Poppers

From crankbaits to jerkbaits to wakebaits and more, TackleTour's new hardbait sub-forum has been a long time coming. Well, now your wait is over!
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Hogsticker2
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Poppers

Post by Hogsticker2 » Sun Aug 09, 2015 4:47 am

So I caught my 1st fish on a popper this morning. I was gifted a Megabass Pop Max a few months ago and it's just been sitting. Overcast, very slight wind, very slight rain, and then the light bulb went off. 1st cast a 4.10 lb smallie simply defiled this thing.
So naturally as I caught a fish on a new to me bait, I need more! I already know I'm gonna pick up a Pop X, but what are some other dandy poppers? I'm looking at maybe adding a splash it, a Jackall SK, a Duo, and a Lobina. Am I missing anything? When that smallie came out of the water to strike I kinda just stood in awe. What a sight!

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Re: Poppers

Post by Teal101 » Sun Aug 09, 2015 5:58 am

Showerblow shorty, not a true popper, but a very loud and annoying pencil popper that drives fish nuts. Of course the Pop-X. Popping frogs work as well. I have yet to try anything else :lol:

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Re: Poppers

Post by smalljaw » Sun Aug 09, 2015 6:48 am

I like the cheap Storm Chug Bug, it is the only popper that I have that walks without trying to make it. I'm not sure why it catches fish but it is killer, I've been using it for more than 20 years. I don't have a lot of time with the Yo-Zuri 3DB but it is, by far, the most versatile popper I have used and it is even better than the chug bug. The 3DB has a double cupped mouth, if you pop it you will get that "ploop" type sound, but if you work it with a little slack quickly it will walk and it will spit the water instead of the deeper popping sound, I'm still learning with it but I highly recommend it. The 3DS is also impressive, the mouth isn't deep so you get more of a spit, it sounds similar to the Don Iovino Splash-it or Yellow Magic. The last 2 are different but both have a time and place. The Zell Pop now being called the Bass Pop is right there with the Splash-it, some will say no but I love the splash-it and have 3 of them and the Zell Pop is just as good, it makes a similar sound and has that ability to draw strikes even if topwater isn't really good. The Rapala X-Rap Pop is a big fish killer, it is different in that it is loud with a big spit but it makes that noise while almost not moving, I like the Yo-Zuri baits better as they seem to appeal to a wider range of fish but if I'm catching decent fish on top and I'm not getting any size, I'll go with the X-Rap Pop, it may not get as many strikes but most will be larger fish on average.

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Re: Poppers

Post by toddmc » Sun Aug 09, 2015 8:42 am

One of the old sleepers that no one talks about is the small Pop-R (1/8). We throw it in SoCal around the small bait in the summer and fall. I use spinning tackle and 6lb. mono. Wait for the ripples to disappear and twitch it ever so slightly. It is about as finesse of a topwater as you get. You will be surprised at the big fish that will eat it.

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Re: Poppers

Post by Hogsticker2 » Mon Aug 10, 2015 1:01 am

Thanks guys. Can I use a clip with popping baits or should I tie direct?

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Re: Poppers

Post by BigG » Mon Aug 10, 2015 2:29 am

I believe that if you work the bait with slack line before and after twitch it doesn't matter such if there is a ring, clip, or tied directly. I have had a clip come unbuttoned, so I no longer use them. You could also use a loop knot, just google fishing knots.

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Re: Poppers

Post by Teal101 » Mon Aug 10, 2015 2:47 am

I tie direct for everything unless I want a wider wobble with a crank bait then I use a clip.

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Re: Poppers

Post by smalljaw » Mon Aug 10, 2015 6:13 am

I like tying direct if the bait has a split ring, if it doesn't I use a snap. I contacted Yo-Zuri about their 3DB popper and they told me the bait was designed and tested using a snap and so I use Dou Lock snaps with them. I'm not trying to be repetitive but the one really good thing with the Yo-Zuri 3DB is that it sits level on the water and that is why it walks so easiliy and the snap doesn't affect the balance at all. I just picked up 4 more as Cabelas had them on sale for $6.99, the Prism Shad with its really natural finish with the chartreuse mouth is a smallmouth slayer, I'm sold on them.

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Re: Poppers

Post by Canga- » Mon Aug 10, 2015 1:16 pm

i too caught my first popper fish this summer, and its addicting! the place i fish them the most is a shore spot, with lots of over hanging trees, so i havent bought anything expensive yet, but i will eventually for other spots as i get more experience with the technique.

so far i have done the best on the kvd splash jr. in gold and chrome sexy shad, both have had thier days where they caught tons of smallies. the pop-r has caught a few fish, but not as many as the kvd.

personally i use a snap, just to ease changing lures. Kahara makes a very nice snap that is small enough to not affect the action of small poppers (or other topwaters), its a crosslock similar to berkelys, but smaller and i have not had them fail in 2 years of using them, the size 00 is great for smaller baits. also the molix snap is nice too, about the same size (a little more expensive) and a rounder end, yet to have one of these fail either (had MANY of the berkely crosslocks fail on me over the years)

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Re: Poppers

Post by silversix » Mon Aug 10, 2015 2:17 pm

Daiwa Mouth Washer. I don't know if they're still making these but i have one left and its amazing. The only topwater lure i prefer over it is a Florida Bass Super Spook.

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Re: Poppers

Post by Hogsticker2 » Mon Aug 10, 2015 10:00 pm

Are you guys using braid or mono for poppers? I'm sure rod preference comes into play -

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Re: Poppers

Post by BucketHunter » Mon Aug 10, 2015 11:15 pm

I don't have the Pop X, but I do have a couple of Pop Max. I have heard that guys here don't like them as much as the X, but I can't imagine why. Fish catching machines for me. Tie a Uni in 15lb mono, leave a loop and that thing will stationary walk the dog once you learn how. Cast it above a submerged tree and catch a few fish. Once the bite slows down, MAKE yourself chug and walk it in place for as many minutes as you can. If you have a breeze at your back, you can do this endlessly in place. There is a big one sitting down there, just waiting. Trust me LOL. He'll come eventually. Haul his ass out though, that's the fun part!
I also really liked the G-Splash from LC before I got the Pop Max. Don't think I've thrown it this year but in some variation of a gill colour, it's wicked.

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Re: Poppers

Post by Montanaro » Thu Aug 13, 2015 1:04 pm

I have 3 lobina Rio rico among others. The others don't see water.

It walks in place, spits, chugs, pops, and has a distinct loud rattle. The color options are sick too, but in all honesty color doesn't matter much. Get something chrome and something translucent...after that something opaque like bone or black.

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Re: Poppers

Post by the hooligan » Thu Aug 13, 2015 10:51 pm

Pop-x with a clip is my favorite. Can walk it, pop it. I throw it on 8lb yozuri hybrid. Probably my favorite topwater fishing :big grin:

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Re: Poppers

Post by toddmc » Sun Aug 16, 2015 1:33 pm

I finally got around to taking a picture of a few old school Michael poppers that I got around 1990. We were customizing the Pop-R by sanding down the lower lip to make it spit instead of pop when the Michael came from Japan with the lower lip already shaved. The Michael was the first secret premium bait that most of us ever saw. The Gamakatsu trebles were hot and new at that time. I can't remember if I paid $20 or $30 a piece, but it was a lot for a broke college kid. Larry Howard, the original owner of Phenix rods and baits, brought over several cases of them from Japan. He invited me into one of his "secret" back rooms and I saw Don Iovino and a couple of other early western pros oogling over the Michaels.
These baits quickly won me enough tournament money to have a custom Phenix old school BFS style casting rod made to fish the 3/16oz. baits. I was mentioning it on another thread on TT not too long ago. I don't throw them much anymore, but they are probably the most prized hardbaits that I have because of the nostalgia. Even more than some of my custom painted swimbaits.
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