August 18, 2025
By Shane Beilue
I recently came across an old photograph that takes me back nearly 50 years. The picture shows me holding the first bass I recall catching. The fish weighed 4 pounds, and I caught it on a topwater chugger, often referred to as a popper today. Nearly 50 years later, I remember the cast near the shoreline, the explosion from the fish and the celebration when it was brought to the boat. It’s those memories that make topwater fishing so special.
In the years since that photograph was taken, I’ve logged many hours with a topwater popper at the end of my rod tip and have a special affinity for this style of topwater lure.
Lure Design A good popper is all about the depth of the face. Years ago, many anglers, including myself, would sand down the face of a deep-faced chugger to flatten it out. The result was a lure that didn’t plunge as deeply into the water with each pull of the rod tip. Instead, the shallower cup of the lip caused the lure to skip across the surface while emitting a small spray of water.
Of course, shallow-faced designs are now available right off the shelf, and it’s the style I most prefer in a topwater popper.
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Getting the right sound is just as crucial as the popper's action. This shallower surface creates a “flicking,” skipping sound that perfectly matches a fleeing baitfish as it skips across the surface.
Topwater popper lures have a long history of enticing a bass to strike. Rapid Retrieve One can work a shallow-faced popper in a traditional twitch-twitch-pause cadence, causing the lure to blurp with soft twitches of the rod tip. This can be an excellent technique around the spawning months, as the bass are often guarding their nests of fry, and a popper lingering overhead is likely to be eaten out of defense.
The shallow-faced popper can also be worked very quickly across the surface, which is how I primarily fish the lure in the summer months through late fall. The fast retrieve accomplishes two things. First, it gives the bass less time to examine the bait in clear water. Secondly, the fast retrieve will draw a reaction strike from the bass, the way a fast-moving square-bill crankbait will do.
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When a popper is worked quickly overhead, it sounds like a baitfish being chased on the surface. Bass, being predators, can’t stand the idea of missing out on a feeding opportunity, and will chase the lure out of instinct.
Make five or six rapid twitches with the rod tip to impart this faster action, allowing the lure to pause for only an instant.
Where to Throw a Popper The popper's action and sound qualities have powerful drawing effects on feeding bass, so I like to work the bait in low-light conditions when bass are most active. Shallow, flat points make excellent feeding tables for bass to herd baitfish, and the fast-moving popper allows the angler to hit several points in rapid succession, looking for those active feeders.
Schooling bass are highly susceptible to a fast-moving popper. Land the bait into the surface frenzy and work it out quickly to elicit violent surface explosions on the lure.
Tackle Choices Shorter rods, 6 feet, 6 inches to 6 feet, 10 inches in length, are ideal for the rapid-twitch technique. Medium-action rods allow for longer casts with lightweight lures and impart just the right amount of “pop” to move the lure only a few inches.
Line selection is critical, as the denser fluorocarbon lines tend to sink and will inhibit the action of the popper. Braid and monofilament lines are buoyant and either is a preferred choice. Thirty-pound braid or 15- to 20-percent monofilament are ideal, as the bass can’t see the line, and one can eliminate any chance of line breaks with the heavier test weights.
Gear ratios can vary according to preference. However, many poppers on the market are relatively lightweight, so the smaller 70- or 100-size reel frames may cast the lures farther than traditional 200-size frames.
