How to Work Prop Baits for Topwater Bass Success

The subtle surface action of propeller baits often triggers explosive bass strikes.

December 03, 2025 By Mike Marsh

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We’d finally made the long-planned trip to 16,600-acre Lake Phelps in Washington County, N.C., the second-largest natural lake in the state. When we arrived, I was surprised to find the surface uncharacteristically slick calm. The low terrain surrounding the lake does little to deflect the nearly constant breezes, but there was no wind to contend with as we reached the northern shoreline, where scattered cypress trees shaded lily pad beds that were rocking with the sloshing of feeding fish.

“Are those carp?” asked my fishing pal, Ned Connelly.

“No, they’re bass.” I answered.

Without another word, he quickly cast a Zara Spook and had it walking through the pads until a largemouth smashed it. After winning the brief but exhilarating struggle, Ned unwound lily pad stems from his artificial and released what would be the first of several bass he notched that day.

I followed suit with a Devil’s Horse prop bait and caught about the same number of fish. However, the next morning a westerly wind lifted the lake’s hackles. In the choppy water, the hull of our aluminum johnboat sounded like a Jamaican steel-drum band, even as we fished in the lee of a sandy shoreline. Strikes on Ned’s Spook were non-existent. Meanwhile, my Devil’s Horse just kept the hits coming, at least a dozen in total.

When Ned pondered aloud what was wrong, I told him the fish couldn’t find his topwater in the chop. Not convinced by my reply, my buddy just kept working that Spook to no avail, while I continued catching bass with my prop bait. The commotion created by the dual propellers let the bass zero in with their lateral line, which allows fish to detect even slight pressure changes and vibrations well before they set their eyes on the culprit.

Two images of anglers holding large bass. — Left: The Devil’s Horse is a venerable prop bait that has been catching big bass since the late 1940s and remains a top choice. (Photo by Alex Suescun). Right: The Whopper Plopper’s effectiveness and ease of use have earned the lure prime space in many bass anglers’ tackle boxes. ( Photo by Mike Marsh)

POPULAR OPTIONS

A number of lures sporting propellers are effective year-round, and with surface action in most southern states lasting well into November and beyond, as long as water temperatures stay warm enough, they’re an excellent choice for topwater fans when autumn winds churn the surface beyond a light ripple.

I was 21 years old and living on the shore of North Carolina’s Lake Norman when my landlord gave me my first Devil’s Horse in 1974. He showed me how to work the wooden lure, and I vividly remember the explosive strike of the first largemouth I caught with it. That old plug donned a black-and-green frog pattern, a color scheme I continue to use, along with orange- or pink-belly versions that mimic bluegill or redbreast sunfish in areas where said panfish are a predominant prey.

Of course, my tackle boxes also contain a good supply of other proven prop baits, like Rapala’s X-Rap Prop, Heddon’s Wounded Zara Spook and River2Sea’s Whopper Plopper, in a variety of colors. If bass are chasing bait, I opt for patterns that resemble the herring, shad or whatever other baitfish they are eating, usually some shade of blue, gray, green or black combined with silver and/or white. When the bass are eating frogs, dragonflies or grasshoppers, however, I reach for the browns, greens and yellows.

“NEW” KID ON THE BLOCK

Though it’s been around for 17 years, the Whopper Plopper is the newest star in the propeller lure lineup. It took a little while for it to catch on, but it floats high and easy between line tugs and pauses, which is key for drawing strikes. I can’t swear it’s more effective than older prop baits, but, its fat plastic body and offset propeller make it easier to achieve the desired action.

The directions on the package instruct anglers to pull a Whopper Plopper three times, then pause but keep the line tight. Fish usually strike the lure when it’s resting. However, smart anglers quickly learn to match the speed and rhythm of the retrieve to the mood of the fish.

WORKING THE MAGIC

I was using a Devil’s Horse the same way you work a buzzbait even before the latter hit the market. After casting the lure to the back of a cove, I’d reel it back with steady cranking and watch as bass rushed from as far as 50 feet to blast it. Another effective way to work this prop bait is to cast it 10 feet beyond a stickup, reel it fast and steady like a buzzbait, then stop it at the protruding wood. Any bass that busts the lure can then be fought without worrying about the line wrapping or breaking off on the obstacle. If you don’t get bit when the lure is halted, a light twitch that barely makes the propellers turn usually does the trick. And should the fish prove finicky, a slower retrieve punctuated by light twitches rather than long pulls can turn last-minute snubs into convinced attacks.

Bass beat up propeller lures, and it’s not uncommon for the props to stop turning properly or altogether. When that happens, screw in or out the eyehooks that hold the propellers in place to increase or decrease the friction and let the blades revolve smoothly. Of course, vegetation wrapped around the blades and eyehooks will also hinder or stop the normal movement of the propellers, but this is easily solved by unfouling the hardware with your fingers or needle nose pliers.

Savage strikes and brusque encounters with hard surfaces can bend the propellers and mess with their designed action. Luckily, it’s not hard to return them to their original shape, again with your fingers or needle nose pliers. Just check that the props spin freely before the lure goes back in the water or your tackle box.

Be aware that thin, supple lines, like many braids, are not a good match for many prop baits because they tend to wrap on the propellers and hooks. In addition, small-diameter lines will sometimes slip through the gap on the lures’ tying eye. Nevertheless, this can be avoided by simply gripping the eye’s circumference with pliers and squeezing tightly to close the gap. Other alternatives include using a line of larger diameter or adding a trace of mono or fluorocarbon leader (at least twice the length of the lure) that’s slightly thicker than the gap.

It can be frustrating to watch a curious but wary bass nudge a prop bait rather than clobber it, making it difficult to achieve a solid hookset. Swapping factory hooks for a lighter, chemically-sharpened model is often the answer. Their smaller diameter and needle-sharp points help these trebles find purchase without much pressure, plus their lighter weight makes a lure ride higher, often creating a louder chattering that can fire up lethargic bass.