Fishing with poppers

[xtreme_visions]

Just picked up my 1st poppers. Looking for some advice on use as far as best times to use, water conditions and methods of casting and retrieving. Did i make a good selection? Also would love some recommendations on must haves. Brands, sizes & colors would help..picked up a few hurricane diamond jigs 1oz,4oz to

[seamonkey]

I like the superstrike poppers, they seem durable against the bluefish and if you bash them into things. I like to use poppers when the fish are crashing baitfish, especially when bunker are around. What kind of poppers did you get?

[jigfreak]

The best retrieve for poppers is what works for that day. Sometimes they want you to rip it in at high speed and they will bang the **** out of it. Then there are the times when you have to give them an erratic retrieve. Play around with it. Give them what they want. Also, the 1 oz jigs you got are cool, but the 4 oz, unless you are fishing in extreme current like a river or inlet or rip somewhere, they are pretty heavy. When the current is ripping, they are good, but you have to keep them moving. I will use something like a 4 oz after a noreaster and the surf is big. That's the best time to use something like that. Good luck.

[xtreme_visions]

[buckethead]

The best retrieve for poppers is what works for that day. Sometimes they want you to rip it in at high speed and they will bang the **** out of it. Then there are the times when you have to give them an erratic retrieve. Play around with it. Give them what they want.

What jigfreak said is right on the $$. Give them what they want, for that day. And those poppers you got are fine, cheap, inexpensive, and able to withstand abuse. If you do start catching large blues on them they could bend the hooks. I would change out the hooks for sturdier ones, but maybe that's just me.

[fishinmission78]

To look at things differently, you might want to get some heaver poppers (2.4-4oz) for when the fish are out far. A standard gibbs pencil popper would be cool. They are streamlined and cast a mile. You will have days when the guys catching on the beach are the ones who get out that extra 50', and if you can't reach that far there will be no fish for you.

[Monty]

Agree with Seamonkey, Superstrike are great. I like their green ones like here http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/...hlight=contest
Like everyone is sayng, you have to try different retrieves. Last year I caught a bass at 2:00 AM on a popper, first time that happened for me in the dark. I like the red/white combo and also yellow. Last year I remember some guys doing good with a small popper (1 1/2 oz I think). Bigger and no good.
Big orange/yellow colors popped hard can really **** off a big Gator into slamming the plug.
In rough water these poppers can get a Bass attention worked slow, but good solid pops. Thats my favorite water to fish them.

[xtreme_visions]

Thanks for the tips guys! I noticed these poppers felt very light. Guess they wont be going to far out for me.

[surfwalker]

All great posts. Poppers are just too hard for me to resist. From the first glare off the water at first light, to a full sun, then back to a pre darkness, I’ll toss a popper. Out of all the plugs used, this one makes me feel like part of the total process of tricking a Bass (blue). I can see what it’s doing at all times and vary the retrieve to entice the fish. From the explosion, the hook up, the weight, and the play, it’s too hard for me to pass up.

Anyway, like the others have stated – my best producers(for Bass) have been the red head/white body(some silver glitter on sides), red head/yellow body, all white, and sometimes a chartreuse pencil. I use these in 1 ½ oz. to 2 ¼ oz. and mostly polaris type.

My main retrieve is a slow retrieve, constant contact and keep awake. If a strike is missed, don’t race that popper back in to cast out again. Keep your pace, many a fish have come back to hit once or twice more. If the slow retrieve isn’t working, then vary it, speed it up, make a bigger splash. In other words, try something different, get the attention of anything that may be around.

Don’t get stuck in one place and beat the doo doo outta the same water over and over again, unless you have been seeing rises at your popper. Move around, fan cast and don’t overlook casting parallel to the beach. It’s amazing what the trough may be holding. Retrieve that popper right up to where the sand meets the water. I’m constantly casting and retrieving as I walk(getting harder to do with the increase of the masses yearly).

When bunker are present, I will try to mimic the dimpling of water with a regular popper. The 1oz., 3 ¾ “ to 4” are great for when small bait is around.

I’m getting carried away just thinking about some savage explosions on poppers. If blues are present I use old beat up poppers, single tail hook. Sometime no hooks, just enjoy seeing the water explode as they attack.

These are just suggestions and examples of what I do, experiment when all else fails. But mostly enjoy the anticipation of the unexpected.

[bababooey]

and if you can't reach that far there will be no fish for you.

What are you the fish Nazi?!