What Do You Think Is The Absolute Most Effective Popper? 2024
Brett Strohl reply :
Over the course of the summer I've gone from being extremely frustrated with top water bass fishing to catching more fish on a popper than anything else I've used all year. I think they just tick the bass off more than anything, so I'm still getting bites when they aren't actively feeding.
I would like to find a really effective medium sized, to largish lure to target bigger bass and just basically just to be able to cast them farther (I've tried hula poppers and they aren't getting the same reactions). I know some of them get extremely expensive, but at the same time they're not something I'm super worried about losing. So I'm just curious on what people think are the best popping lures?
Hogsticker reply :
I don't know as I just got into popping on a serious note. I've caught 2 smallmouth over 4 lbs this past week on a Megabass Pop Max. I'm waiting for the labor day sale to order some more poppers. Gonna get a Rico, Duo Realis, Jackall SK Grande, and a Megabass Pop X to get started. On the cheaper side of things, many years ago I caught many smallies on a Storm Chug Bug.
Jaw1 reply :
I like the yellow magic poppers if you can find them. I believe lakefork makes a similar one that's alot cheaper but haven't tried them yet
badhatharry reply :
Always have had good luck with a Pop-R frog pattern.
Bluebasser86 reply :
The Xcaliber Zell Pop Z2 (now the Booyah Bass Pop) and R2S Bubble Walker 80 are my personal most effective poppers.
SirSnookalot reply :
I'd rate the top name brands a tie. When I pop and pause, most of my bass are caught on the pause or at rest with little water being pushed. I happen to like Storm chug abug. In salt I move my top water at a constant retrieve, a 20 mph fish with teeth or strong jaws(bluefish) I like a poppadog, very durable lure with excellent hooks. A poppa dog, can be popped, steady retrieve, or walked.
OkobojiEagle reply :
As SirSnook implied above... it is more about where the angler places the bait and how he works it than about which bait is being used.
oe
Mike L reply :
On 8/16/2015 at 8:34 PM, OkobojiEagle said:As SirSnook implied above... it is more about where the angler places the bait and how he works it than about which bait is being used.
oe
Very true...
Where and how, as it is with all artificial baits, is key.
I have the most confidence in a plain white Pop R
Mike
ww2farmer reply :
All I own and use are the SK poppers, both the Spit-n- King, and the KVD splash, the Storm Chug Bug, and the Xcaliber Zell-pop (I'll get some of the re-named Booyah's when they are available) and they all catch fish.....
Raul reply :
"What Do You Think Is The Absolute Most Effective Popper?"
Chug Bug, no, wait ! PopMax, ok, not exactly that one, but Lobina Rico is close, hold it, maybe I´m wrong here, cuz Rapala´s Skitter Pop is really good, I don´t remember exactly but I´ve made some real killings with a LC Kerroll, but them Hula Poppers have been awesome.... aaaaand we can go on mentioning a bunch of baits that catch fish.
It´s a matter of when, where and how, the most effective "popper" is where it has always been ---> behind the rod handle.
Brett Strohl reply :
On 8/16/2015 at 8:34 PM, OkobojiEagle said:As SirSnook implied above... it is more about where the angler places the bait and how he works it than about which bait is being used.
oe
I'm sure there is a lot of truth to that. However I've been using a LT frog popper, which has a very unique sound, right next to my dad who is using a hula popper and he is not getting bites, and I'm getting fish on some days when they are not active. I'm just guessing the unique noise is what is getting me bites b/c there is so much fishing pressure, and the LT frog is just something the fish haven't seen before. (I'm not getting any bites when the lure is paused, except from bowfin, and again I would attribute this to it's unique sound). I would like a larger popper that works as well though, just b/c I want something I can cast further.
scaleface reply :
I have a lot of old fishing tackle that I use. Dont have space for a lot of new stuff. My best popper that cast a mile and catches fish is an old Rebel that looks like a standard Pop R but twice the size .
smalljaw67 reply :
I treat poppers like lipless cranks, you need a few different styles. For more aggressive fish I like a Rattling Chug Bug, that popper walks and makes a racket. If they aren't chasing and the water is clear I like the Super Pop R because of the translucent colors and they still make a loud sound. If it is tough, the Don Iovino Splash it as well as the Zell Pop are killers, the Rico and Yellow magic fall into the "subtle" category, these poppers don't make the typical "plop" sound, they spit and it can be the deadliest way to get them. Recently I've been fishing the Yo-Zuri 3DB poppers and these are the first that have a combination of things going for it. The first is the translucency of the colors, very natural yet they stand out, and then the way they are weighted makes a big differences as they sit level on the water and it allows you to walk the bait with ease. The mouth has a traditional cup but it has a small circular depression at the top of the mouth, a double cup if you will, that cup along with how the bait sits in the water allows me to walk the bait with a spitting action, or I can sit it still and give it a loud "ploop" if that needs to be done. Right now the 3DB is my favorite and it is because I can do so many things with it and it is catching them. I don't think 1 type of popper is all you should use, there are times that one type of popper wasn't working only to switch to another type and catch the fire out of them and I would never have known it if I didn't have a few other styles.
Brett Strohl reply :
I was looking at the Rebels, I may try one at some point
Brett Strohl reply :
On 8/17/2015 at 12:59 AM, smalljaw67 said:I treat poppers like lipless cranks, you need a few different styles. For more aggressive fish I like a Rattling Chug Bug, that popper walks and makes a racket. If they aren't chasing and the water is clear I like the Super Pop R because of the translucent colors and they still make a loud sound. If it is tough, the Don Iovino Splash it as well as the Zell Pop are killers, the Rico and Yellow magic fall into the "subtle" category, these poppers don't make the typical "plop" sound, they spit and it can be the deadliest way to get them. Recently I've been fishing the Yo-Zuri 3DB poppers and these are the first that have a combination of things going for it. The first is the translucency of the colors, very natural yet they stand out, and then the way they are weighted makes a big differences as they sit level on the water and it allows you to walk the bait with ease. The mouth has a traditional cup but it has a small circular depression at the top of the mouth, a double cup if you will, that cup along with how the bait sits in the water allows me to walk the bait with a spitting action, or I can sit it still and give it a loud "ploop" if that needs to be done. Right now the 3DB is my favorite and it is because I can do so many things with it and it is catching them. I don't think 1 type of popper is all you should use, there are times that one type of popper wasn't working only to switch to another type and catch the fire out of them and I would never have known it if I didn't have a few other styles.
That Yo zuri sounds like checking out too 
When you say "walking" do you mean you're just popping it along, or does it do a walk the dog movement?
Hogsticker reply :
While we're on the subject, can we break it down a bit further - For you folks who throw poppers regularly, what time of year does which cadence seem to produce best? For example, right now what's working for me is giving it a few plops and letting it sit in place for quite some time. As soon as I give it that next plop it gets hammered. A straight walk isn't working. Similar to letting a suspending jerkbait sit. Are the jerkbait and popper one of the same, one top water the other sub surface? Part of the fun is figuring it out on the water. I really like the Megabass poppers cause they make quite the plop. Looking forward to dedicating time to this technique and piecing the puzzle together.
the reel ess reply :
Small Pop R in the spring. Large Pop R in the fall. Both early and late. Chug Bug in the heat of summer, late.
Turkey sandwich reply :
I've had a lot of success with Skitterpops and Pop-Rs, but really it's a confidence thing. With enough time, you can learn how to make most poppers do everything from chug, to walk, to spit, etc, though some are just better for for one of those specific presentations over another.
iabass8 reply :
Yellow Magic
Bone color
roadwarrior reply :
Megabass PopMax, Tonosama Frog color/ pattern
http://www.megabassusa.com/products/popmax
Senko lover reply :
Old school, but Hula Poppers and Rebel Pop'Rs are all I throw. I wouldn't mind trying a popmax in white phython tho haha. A little rich for my blood.
kickerfish1 reply :
There probably isn't a "one popper is best" answer. Rather attributes of each popper that make them excel in certain conditions. For me I really like Pop-Max and Chugbugs.
smalljaw67 reply :
On 8/17/2015 at 1:34 AM, Hogsticker said:While we're on the subject, can we break it down a bit further - For you folks who throw poppers regularly, what time of year does which cadence seem to produce best? For example, right now what's working for me is giving it a few plops and letting it sit in place for quite some time. As soon as I give it that next plop it gets hammered. A straight walk isn't working. Similar to letting a suspending jerkbait sit. Are the jerkbait and popper one of the same, one top water the other sub surface? Part of the fun is figuring it out on the water. I really like the Megabass poppers cause they make quite the plop. Looking forward to dedicating time to this technique and piecing the puzzle together.
I'm fishing a popper when the fish aren't wanting the walking baits and when I have a small area that I can't work a spook effectively. I start off fast and adjust by the reaction of the fish and it doesn't seem to matter what season it is for the type of cadence, that is tied more to the activity level of the fish. The dog days of Summer, late July until late September, a slower cadence is what normally works but like anything else, there are times when a faster retrieve works during this time, like a storm front blowing through. There is one time when a slow "splash-n-sit" presentation is what I'm going to use as soon as I start and that is when you have weeds and pads and you hear bluegills popping bugs. Just sit for a minute and listen, it is usually when the sun is up and often it is mid day, and when you hear it make sure you have a popper tied on to a rod. I cast to the weed edges and let it sit until the rings disappear and then give it a small jerk to try to get the same sound level as the bluegills, this works for me about 80% of the time, and it is usually a good way to get the fish going as they will sometimes come up and swirl or hit it with their tail and that is when you follow it up with a Senko or other worm. That is it as far as cadence goes, at least in my water as there are times when working a popper quickly is the only way to get a bite and other times you have to "splash-n-sit", but it is purely tied to fish activity and not season, at least from my observation and poppers are a bait I like to use a lot.
squirtbait reply :
My two best top water baits are the chug bug and a heddon torpedo both in baby bass color. Depending on the weather and water surface determines which one I use. I've used them all day before when the conditions are right. BH
Topwaterspook reply :
Zell Pop, bone colored.
wisconsin heat reply :
Zell pop is the best I've used. Straight up catches 'em. I got one of the Lake Fork poppers in a LTB and it appears VERY similar to the zell pop.
desmobob reply :
I really love the Megabass PopX and PopMax. I really don't know if they work much better than a plain ol' PopR, but I can cast them easier....
Tight lines,
Bob
Dypsis reply :
I've heard as smalljaw mentioned on YouTube and other forums - the waiting for the rings to disappear before popping it. Why is this important?
Catt reply :
Pop-R's that Zell Roland made for me
smalljaw67 reply :
On 8/17/2015 at 8:34 AM, Dypsis said:I've heard as smalljaw mentioned on YouTube and other forums - the waiting for the rings to disappear before popping it. Why is this important?
If fish are close and feeding on the surface you make the cast, the bait hitting the water will more than likely spook the fish. By waiting for the rings to disappear you are letting the fish turn around to investigate what caused the commotion and then the first little move of the popper results in it getting crushed by the bass. This is just a general rule, I've made casts already that as soon as the bait hit the water it was smashed but if that doesn't happen, wait until the rings disintegrate.
buzzed bait reply :
i love the popx in white python. i can effectively walk it and pop it and it catches the big fish and small ones too.
i also had A LOT of success on the lake fork magic popper before i lost it. that thing probably accounted for most of the topwater fish i caught locally. I keep saying i'll buy more, but just haven't done it.
einscodek reply :
I agree most popper are about the same but I like one which I can bomb
Maxximus Redneckus reply :
Its all about the rod holder. .i have them all except the ones over 10$ i forgot to mention a pistol grip makes them 300× more effective
scaleface reply :
On 8/18/2015 at 4:33 AM, Maxximus Redneckus said:Its all about the rod holder. .i have them all except the ones over 10$ i forgot to mention a pistol grip makes them 300× more effective
I use 5.5 and 6 foot pistol grips for poppers and walk baits. makes it a lot easier.
Bankbeater reply :
This year my best topwater chugger has been a pop-r. I have caught at least one bass on it each time I have been out this year.
robster80 reply :
havent had much top water luck this year but id say my favs r those Yozuri 3DB poppers and Zell Pops and Splash It. also i picked up a couple older yozuri poppers i believe called the ZZ pop and a fish arrow best popper ive had luck with. still havent caught anything on my pop max but its getting slightly cooler here in MS finally so im gonna get out this week and try my luck some more
Ginosocalbass reply :
megabass pop max, evergreen One's bug, and the strike king one. Thats my order.
bigbill reply :
First bass are a predator. I have two kittens there brothers. I take a shoe string one will be aggressive and all over it. The brother may take two throws of to make him attack. The bass are now different they can strike right away or wait. My food for thought is the topwater action might not happen on the first cast be patient.
My hottest popper rebel pop R in light blue with white bucktail.
My hottest top water lure BPS Topnocker. Discontinued.
Either chartruese or firetiger. I have all the colors but never tried them yet.
scaleface reply :
On 8/19/2015 at 1:33 AM, bigbill said:
My hottest top water lure BPS Topnocker. Discontinued.
I have read about the top knocker quite a bit here. I think I saw one at a trading post. I'm going to pick one up if they have it .
Brett Strohl reply :
I decided to try something called a River2Sea Bubble Popper. It was $9 and looks so similar to the $20 a Dicks, that I'd guess it is a knock-off design.
I took it too the river yesterday and caught some nice small mouth on it already. Supposedly you can walk-the-dog with this lure but I have no idea how. The tail twitches occasionally when I pop it in, but I can't really get that side to side motion with it.
WRB reply :
Good popper for the price is Storm rattling chug bug, Shad color, if price isn't a major factor Iovino big slash-it in assasin shad color. The Slash-it uses Owner chicken feather hooks. If nothing else replace the rear hook on whatever you popper you use with Owner feather treble hook.
The chug bug is retrieved slower, but can be retrieved faster, the splash-It is usually retrieved faster, this gives you 2 different top water retrieves, both work.
Tom
Drewski73 reply :
The bass I fish for, seem to like yellow magics over anything else. After that, I have about the same luck with a Rico, KVD, PopR, etc. But that darn yellow magic sounds different to my ears, and apparently the fish as well. Id say it produces at least 2 to 1 for me. I also fish it more often, because I have a ton of confidence in it. I leave the yellow magics at home when Im trying out a new popper, to give it a fair shake.
Alonerankin2 reply :
Pop R plain & simple.. I've used a lot of them, I always reach for a slightly tuned pop r. The Zell model is great straight out of the box..
I love the music of a jitterbug @ night though..
Sea Salt reply :
Lobina Rico and Rio Rico
jdl2425 reply :
The zell pop
BassWhole! reply :
I can't tell ya'll which is the the most effective until I know what server you keep your emails in...
Oh, and the Michaels can only be viewed under the cone of silence after signing the pledge...
bigbill reply :
I can use the topnocker with so many different presentations it's drives bass crazy. I can use a quick snap twitch so it pops vertical in one spot. The 1 twitch, 2 twitch, 3 twitch n pause works, walk the dog on the surface, "walk the torpedo" under the surface by holding the rod tip down and reeling. It walks the dog submerged. It's a bass magnet. Throw the topnocker along side the pads and slowly walk it.On 8/19/2015 at 2:53 AM, scaleface said:I have read about the top knocker quite a bit here. I think I saw one at a trading post. I'm going to pick one up if they have it .
The downfall is everyone can catch bass on it. The ones who don't c&r
I sent bps emails about offering it again but no luck in doing so. Maybe a Japanese or Chinese company will offer it.
I just found the bagley knocker B I just ordered a few to try. It looks close to the topnocker.. on sale at "over stocked bait tackle".
Maxximus Redneckus reply :
Pop r chugbug spit n image .
mhilgtx reply :
d**n u for leading me to this new crack dealer... Errr I mean website!
On 9/5/2015 at 12:50 AM, bigbill said:I can use the topnocker with so many different presentations it's drives bass crazy. I can use a quick snap twitch so it pops vertical in one spot. The 1 twitch, 2 twitch, 3 twitch n pause works, walk the dog on the surface, "walk the torpedo" under the surface by holding the rod tip down and reeling. It walks the dog submerged. It's a bass magnet. Throw the topnocker along side the pads and slowly walk it.
The downfall is everyone can catch bass on it. The ones who don't c&r
I sent bps emails about offering it again but no luck in doing so. Maybe a Japanese or Chinese company will offer it.
I just found the bagley knocker B I just ordered a few to try. It looks close to the topnocker.. on sale at "over stocked bait tackle".
Montanaro reply :
What about colors? Bone and black?
Primus reply :
On 8/17/2015 at 12:37 AM, Brett Strohl said:I'm sure there is a lot of truth to that. However I've been using a LT frog popper, which has a very unique sound, right next to my dad who is using a hula popper and he is not getting bites, and I'm getting fish on some days when they are not active. I'm just guessing the unique noise is what is getting me bites b/c there is so much fishing pressure, and the LT frog is just something the fish haven't seen before. (I'm not getting any bites when the lure is paused, except from bowfin, and again I would attribute this to it's unique sound). I would like a larger popper that works as well though, just b/c I want something I can cast further.
Just wanted to let you know that the Live Target Frog popper is also available in a 3" long 1/2 oz which should cast much farther than the smaller size I assume you are using. I will have to try this one .
That said my favorites are the Heddon Pop n' Image when I want to fish it slowly and get that " bloop " sound .
The Yellow magic & Excalibur zell pop ( now known as the Booyah boss pop ) are the poppers I use when I want to fish them more aggressively by either walking them or a quick stop and go type of retrieve . For the stop and go I will usually quick walk it about 2 or 3 feet, then pause for a second or 2 and give it one or 2 quick pops . Not sure I explained it well but I know it when I see it and in the heat of the summer when there is a light chop on the water the bass usually destroy it .
Brett Strohl reply :
On 9/7/2015 at 7:21 PM, Primus said:Just wanted to let you know that the Live Target Frog popper is also available in a 3" long 1/2 oz which should cast much farther than the smaller size I assume you are using. I will have to try this one .
That said my favorites are the Heddon Pop n' Image when I want to fish it slowly and get that " bloop " sound .
The Yellow magic & Excalibur zell pop ( now known as the Booyah boss pop ) are the poppers I use when I want to fish them more aggressively by either walking them or a quick stop and go type of retrieve . For the stop and go I will usually quick walk it about 2 or 3 feet, then pause for a second or 2 and give it one or 2 quick pops . Not sure I explained it well but I know it when I see it and in the heat of the summer when there is a light chop on the water the bass usually destroy it .
I saw LT has a larger popper and I may get one at some point. I got a River2Sea bubble popper since it was $9, and Megabass is selling one that looks exactly like it for $20. It seems nice so far, I took it out once and got some nice smallmouth with it. I'll be interested to see how it does with largemouth, since I think it's a little too big of a lure for smallies.
I actually decided, since we finally found a nice spot at the river, to put some 10lb braid on a lighter pole and next time I go out I'll try a couple of very small hula poppers, and rebel poppers I grabbed from discount bins at wal-mart and thought I'd never be able to use. I imagine the smallies and rock bass will have an easier time grabbing those. I had a couple of big strikes from smallies on my bubble popper, but I think it was just too large for them to grab every time.
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