There is nothing more exciting than topwater bass fishing and watching a big bass blow up on a surface bait. Given the right time and conditions, topwater lures like a popper can be a very effective and efficient way to catch largemouth and smallmouth bass. With most topwaters you can cover water quickly and trigger reaction strikes from bass that might pass up a different presentation.
Imitate baitfish at the water surface
The profile and action of poppers are primarily designed to mimic baitfish or panfish, like shad and bluegill. Many of these baitfish that bass feed on will congregate high in the water column and even break the water’s surface at times. Bluegill will especially follow this pattern while feeding on floating insects and the subtle splash of a popper is the perfect way to “Match the Hatch.” To best imitate bluegill with topwater poppers, slowly work the lure around shallow cover with long pauses between pops. Bass will usually strike a popper while it is sitting still, so don’t ever be afraid of working the bait too slow.
Pick apart shallow cover when topwater bass fishing
Many topwaters are intended to call up fish from deep, open water and while the popper can do that, it is most effective for target fishing in the shallows. Docks, rocks, laydowns, and grass clumps are all perfect types of shallow cover to target with a popper. Its slender body and proper weight provide accuracy and add distance to your casts allowing you to place the lure right on the edge of any shallow structure.
After landing a popper near cover, let it sit for a few seconds until its initial ripples have settled. Then work it away from the cover with a slow pop-pop cadence. Once it is 10 or 15 feet away from the cover, go ahead and reel in and make another cast to a different piece of structure. This will maximize the time that your popper is in the strike zone.
Entice lethargic fish to react to topwater popper action
Because a popper is fished much slower than most topwaters, it can be the ticket when dealing with lethargic or finicky fish. Buzzbaits and walk-the-dog baits are fished at a pace that is usually too quick to allow bass that isn’t actively feeding to commit. These fish that are passed over by a fast-moving topwater, are often enticed by the subtle action of topwater poppers. The next time you’re out on the water and are struggling to get bites on a fast-moving topwater, try tying on a popper and working the same areas at a slower pace. It might just pay off for you in a big way.
Topwater poppers go back to the earliest days of bass fishing.
They are one of the oldest styles of bass lures still being made today and still effectively catching fish. Over the years these lures have evolved into all different shapes and styles, but what they all have in common is a bowl-shaped face on the front of the bait. This is what makes them “pop”.
Poppers are categorized as topwater lures, that when worked correctly make a bass-attracting noise on the surface. It’s simply a splashing noise created when the lure is jerked, from the bowl-shaped mouth plowing across the water’s surface. There are different shapes, styles, and sizes that put out different noises, but at the end of the day, they are all designed to mimic a struggling baitfish on the surface.
One bait that has been around for decades and is still one of the best poppers is the Rebel Pop-R. This is your classic spitter-style popper lure and our number-one choice for topwater poppers.
