poppers

[ledhead36]

When I fish poppers I jerk the pole and retrieve fast. Are there times when I should slow down the retrieve?

[Monty]

I was fishing some rough conditions back in October (choppy, waves 4-6), was throwing a Superstrike Popper. Caught 3 bass, took working the plug sloooow. Was hard to do in the waves, but when worked slow and when I kept the line taught, that's when the fish hit.

[dogfish]

When herring are around and the bass are on them, the water will be colder. Slow down the speed of the retrieve and make it more erratic. Small pencil poppers to match the size of the herring.

[Frankiesurf]

I ALWAYS work my poppers slow. Bluefish may be quick but bass are normally not so much. Blues will chase the thing down as if there is a personal vendetta against it. While this is fun to watch, I am ultimately after Bass.

If it is not an all out blitz situation then the bass will normally not chase a popper. They may give it one shot and that is it. If the plug is speeding away then they will not be exerting the energy on it. For the most part.

I normally give them a slow retrieve and do not impart a "regular" cadence when retrieving. I avoid the "pop, pop, stall, steady retrieve, stall" I mix it up. Have you ever seen a fleeing baitfish do a steady retreat? Not likely.

This is my norm but I do vary the retrieves according to how they are feeding. I NEVER do it too fast though.

[Simp]

Fast may work sometimes, but slow always works. The longer you can keep it out there chugging along, the better off you'll be. You may not cover quite as much water with a slower retrieve, but the water you do cover will be covered more thoroughly.

[finchaser]

When I fish poppers I jerk the pole and retrieve fast. Are there times when I should slow down the retrieve?

Any time your after bass,stay away from bluefish speed;) fast usually attracts bluefish

[clamchucker]

Another reminder about poppers for the fall, especially the superstrike littleneck, and the very small 4" poppers. They are a great plug to throw in the dark and right before sunrise. As finchaser and others have said, work them slowly, and pop erratically. A lot of guys get into a mechanical routine when they cast and it becomes sort of robotic. Fish don't swim that way, they dart and dash, and when they are injured their swimming becomes erratic. You want to mimic the behavior of an injured baitfish as much as you can.

[Monty]

Clamchucker, I caught this bass exactly how you said (on the 2 3/8 oz SS popper), 2 weeks ago. This plug is slowly becoming one of my most reliable plugs, especially in rough/choppy water. Working the plug slow, erratic.
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Another reminder about poppers for the fall, especially the superstrike littleneck, and the very small 4" poppers. They are a great plug to throw in the dark and right before sunrise. As finchaser and others have said, work them slowly, and pop erratically. A lot of guys get into a mechanical routine when they cast and it becomes sort of robotic. Fish don't swim that way, they dart and dash, and when they are injured their swimming becomes erratic. You want to mimic the behavior of an injured baitfish as much as you can.

[surfwalker]

My downfall for quite a few years. I couldn't resist going after a rise, hit and weight of a Bass on a popper. Cast after cast, the anticipation was too much for me, probably put the biggest smiles on my face. I have learned to control that addiction.

As the others have said, slow will attract the Bass. Blues will find your popper on their own most of the time when retrieved at a quicker pace. If you miss the set, keep the pace going, they (or another Bass), may strike again, and catch you off guard.

If the horizon casts aren't producing, then fan cast and don't overlook those casts parrallel to the beach, the trough holds many surprises.

I will bring up the dreaded NE wind and the popper. At the begining of a NE wind I have been very fortune to pick Bass as if in a blitz. Casting straight into the wind and keeping a slow contact with the popper, when possible. Sometimes letting the popper act as a swimmer and not twitching the stick, slowly, like Monty and others have stated. I never could figure out how they see the motion of the popper in turbulent white water, but believe me they do.

This doesn't happen all the time in a NE, I know that for a fact also. But in some cases, while the regulars were sitiing in their cars, I was having a ball, beach all to myself, smiles abundant, action all by myself.