John Murray knows a thing or two about fishing with the Whopper Plopper. In fact, he was the first pro bass fisherman to have the original bass version (130 size), but it took him a little while to learn how to fish it properly. Murray shares 6 tips for using this highly-effective topwater, emphasizing his favorite time and situation for using Whopper Ploppers and when you should consider downsizing to the smaller versions.
FEATURED TACKLE
• TOPWATER – River2Sea Whopper Plopper 90, color – 29 Sooner / 3 1/2″: https://bit.ly/3uuxCuY
• ROD – SixGill Kratos Series Casting Rod, 7’6” MH: https://bit.ly/3anKxrT
• REEL – SixGill Hamarr Series Casting Reel, 7.0:1: https://bit.ly/3bNUnDC
• LINE – Berkley X5 Braided Line, 30-pound: https://bit.ly/3o6y2UZ
Murray’s 6 Tips to Whopper Plopper success:
1. Use to locate fish. Like a buzzbait, the Whopper Plopper performs best on a steady retrieve which means you can cover a ton of water in a hurry. Moreover, Murray stresses the fact that bass go to the lure as opposed to you bringing the bait to a bass. If they’re around, they show themselves so you can start peacing the puzzle together.
2. Fish early and late. Low light periods are primetime for the Whopper Plopper, especially in the summer and on bluebird days. Be on the water before the sun comes up to find and gauge the mood of the bass. Most of your explosive topwater bites will come when the rest of us are still sleeping.
3. Downsize. Designed initially for musky fishing (190 size), the Whopper Plopper comes in 4 smaller versions (130, 110, 90 & 75). Murray reaches for the 90 size a lot these days, especially when targeting bass in extremely skinny, pressured water. Forage factors in too. Go smaller during bug hatches, like the mayfly hatch in the video. Small baitfish is another indicator to downsize.
4. Fish using a straight retrieve. Murray is humble and honest when he states he fished the Whopper Plopper incorrectly for an entire year. Don’t fish it like a prop bait. Instead, treat it as a buzzbait, reeling it at a steady cadence so its distinctive fish-catching sound can put bass in a trance. Sure, work in a few pulls and speed and directional changes, but experience has shown it doesn’t perform at its peak with pause and rest cycles.
5. Adjust your rod angle during the retrieve. An engaged prop is the key to success with the Whopper Plopper. Given the bait’s design, Murray advises you to start the retrieve with your rod tip up and slowly lower it as the lure approaches the boat.
6. Use a straight braid and a soft rod. This beefy bait comes with stout hooks, so most anglers opt for a braided line in the 30- to 50-pound test range, depending on the lure size. Zero stretch line coupled with treble hooks means you’ll achieve a better hook-to-land ratio using a slower action rod. Additionally, a longer rod casts the bait further, an important consideration when targeting pressured bass in shallow water.
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I just put a feathered treble on the back of my choppo 90 , haven't heard of anyone else doin that but I bet it'll do,thanks for the video
These are amazing Lures but hard to use in the River with current, they tend to roll and not stay up on plane but still work in slower moving parts.
Were you really the first to use?
I'd like to see documentation lol.
Good video, I've never committed to the 6 I have in my tackle. Floating vegetation is the plopper killer.
Great video! I disagree about the action always needing to be a constant reel. I don't know if it's our water/pressure here or what it is but if you just do a constant reel with a whopper plopper, a lot of the time you will get nothing. Once you vary the retrieve initially, just plop it slow and stop, then plop again…then reel back steady after the initial plops/pauses, we get a LOT more fish…at least here on some of our waters. Thought I'd share, I'm sure sometimes the steady reel is the way to go too, just play with it day to day it always seems to change!
I use Sixgill reels and rods and was wondering which rod you (John Murray) use for the larger Whopper Ploppers? The MH Kratos is rated to 1 oz. Do you jump up to the Heavy version for the larger Ploppers? Thanks.
i'll take mine and pop it 3-4 times before i start reeling, i've caught a crap ton on that break between pops..
The Caymas is looking sharp!
Great information thank you for sharing this video 📹
That’s funny,We call the eel fly’s here on Oneida Lake!
I use a 75 plopper
Sixgill for the win!
I like how you lift fishes and slowly carefully grab them. 🙂 also interesting perspective for poppers. Thanks!
Amazing advice! Thank you.
Also use a swivel on the front so when the prop gets trash inside of it then it won't turn the whole bait and twist your line all up. The swivel will keep if from spinning the whole body when the prop dosnt want to turn.
Whopper plopper sucks now at all the lakes around me in California, you can get bit but no where near what it used to be. So much so I dont even fish it anymore. The fish have learned!!
Good tips. Thank you
can this lute catch baramundi
Good points. I've caught a few bass in the same spot by twitching it slowly as well. So sometimes that works too
Whopper plopper sounds like someone crop dusting 😂
Caught all my biggest LM Bass with the 110 Plopper.
Would you eat the catch?
This man is wearing a sweater lol wtf
Great video