tackle and it has the same exact tail plopper design with a cupped face front end.

The Pompadour lure is also a updated Crazy Crawler and this lure added a tail spinner and cast far batter then the original, plus it catches big bass!

Buzz baits can be worked over weed beds without snagging, WP or Mud Puupy can't because of the treble hooks, both are weed edge lures.

Tom 

Take the treble hooks off and try a single hook.   

[WRB]

26 minutes ago, Heartland said:

Take the treble hooks off and try a single hook.   

Why? use a buzzer, weedless spoon or frog that are made for the application.

Tom

[Heartland]

1 minute ago, WRB said:

Why? use a buzzer, weedless spoon or frog that are made for the application.

Tom

Simply because they are not a WP, and do not offer the same advantages that a WP owns.   

 

[Paul Roberts]

2 hours ago, Dwight Hottle said:

Paul they really are effective for what they do. First off they are a redo of the Bucher Top raider musky plug. That bait has been out for a least 20 years. They mostly resemble a buzz bait in cadence but can be worked slower because they float. My experience is they work the best when slowly retrieved allowing a following fish enough time to strike without missing. If your getting strikes where the fish are jumping out of the water and missing them you are fishing them too fast. They are a bait that appeals to the predatory instincts of all fish. We used to fish the top raider for pike because it seemed to get them so stirred up they sometimes went crazy trying to get them. I have even long line trolled them successfully. 

A buddy of mine had a cheap $1.99 buzzbait from our local hardware store. I chuckled when I saw them on the rack. It had an epoxy plastic head. And, that buzzer wouldn't really buzz. However, it did something better, it crawled making an awesome wake. And of course the bass loved that thing.

[Deleted account]

I find it interesting how the two perspectives are "This is the lure that will catch them, so I'm using it" versus "Here are the fish, these are the conditions, what in my box will do the job best". 

[Choporoz]

I (rightly or wrongly) believe that some waters are simply different than others when it comes to effectiveness of non-frog topwater baits.  I would like to hear anecdotes from any who are successful with WPs is areas/situations that they struggle with buzz baits. 

[J Francho]

4 minutes ago, Choporoz said:

I would like to hear anecdotes from any who are successful with WPs is areas/situations that they struggle with buzz baits.

I feel like it would be the other way around.  There are waters where you won't get a WP back clean, but a buzzbait will get through.  Here's my friend with a buzzbait fish.  Look at the background.  The fish were deep in that flooded timber.  Good luck with any treble hooked bait.

 

[kenmitch]

On 1/7/2019 at 4:07 AM, Choporoz said:

I have four WPs with exactly one fish total on them.  

Same here....And I think the 110 was actually bigger than the bass I caught. The little guy shook loose before I could get a photo of him. 

 

I haven't really fished them much yet. Was more or less some quick shore fishing to see what they looked like in action.

[NYWayfarer]

20 minutes ago, kenmitch said:

Same here....And I think the 110 was actually bigger than the bass I caught.

High hopes. Sometimes that little old ant thinks it can move that rubber tree plant...