Poppers, topwater lures

[mikethespike]

just wanted to ask in general, when to use poppers, temps, is it for sight fishing only? how do u present them? i bought a couple of the blaze 3" ones and i can't seem to make them pop. am using shimano/ugly stik both 6.5' medium action rods with spiderwire 14lb line. any input is greatly appreciated.

[Jpower24]

I like to use them in warmer water, reel it in consitently. I have this 3.5" topwater colored like a perch that does great in marina's for bass. I especially like using it from about 5-10 feet above the water, I find it much easier to actually watch a fish come from below and strike it if your higher up, and man is it ever a treat to watch.

 

I'm sure theres more to it than what I've posted, but reeling in consitently, about the 80% the speed of a crankbait in warm/shallow water.

[Victor]

topwater lures work best at dusk and dawn or at low light conditions. they work better on warmer temps as the fish is more willing to swim out of its cover, come up and grab the lure. I haven't caught a lot of fish on them but it sure is loads of fun when you do get one on.

 

jerking and pausing the lure should get you the "popping" action

[Headhunter]

"I especially like using it from about 5-10 feet above the water"

Those fish had better be jumpin pretty high up to get at that "top water" bait!

HH

[Rich Clemens]

I started using the Top Raider a little more last year while my wife was playing around with a Cisco Topper. As the others have said, the times I have used this bait is early morning and late evening. Typical structure for my first attempts have been off points of islands where the rocks extend out, open-water shoals, and across weed-beds. I had one musky attack the lure (But missed) on the inside turn of an island point with some surrounding weeds. Made one heck of a commotion, but my excitement was short lived. I'm planning on working this bair a little more this coming year.

Edited April 10, 2008 by Rich Clemens

[kennyman]

I'd say, use topwater lures when you feel like an adrenaline rush. Fish them when the water is smooth as glass. Shallow or overtop weed beds. to get the popping sound, let the line go slack and give the rod a quick short sidearm snap. Storm chug bugs and hula poppers are my favorite. On calm water fishing for bass or pike, especially early in the morning the blue/white Storm chug bug is the first thing I throw, just hoping the topwater works, because it just doesn't get any more fun. A word of advice. It's crucial to do so, but I find it very hard to wait that extra second as the lures being hit. I've lost a few by reacting to quick. Instinct says pull right away, but if you can just wait that extra second you're hookup success rate will double. A little trick is to use mono line so the stretch automatically gives you that delay. Have fun.

[OhioFisherman]

Small face one like pop-rs, chug bugs I fish with more or less a constant movement, i will vary the speed until I find out what they are interested in. Hula Poppers, one large pop, stop, and twitch. Like anything some days one lure or one pattern will work better than others. I don`t limit them to dawn and dusk, some lakes can have a strong surface bite any time of the day.

 

I like to have another rod or few ready with other styles of lures if they are short striking the surface lures, a spinner bait, shallow running crank, jig run under the surface may get a solid hit.

[Jpower24]

"I especially like using it from about 5-10 feet above the water"

Those fish had better be jumpin pretty high up to get at that "top water" bait!

HH

 

and no, I did not your change your quote to benefit me.

Edited April 10, 2008 by JPower24

[holdfast]

I'd say, use topwater lures when you feel like an adrenaline rush. Fish them when the water is smooth as glass. Shallow or overtop weed beds. to get the popping sound, let the line go slack and give the rod a quick short sidearm snap. Storm chug bugs and hula poppers are my favorite. On calm water fishing for bass or pike, especially early in the morning the blue/white Storm chug bug is the first thing I throw, just hoping the topwater works, because it just doesn't get any more fun. A word of advice. It's crucial to do so, but I find it very hard to wait that extra second as the lures being hit. I've lost a few by reacting to quick. Instinct says pull right away, but if you can just wait that extra second you're hookup success rate will double. A little trick is to use mono line so the stretch automatically gives you that delay. Have fun.

Excellent answer. The only thing I would add is that most of my hits are during the Pause. At night I use what seems like an eternity pause. Maybe 3 secs

[Ramble]

If you can't make them pop your swivel maybe to heavy (if you use one)....there is almost 0 chance of getting a popper to work right if you use a leader.

 

I LOVE POPPERS!!! When bass fishing, they are one of my "go too" lures. Don't feel limited about what time of day you use them. i use them all day long if they are seeing action. I find the fish are more receptive to top water lures if the water is warmer.

 

There is a misconception that these things should only be used in shallow water. They can be used in any depth. One of my most memorable experiances involve smallmouth bass comming out of 18 feet of water to hit poppers. We were in 30" of water and were marking suspended fish. They came up to hit in NO problem...they get some speed up from that depth lolololol

 

Anyway don't feel limited. They work great everywhere i've tried them.

 

METHOD is very important when using poppers....or any floating topwater bait. When it hits the water let it pause...and i do mean PAUSE. 3 seconds should be a MINIMUM. There has been times where i have waited over 5 seconds before i start to retreive it. The impact is like ringing the dinner bell, and letting it sit their is like a holding a steak in front of their face. Once you start retreiving, play with it a little. Very the pasuses between "pops" and see what works best. I'm not sure if it's even possible to let them pause for too long. Take it slow. It's supposed to be an easy high calorie meal for the fish so make it look that way. Some times little twitches are enough to set off a strike, other times largre chugs get action. If you get a strike and the fish doesn't hook up....let is pause then pop and give an extended pause again before resuning your retreive. Topwaters are one of those things you fish all the way to the boat. One of my dads biggest smallies came from right beside the canoe...i could have reached out and touches it when it hit.

 

Poppers by far are my favourite form of topwater fishing. i use poppers on my spinning gear, and minitures for my fly rod. there is lots of lures to choose from. Chug-bugs, the Rebel popper, and the rapala skitter pops are all favoutires. If you are having trouble "popping" an easy solution is to beef up the popper you are using...chug-bugs are great for solving that problem.

 

One of the biggest things to keep in mind is that lures work in more ways then they are advertised for....every year some of the biggest bass my dad catches comes from dragging a popper behind the canoe as we paddle.

 

I hope you learn to love them like i have.....there is nothing like seeming a smallie crush a popper. lol

 

tight lines

 

-R-

[mikethespike]

If you can't make them pop your swivel maybe to heavy (if you use one)....there is almost 0 chance of getting a popper to work right if you use a leader.

 

i think this was what i was doing wrong, thanks for all the replies, this is truly an informative board:) i've written down all the advise on my pda... will post on my results laterz.

[suds]

Ramble on is bang on; on your first cast into an area, let it rest for as long as you can stand it before you begin the retrieve. I try and wait until all the ripples from the landing impact are gone before i start working the lure back on the retrieve.

 

try it out..

 

cheers

suds

[Maverick]

You are gonna want to use mono line for fishing most topwater because it floats and allows for a little bit of stretch before your hook set. When I fish topwater, I get excited when the fish hits it and sometimes set the hook too early. I find if I am using mono it gives me that extra second or two to let the bait get in the fishes mouth and get a good hook set and since it floats it isn't dragging the bait down as you jerk it. As stated before, you should pretty much always tie directly to the lure. Most of these lures weren't designed to be used with snaps, swivels or leaders. My favorite topwater has to be a Excalibur Spit'n Image Jr. in frog green with the yellow belly. I've caught tons of bass on that baby. The Storm Chug Bug is good too, with the rattle it can drag them up from the depths. The one lure I want to try is the Creek Chub Knuckle Head, it looks like a great design but I keep forgetting to pick one up. Has anybody tried this lure?