Top Water Popping (TIPS!!!!!)
 

What is the best way to use a popper bait for bass? The way I do it is throw it out. Let the rings clear.(Sometimes that is when bass will hit it) and pop my rod down reel and pop down, reel, etc. Should I pause in between twitches? or should I just keep it going. I catch bass by not stopping but they are small. And most of the time it is bluegill trying to hit it.(even though the bait is as big/bigger than they are) Thanks for any advice.

Trapper_Hunter

RE: Top Water Popping (TIPS!!!!!)
 

i vary my retrieve. With a popper i fish it when the water is still. Works best early in the morning or when the sun goes down. Cast it out and let it set. Pop it..let it set..pop it..let it set...pop it..pop it..let it set. Just vary your retrieve

RE: Top Water Popping (TIPS!!!!!)
 

I normaly continue a slow retrieve the whole time I am popping...though different conditions and times of year will determine my retrieve. Here's my guaging technique. The first thing is I find poppers to work best in the morning and late evening..in the cooler temps when the fish are little more active...but that does not mean the will not hit it in the middle of the day with the right presentation. If people around me or my boat mate are getting strikes on top water cranks and/or buzz baits or other moderate speed surface lures...this says the fish are active so i will use a continous movement in my retrieve, raising and lower the speed from cast to cast till i find the speed the fish seem to like. One days when the fish seem to be hitting plastics and ignoring other lures...I will slow my retrieve considerably...Pausing between pops and being sure to get good loud pops each time. I was once told by an old timer that when using a popper if the guy across the river cant hear you poppin, you aint poppin right. I have had strikes on both loud and soft pops however. Also on the days when a slow retrieve seems to be the thing...remember to drop in as close to structure as you possibly can...even bumping close surface structure with the lure...POP/bump and wait...POP/bump and wait...
I never used to fish surface lures and poppers were probably my least favorite...until I got the first big pig on one...now I use a popper as my surface lure of choice and try it for at least a little while every time I go out.

RE: Top Water Popping (TIPS!!!!!)
 

If you catch small bass on a continuious retrieve, then throw a buzz bait with a slower retrieve. That should get bigger bass. I also vary my retrieve on a popper. Good luck.

RE: Top Water Popping (TIPS!!!!!)
 

Your popper is bigger than bluegill???

What kind of popper are we discussing?

What I call a popper woould not cover a quarter completely.

RE: Top Water Popping (TIPS!!!!!)
 

The poppers hes refering to are probally the big bass plugs such as the hula popper or the cigar shaped poppers.
Ive had better success working mine like this.
Cast it out. Let all the ripples settle. Keep the rod tip low and pop it about
4 inches. let the water settle and drag the bait about 6 inches and stop. Let the water settle and pop it again. Drag then pop all the way in. Ive found alot of fish will respond to the pop and hit the bait on the drag.
I started catching alot more fish since I started doing this versus the pop only method. Dont know why, but it works.

RE: Top Water Popping (TIPS!!!!!)
 

if you wanna have lots of fun try top water for pike. they go crazy some days. some times they miss the lure but its still fun . i cast out pop let it sit not for very long. pop a couple of times let it sit. it works for me.

RE: Top Water Popping (TIPS!!!!!)
 

What benhunting said. I use the Rapala poppers. I use them poppers that u r talking about wesleykey with my fly fishing reel for smallmouth bass and redeyes in this creek I fish.

Trapper_Hunter

RE: Top Water Popping (TIPS!!!!!)
 

i like to use the rebel pop-r...... i fish them with a slow speed & popping it twice then let it set then reel & pop it twice but like the others say it depends on how the weather conditions are & the time of year & time your fishing also..... if smaller bass are hitting it try a buzzbait to call in bigger bass & if you start to catch bigger bass that way then use a buzzbait but i try a buzzbait first to get a reaction bite then go back with a popper to see if they wont hit that.