When do you favor a popper?

[DitchPanda]

In general do you grab a popper based off of time of year? Water temp? Certain set of conditions? Anything else?

Normally I think of a popper as my hot water bait for mid summer when I'm not around vegetation.

[A-Jay]

I'll chuck a Pop Max around in warm(er) mostly calm deals

when I'm 'targeting' light cover or less.

Lower light levels can help at times, but it may not be mandatory. 

Was working this one through a couple of feet of open water over isolated weed clumps in 8 feet ~ Boom. 

 Fish Hard

A-Jay

[jimmyjoe]

   I have many bad habits, but one of them is using poppers only in the margins, and only in shallow water. Essentially, like a frog without the heavy weeds.           jj

[Deleted account]

2 hours ago, DitchPanda said:

When do you favor a popper?

From the time the alarm clock goes off until the time my head hits the pillow...

Seriously, From late pre spawn right until they get chilled in the winter. A popper is a much more versatile lure than most folks think. 

[Michigander]

I use them when I want to be on the surface but don't want to cover much area.

[813basstard]

Listen to the sound of the bass hitting the bait on top..does it sound like a popper? A buzz bait? A walker? Seriously try to match that sound. 
 

[ChrisD46]

It has been said that a popper is best during Bass post spawn when the Bluegills start their spawning season . The idea that a popper can be worked on top over Bluegill beds and not move out of position very quickly is a plus for getting Bass to strike . Then there is the guy with a popper with the paint worn off of it throwing it year around on a 5'5" pistol grip bait cast rod with a round bait cast reel filled with mono  throwing the popper around laydowns , docks , over grass , etc. Stay away from this kind of fella as there will be no bass left after he fishes an area !

[GRiver]

I keep a top water rig set up and a popper on it all the time. I usually start out Texas rigged worm or creature and when I see or hear them hitting the top , I’ll try and work the spot I was seeing the action. Don’t know if that’s the right way to work the shore line but it seems to work for me. 

[scaleface]

My best popper fishing has been in standing timber during the summer . I make as much noise as I can and use larger  sized poppers .Sunny or cloudy days . Seek out the biggest trees .

[Mobasser]

I love throwing a popper the last hour before I go home on humid, summer evenings. I cast shallow around shorelines and over deeper water standing trees and weed patches also.

[flyfisher]

Conventional gear I use a popper all the time until I don't.  Same for fly fishing.  My go to will be a popper of some sort and then I switch as needed.  In moving water the best popper presentations I have had are straight up dead drifts through likely areas.  This is why I like a fly rod on rivers because I can get a fly to drift through the likely areas and then recast 2-3 times in the time it would take to do one cast on conventional.

 

[Deleted account]

13 minutes ago, flyfisher said:

 the best popper presentations I have had are straight up dead drifts through likely areas. 

I have some small poppers with feathers on both hooks for dead sticking them, sometimes it's what they want.  Technique name anyone?....

[E-rude dude]

Summer deep suspended bass just after sunrise or just before sunset

[papajoe222]

2 hours ago, BassWhole! said:

I have some small poppers with feathers on both hooks for dead sticking them, sometimes it's what they want.  Technique name anyone?....

Unpopping a popper, drifting a popper, casting a popper and eating a taco..........

I break out my poppers during the spring when water temps hit 55 or so and don't put them down until they hit 70. Unless I'm fishing at night, I switch to a spook as they are better at calling up fish IMO.  We don't have many laydowns on my home waters and the weeds will top out in15FOW by July. I've literally seen the weeds part like the Red Sea 15ft from a spook as a bass charged out to grab it.

[Mbirdsley]

I don’t use poppers a lot and I should use them more.  Best success I have is either an hour before the sun goes down or after it has gone down and there still a bit of daylight left to see 

 

.  Small rivers using them at that time is straight deadly fir both bass and brown trout. In lakes I usually just throw to either visible or submerged cover 

[the reel ess]

Whenever bass won't take more of a reaction type bait like a buzzbait, WP or Spook. I prefer to cover water quicker if they'll bite. I don't usually go to the Pop R first, but rather the Chug Bug. It's sort of a hybrid of a walking bait and a popper. So you can work it slower, but still get an erratic action. The popper is more of a target lure than the Spook, etc.

[Deleted account]

12 hours ago, papajoe222 said:

casting a popper and eating a taco...

My Lobina Rico,  Zorro spinnerbait, and Bandito Bug are offended...

[RB 77]

Almost never. I let Pops handle Popper duty while I'm throwing a Gunfish, Sammy or Spook. I have noticed if they are hitting one, they will usually hit the other. Picked me up some Ricos last year and gave them some nice aftermarket trebles, so that might have to change a little bit. 

[Bankbeater]

I like to work a pop-r around weed mats.  On sunny days I will try to get the bait into the shade and keep it there for as long as possible.

[WRB]

Anytime bass are focused on Shad. 

My 1st poppers were Hula Poppers and worked very slowly.

Next came Chug Bug worked more like a Darter medium fast stop & go.

Modified Pop-R’s by Zell Roland was a game changer for me.

Splash-It worked like a panic Shad spitting water fast similar to a surface jerk bait is the real deal.

Tom

[BlakeMolone]

I’ll often just try a popper if I’m not catching them on other baits, for me they have been a bait that will sometimes catch fish better than anything else.

[jtharris3]

A friend and I were out throwing a popper tonight. It was like magic! ?

[roadwarrior]

PopMax

[Bankc]

Anytime the water is warm, the wind is calm, and the sun isn't bright.  I fish them the same times and places as a walking bait.  Sometimes they like the Spook.  Sometimes they like the popper.  In the fog or when there's crickets chirping, I usually grab one of those two first and then try the other if that doesn't work.  I usually go for a Whopper plopper, buzzbait, or a torpedo if there's a bit more wind.  

[flyfisher]

Had the perfect example yesterday.....was throwing poppers of various types with minimal success.  Switched over to a clouser floating minnow...think your classic rapala but a fly version and caught this guy.  I proceeded to catch a bunch more with this fly too so they wanted something with a different profile.