Fishing for pike with a popper - the top ten according to experts!

What is the difference between wobblers and poppers for pike fishing?

The best poppers for pike always have a distinctive feature - a dimple on the fish's nose. It is needed to produce a characteristic gurgling sound when the bait is immersed in water. Poppers can be either sinking or floating.

• Sinking baits sink to the bottom, but with a sharp jerk the fishing rods go to the surface with a gurgling sound that attracts pike
• Floating baits can be successfully used by fishermen in dense thickets or snags (these are the most common habitats of toothy predators). This is why floating artificial fish are the most catchy poppers for pike. Their hooking on snags is extremely rare.

Lure manufacturers love what they do and offer fishing enthusiasts and professionals a simply colossal selection of bait. It varies by manufacturer, material, color and, of course, price.

Poppers for pike fishing: description, application

Spinning poppers weigh from 4 to 17 grams. They have a specific appearance: in front there is a small bevel in the form of an ellipse or a cutout. The type of bevel determines the tonality of the gurgling sound and the volume of the sounds.

The bait has two tees and a tail of various configurations. Sometimes wobblers are equipped with chambers that emit odors to attract predators, and “rattles” that cause sound vibrations under water.

Surface baits are usually used in reservoirs densely overgrown with vegetation, in clearings, in channels, and shallow bays. In summer, frogs are active, and small fish swim near the surface. At the beginning of spring, pike go out to catch fry. The best time of day to catch a predator is twilight; in the dark, it responds best to sounds, flapping, gurgling.

Poppers for pike: 10 best models

The options for catchy poppers presented below are considered “folk models”. This means that they are purchased often, and the reviews about them are only positive. These pike poppers have proven their superiority over other lures. So, which poppers are considered the best?

1. Rapala Skitter Pop - similar to a fish fry, weighs only 7 grams, which means it is light and easy to use. The notch on the nose of the fish is medium in size, and the body itself is barrel-shaped. It makes a good noise when retrieving, and copes with the task of fishing “excellently”. True, the downside of the fish can be called the material it is made of – balsa. This soft wood may get a little scratched after pike bites.
2. Daiwa Td Popper-Zero - weighs just over 6 grams, length - 6.3 cm. It has two treble hooks and a fleecy tail. The wiring is sharp, its sound is loud, perfectly attracting not only the desired predator - pike, but also perch and asp. The bait is good for fishing in overgrown reservoirs. Has 9 colors.
3. Yo-Zuri Arms Popper Micro are pike poppers that are very popular among buyers. Colored plumage and bright Lorex flies make the model extremely catchable. Two treble hooks firmly hold the caught prey. The weight of the bait is 7 grams, length is 6 cm. The eyes, so similar to real ones, make catching pike with this bait even more successful!
4. Megabass Pop Max is a surface type bait. The higher price than previous baits is due to the more complex structure of the artificial fish. The rear part is equipped with two weights. In the head area there is a water chamber, which has six holes. This provides a loud sound that is very interesting to the fish. The bait is of high quality, its coating does not wear off, allowing you to preserve the color for a very long time. Weight – 14 grams, length – 8 cm.
5. Strike Pro. Strike pop 40 / JL-196 is a cheap but very popular popper. The fish is only 4 cm long and weighs 7.3 grams. A huge selection of different colors and shades will appeal to any fisherman. This bait is suitable for fishing in shallow waters for pike, perch, asp.
6. Pontoon 21 Beat Bull is good for the varied game of artificial fish. A small balancer is hidden inside the bait, which, when skillfully guided by hand, ensures stable play. Weight – 4 grams, length of the fish – 5.5 cm.

What kind of tackle should you have for successful pike fishing?

You now know the rating of poppers for pike, but what about the rest of the puzzle?

• The rod should be short, light and made of carbon fiber. The tougher the spinning rod, the more accurate its casting. The lighter it is, the better the fisherman's hand plays. The best spinning rod length is up to 2.4 meters. But if the shore is covered with too dense thickets, and you need long casting, then you can use a rod up to three meters long. When using a spinning rod, place your hand on its center of gravity. This makes it easy to play the popper even without resting your elbow.
• The reel must have an endless screw and an instant stop.
• The best fishing line for ultra-fast spinning is monofilament. It stretches and is elastic very well. For braided fishing line, which is also suitable for pike fishing, take a parabolic spinning rod.

How to assemble a balanced tackle

The rating of poppers for pike is, of course, a useful thing, but this is not enough for successful fishing. At a minimum, you need a good spinning rod, and not only the rod itself, but also the entire set - reel, fishing line, various accessories.

Rod parameters

Considering the small weight of poppers, appropriate spinning rods should be used. First of all, this concerns such requirements as action, test load, lightness and length of the rod.

Recommended reading: Catching perch in winter with a baitfish

According to the test, poles with a load of up to 25 grams are better suited. They will allow you to safely use most common popper models. The best action is fast; this allows you to make sharp short jerks, during which the bait moves as realistically as possible. For fishing in snags or among thickets of vegetation, a long rod is not needed; a stick 2.1 - 2.4 m long is sufficient.

The weight of the rod also matters, because you have to hold it in one hand for a long time, and at the same time play with the bait. For such conditions, it is better to use a lightweight carbon fiber spinning rod.

Coil

A regular inertia-free reel will do just fine. The main thing is that it lays the line evenly, and is correctly adjusted and does not form humps and depressions. If this requirement is not met, then “beards” are possible.

fishing line

It is best to use thin, but very tear-resistant braid. The cord, of course, also has stretchability, but to a much lesser extent than regular nylon fishing line. The braid is able to withstand numerous jerks of the caught fish and allows you to quickly unhook the bait from the vegetation.

Leashes

This element of gear is indispensable when fishing for pike. An attempt to tie a popper directly to the line often results in the predator cutting the line with its teeth while fishing. You can use steel string, fluorocarbon or tungsten as a leash. It's a matter of taste.

Pike fishing technique

Pike poppers, photos of which you see in this article, will not catch fish on their own. A fisherman must know the correct technique for catching pike. Fishing can be done by wading from the shore, but it will be much more convenient for you to make your way through the thickets where pikes live on a boat. Cast your spinning rod just a few centimeters from thickets of grass or reeds, and not one and a half meters away from them. After a couple of throws, leave the place for 40 minutes. After this time, you can fish this place again, as the pike will forget about what happened recently.

What should a pike popper be like?

A good popper for pike fishing should be playful on the water, fast in the retrieve, and make a wave in front of itself. It should also be visible on the pond and release bubbles when cast. When controlling the bait, pay attention to the depth of its lowering and behavior when pulling in different directions.

After reading the article, you are convinced that pike poppers are an excellent bait for predators. You can also see the 10 best of them here. Happy fishing and big catch!

Popper - what is it?

The popper was made in the last century. Its history goes back almost 100 years. It was first used in America. Such bait reached us only in the second half of the last century. After its appearance on the market, it quickly gained popularity among fishermen. The popper was originally used as bait for catching perch. But, over time, fishermen realized that it could be used to catch other predators.

Externally, the popper resembles a wobbler. The peculiarity is that this bait has a recess on the front. In this case, the head has a bevel or semi-ellipse. The bait is equipped with two tees and a tail unit, which can have a different design.

The operating principle of the popper is simple: the bait captures a bubble of water with its concave part, after which it flies out of the popper with a characteristic sound. In addition to the peculiar gurgling sound during the retrieve, the popper also scatters splashes around itself, imitating a fry or a wounded fish, which attracts a predator.

There is a large selection of poppers on the market and specialized stores. They can be:

Drowning. When cast, such baits sink to a certain depth. As a result of the jerk, they rise to the surface and make a sound. Fish often bite on such baits, as they arouse less suspicion. In the water, the fish can see the popper better, which allows it to take aim and swallow it. They are widely used to find the location of predators.

Floating. Such baits are most often used in overgrown reservoirs, where the surface is tightly covered with algae. They easily pass through thickets without catching them. Pike are often found in such reservoirs. If the popper still catches algae, then tendrils, which can be easily created from wire, can help solve this problem.

Where is the best place to use this bait:

1. Small ponds. This is especially true for overgrown reservoirs. The peculiarity of such reservoirs is that they contain places where fry accumulate. This means that there is definitely a predator lurking nearby.
2. In reservoirs located in peat quarries and marshy areas.
3. In reservoirs where there is a predator that attacks the bait in thickets and open spaces.
4. During calm periods, such baits can be used on almost any body of water. In the absence of waves, they are very easily visible on the surface of the reservoir.

Popper is best used as bait for predators in summer and autumn. It is during this period that underwater algae bloom begins. The fry use this color as shelter from predators. When the color begins to sink to the bottom, the effectiveness of such bait rapidly decreases.

Popper fishing is best late in the day. Professional fishermen note that most often the fish begin to bite an hour and a half before sunset. The burning continues until it completely darkens. Of course, you can fish with such bait in the dark, but it will be very difficult. In the dark it will be difficult to follow the behavior of the bait.

A popper can also be useful for morning fishing. Starting from sunrise, for three hours the number of bites can increase significantly. After this time, the number of bites decreases again. The calm may last until midday. At this time of day, the bite can last no more than an hour.

Table of contents:

• 5 Best poppers for pike fishing 2021 - 2021 ↓
• Giant Pop 160 ↓
• Daiwa TD Popper Zero ↓
• OWNER Cultiva Gobo Popper 60F ↓
• Fishycat Popcat 85F ↓
• Megabass Pop-X ↓
• Promising places for popper fishing ↓
• Popper wiring. What kind of wiring does pike like? ↓
• The best colors of poppers for pike ↓
• Catching pike with a popper in summer (Video) ↓

Fishing is one of the most ancient activities throughout the existence of human civilization.

Since the beginning of the existence of this fishery, fishermen have managed to study in detail the habits of most representatives of the river flora. It is a detailed study of the preferences of each type of fish that allows you to increase the success of your fishing trip.

Classification

Poppers for pike and perch come in two types: floating and, strange as it may seem, sinking.

• Floating. These baits are designed for surface fishing for predators.
• Drowning. In terms of mass, they are heavier than floating models for greater range. Their wiring is carried out in the subsurface layer of water.

There are also a variety of sizes of poppers for perch and pike. For the striped robber they are 3-5 centimeters, for the toothy predator - 6-10.

The color scheme has a slight effect on popper fishing for pike and perch. All the same, when retrieving, predators see only the “belly” of the bait. Color is important for the angler’s visualization of the retrieve and depends on the lighting at a particular moment of fishing.

5 Best poppers for pike fishing 2017-2018

1. Opens the top baits for predatory fish Giant Pop 160

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Made in Taiwan, this popper is an excellent solution when fishing in large bodies of water. It also more often attracts larger representatives of predatory fish species.

This is due to its impressive dimensions - 160 mm in length and 85.5 grams of weight.

Characteristic features are pronounced voluminous eyes and the natural color of the popper.

2. Next on the list is another representative of Japanese production - Daiwa TD Popper Zero

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It is slightly inferior in weight and size, measuring 6 grams and 65 mm, respectively.

Good results in catching pikes are ensured due to its attractive appearance. The light weight of the popper makes it possible to make long casts to great depths.

To guarantee a catch, you should use a retrieve with short pauses.

3. The top three starts with the representative of the floating type OWNER Cultiva Gobo Popper 60F

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It can be thrown very far due to its small size (weight: 6.3 g, length: 60 mm) and the presence of special balls inside.

Additionally, pike are attracted by the slurping sound that occurs during the retrieve.

It is this sound that attracts those predatory fish that are accustomed to feeding on small perches.

Also, due to the presence of voluminous eyes and soft plumage on the tail, the popper looks as realistic as possible, which allows you to catch a pike on almost every cast.

4. Silver in the rating of the best lures for catching pike goes to Fishycat Popcat 85F

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Due to the unusual sound that the Japanese creation makes, this popper is often compared to a musical instrument.

The length is 85 mm and the weight is 9.2 grams. Sound is a good way to attract the attention of pikes.

But in order to improve the catch rate, you should do a sharp, energetic retrieve; this will lead to the awakening of the pike’s hunting instincts, and it will definitely attack.

5. And the winner in the review of the best poppers for catching pike is the Megabass Pop-X

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Despite the fact that it is already more than 20 years old, it is still considered one of the best representatives of this category of baits. It is highly appreciated by both domestic and Western fishermen.

The main advantage of the popper is the unique method of cross-wig balancing.

Inside the bait there is a special groove along which a steel ball moves. When wiring, water enters the furrow and is discharged through the side holes.

Thus, pikes notice not only gurgling, but also vibration, which brings the bait as close as possible to a real fish. The popper is 64 mm long and weighs 7 grams.

Popper fishing technique

The technique of fishing with this bait is quite simple. The main thing is to remain quiet while fishing. This is especially true for boat fishing. Here it is worth paying attention to ordinary flat-bottomed boats. Duralumin boats make an unpleasant and strong sound while moving, which can frighten a predator. There are several techniques for placing bait.

So, to catch a predator you can use the following lines:

1. Classic. With such a leash, the reel rotates slowly and evenly, and the spinning rod makes even jerks. This method is often used when catching an active predator.
2. Slow. This leash is characterized by the presence of a large number of pauses and stops. It is better to use it on a predator that is not very active.
3. Chaotic. When using such a leash, the popper jerks sharply. After several intense jerks there is a pause of several seconds. This leash is often used in late autumn. In the most hopeless situations it can bring good results.

The most common option is to alternate jerks with a short pause. In this case, the force and frequency of impacts depends on the size of the popper. This is determined already during the fishing process. Experienced fishermen can determine the technique of leashes in a few minutes. If the wiring is correct, the popper will produce a consistent and attractive sound. Therefore, it is worth experimenting with wiring. Properly selected gear will allow you to quickly determine the required frequency of jerks.

Popper wiring. What kind of wiring does pike like?

The most effective when fishing for pike are two wiring options.

• The first of them is characterized by small jerks of 10-15 cm at a time. It is worth taking pauses between jerks, usually 1-2 seconds. This allows the popper to make characteristic sounds that attract a predator.
• The second placement of the popper involves simulating a fish that is trying to escape. To do this, you need to make several small jerks and then reel in the line. Due to this, the popper will first jump along the surface and then release a wave that should attract the pike.

It is worth considering that pike are quite smart fish, so it is worth changing the wiring periodically.

Poppers for pike, 10 best models and fishing techniques

Pike, as one of the desired objects of fishing, makes the fisherman experience a thrill during the hunt, especially during the fishing period, when he really wants to see his rival on the shore. The traditional bait for the toothy predator remains live bait, but today artificial fish, in particular poppers, are increasingly used.

A popper is a bladeless wobbler used in the upper layers of water. Its peculiarity lies in the ability of the bait to make gurgling sounds, which so attract the predator and provoke it to take active action. Since the wobbler belongs to the category of surface baits, it is easy to observe and respond to a bite in a timely manner.

The popper is really able to interest the pike; its gurgling is associated with the splashes of fry living in shallow water.

The positive characteristics of surface bait include:

1. Catchability.
2. Ease of use.
3. Excellent casting distance.
4. Allows visual control over the behavior of the fished object.
5. Fishes snags and areas of a reservoir overgrown with dense vegetation , without the risk of losing gear.
6. Works in predator feeding areas.
7. A clear imitation of mice and rats falling into the water, which makes the pike immediately attract attention.
8. The hunting process takes on a gambling character.

The popper in operation shows itself exclusively from its best side, but only on condition that the product is of high quality and meets the hunting conditions.

By saving and buying a cheap kind of bait, you may encounter the following problems:

1. Rings and hooks are of low quality.
2. The weights of the magnets located inside the popper are poorly adjusted, causing additional noise and increasing the casting distance.
3. They have an unpresentable appearance , which does not captivate the predator at all.

What is a popper

A popper is a spinning bait for surface fishing, which is a type of wobbler. It requires jerk wiring, which is practically no different from twitching. In its front part there is a special funnel, which, when flowing, captures water and throws it forward. During each jerk of the spinning rod, a gurgling sound is heard, which attracts pike even from a long distance.

Pike can be caught well with poppers in summer and early autumn. In spring, it usually does not respond to these baits, as well as in the second half of autumn, when the predator feeds at depth. They are primarily suitable for fishing in shallow water - they are used in river bays, ponds, lakes and reservoirs. Popper is an excellent bait for fishing over thickets of grass that rise from the bottom and slightly do not reach the surface. There is always a pike here, which is not averse to rising after the bait passing above its head.

Poppers work best in calm, calm weather. In such conditions, when the water surface is calm, the splashes they make travel far and attract pike from a great distance. You can use these baits during waves, but in this case you need to use more aggressive fishing.

Poppers for pike

Bright colors are especially important in sunny weather, and the water in the reservoir should be clear. Models with natural colors work well.

Due to a special dimple located in the central part of the nose, the bait emits a sound impulse when reeling sharply.

Make it a rule, on every fishing trip, the first thing you do is start.

Poppers are distinguished:

1. Sinking , when cast, they sink to the bottom of the reservoir, and with sudden movements they instantly rise to the surface.
2. Floating , designed for fishing hard-to-reach places.

To choose a catchy popper, you need to pay attention to the following nuances:

1. Lure size. To catch a clever pike you will need a large product; the larger the popper, the better the catch. Lures with a length of 10–25 cm are especially popular, but you should know that the largest popper in size does not always catch a large predator.
2. Product form. The design of the bait is made in a cone-shaped design, where the wide head smoothly transitions into a narrowed tail. An additional element are large tees.
3. Model color. The color of the surface product is not of fundamental importance, the main thing is that attractive sounds are produced. Many anglers argue that the color of the popper should be selected in accordance with the fishing conditions and time of day. Thus, for hunting in the morning and evening hours, it is recommended to use black, orange and red baits.

The color of the front of the popper plays a significant role in controlling the bait; it should be brightly colored. If the original color does not suit the fisherman, you can update it yourself.

Popper fishing tackle

Poppers are mainly used for spinning fishing. For such fishing, it is worth using a rigid and light fishing rod, which is often made of carbon fiber. The rigidity of the spinning rod gives a greater chance of successful surface fishing. It is also worth paying attention to the length of the spinning rod. It should be short. Its length should not exceed 2.4 m. Such gear can be used for fishing from a boat or shore. If we are talking about overgrown reservoirs, then you can use longer spinning rods. With a spinning rod length of about 3, the weight of the dough should not exceed 21 g.

To put it simply, for popper fishing you should use a light, stiff and short spinning rod. The fishing line also plays an important role here. For such fishing, you should choose a more elastic fishing line. In this case, it is better to opt for monofilament. It has high elasticity and softness, which prevents the fish from tearing the lip during hooking. Of course, such gear is used mainly when fishing for perch. You can also use braided line to catch pike. The use of monofilament allows for long casts.

The reel must be equipped with an endless screw that lays the line crosswise. Thanks to this, it will be possible to prevent the formation of a “beard”. The reel must have an instant stop and hold up to 100 meters of fishing line, the diameter of which is 0.22 mm. This diameter is sufficient for surface fishing. For fishing, it is best to use a spinning reel.

Best models

On the fishing accessories market, poppers are presented in a fairly wide range, but the following models are most popular:

Daiwa TD Popper Zero

A Japanese device with a weight of 6 grams and a length of 65 mm for catching cunning pike is distinguished by unsurpassed quality and excellent performance characteristics: attractive appearance, good casting range, realistic play in the water, designed for catching large specimens. The effectiveness of the bait was noticed when retrieving with short pauses.

The cost of the model is 510 rubles.

Duel/Yo – Zuri Eba Popper

A killer surface wobbler from a Japanese manufacturer has a weight of 4 grams and a length of 5 cm. Thanks to high-quality manufacturing, the bait is able to attract a predator on the first retrieve, while the animation should be carried out slowly, with barely noticeable splashes. If the pause is too long, the popper needs to be slightly moved from side to side.

The cost of the product is 260 – 280 rubles.

Fishycat Popcat 85F

Due to the expressive sound it produces, the Japanese bait received the name of a real musical instrument; its length is 85 mm and its weight is 9.2 grams. The floating model is quite clearly audible over long distances, but the wiring must be sharp and active.

Cost of Fishycat Popcat 85F 180 – 370 rub.

X – Rap Walk 09

The product for surface fishing from the well-known brand Rapala has good performance parameters: high-quality material, excellent balancing, which allows it to be fished in twitch style, 3D holographic eyes, textured body. Popper weight 15 g and length 90 mm.

Cost X – Rap Walk RUB 09,655.

Owner Gobo Popper

Another high-quality bait from a Japanese manufacturer, its weight is 6.3 grams and its length is 60 mm. The presence of sharp tees increases the chances of a high-quality catch, and a sufficient casting range and a mesmerizing gurgle create all the favorable fishing conditions. The catchability of the product is noted with any wiring method.

The cost of the model is 705 rubles.

Megabass Pop – X

The surface wobbler has a length of 65 mm and its weight is 7 grams; the distinctive feature of the model is the channels located in the oral cavity. A wobbler works especially effectively for passive fish, regardless of the type of wiring.

Megabass Pop price – X 765 rub.

Giant Pop 160

A popper from the heavyweight category (160 mm, 85.5 g) from the Taiwanese company Strike Pro is capable of catching a large area of ​​water in a short time. In working condition, the popper takes a horizontal position.

The cost of the product is 180 rubles.

River 2 Sea Bubble Pop

The Australian manufacturer presented its model of a surface wobbler, characterized by a high-quality coating, a unique system of weights, and the presence of special slots on the side lines of the head, which contribute to the formation of air bubbles attractive to pike. The product has 3 versions, differing in size, weight and length.

The cost of River 2 Sea Bubble Pop is 300 rubles.

Ponton 21 Loco Perro 100 DW

The unique “mad dog” bait weighs 23.5 grams, length is 100 mm, and is used for jerking animation. A bladeless walker is capable of attracting a predator at any speed of reeling. It also copes well with the work of a search engine.

Price Ponton 21 Loco Perro 100 DW 555 rub.

Berkley Frenzy Popper

A bait from the budget category, but with fairly good flight qualities, it works with different animation methods. The popper weighs 9 grams and is 70 mm long. It is used for fishing for toothy predators, starting from spring and ending in late autumn.

Berkley Frenzy Popper price RUB 176.

The best of the best

Of course, when talking about certain baits, one cannot help but compile their rating. Based on feedback from practicing anglers, we have selected the best 10 models of poppers for pike, as well as 10 for perch. We hope that our rating will help you choose a popper that will become a pearl in your fishing bait box.

Top 10 for pike

1. Kosadaka Takao – pike can be caught perfectly on a popper of this model. Wiring is carried out with a spinning rod lowered to the water in small jerks. Perches and chubs bite on this model.

2. Sert Killer Pop is a model that has become a legend. Fishermen's stories about catching pike, chub and asp on Killer Pop are truly reminiscent of science fiction novels.

3. Daiwa TD Popper Zero. Attracts predators with realistic animation. “TD Popper Zero” depicts a fry so naturally that a flock of perches rush at it, but the victory is always with the pike. The wiring is uniform with small pauses.

4. Jackall Bros SK-PopGrande. Poppers for pike and perch weighing nine grams. Jakal lures have a pleasant sound and excellent flight qualities.

5. Yo-Zuri Eba Popper. Lightweight, weighing four grams, a small five-centimeter popper for perch and pike, also hooks chub. Recommended wiring is slow with a barely noticeable splash.

6. Giant Pop 160. Its size, 16 centimeters long, lives up to its name. Catching pike with a Giant Pop 160 popper begins with a cast and a long pause, up to one minute. Then you should jerk the large bait, and again pause for 10-20 seconds.

7. Rebel POP-R. A line of universal poppers for perch, chub and pike. Different sizes and weights of baits allow you to catch different representatives of the ichthyofauna.

8. Owner Gobo Popper. Its weight is just over six grams. But thanks to its flight characteristics, this wobbler is very long-range among the top models. Retrieving is possible with different animations, which allows you to change the technique of the game when changing the object of fishing.

9. Rapala Skitter Pop. These catchy poppers are ideal for beginners. Catching pike with a Skitter Pop allows you to practice your fishing technique. This surface wobbler works well for pike, perch, and chub. The possibility of using this model in spring, summer, and autumn allows it to be included in various top ratings of the best baits.

10. Silver Creek Pike S. The word “pike” in the name shows how successful this model of popper fishing is. The bait works great all season long. The most correct solution would be to use this popper in autumn and spring, in cool water. He performed well in the stream when catching chub.

Top 10 for perch

This ranking of top lures repeats the models from the previous list. This is understandable; many types of baits are truly universal. Our rating will help you determine which bass popper to buy and test.

1. Daiwa TD Popper Zero.
2. Kosadaka Takao.
3. Rebel POP-R.
4. Yo-Zuri Eba Popper.
5. Sert Killer Pop.
6. Jackall Bros SK-PopGrande. These six lures are described above, but we have repeated them in the perch rating due to their versatility.
7. Yo-Zuri 3D Popper. Excellent aerodynamic properties and excellent animation make this perch popper one of the leaders in the rating.

8. Halco Night Walker nano. The ultralight model, weighing only 3.5 grams, in addition to gurgling, attracts fish with a fountain of water spray.

9. Caiman 35. Small, 3.5 centimeters long, wobbler for twitching wiring. Perch can also be caught using the Caiman 35 popper using stop and go fishing.
10. ZipBaits ZBL Poppe. Perch fishing on ZBL - hunting for a respectable humpback fish. Due to the built-in weight, it takes a position close to 30 degrees to the surface. The best wiring is jerk wiring.

How to fish with a popper?

Tackle

For hunting surface wobblers, it is recommended to give preference to a short, light, but at the same time rigid rod made of durable carbon fiber. As for the rod's action, either a fast or an ultra-fast option is quite suitable.

A rigid fishing tool is capable of making the most accurate cast, and its lightness will ensure a good interesting game.

The recommended rod length is 1.9 – 2.4 m. If fishing takes place in dense vegetation, choose rods with a length of 2.7 – 3.0 m and a test load of up to 21 grams. Balancing plays an important role here; the hand should be placed in the center of gravity in order to play the popper with one hand.

The reel must have an endless screw that allows you to correctly lay the fishing thread crosswise, an instant stopper that promptly fixes the fishing line during laying (level with the side of the spool), and an additional ratio of 1:5, while the capacity of the spool should be 100 m of fishing thread 0, 22 lb.

It is better to equip an ultra-fast spinning rod with monofilament fishing line, which has good elasticity and sufficient stretchability. To use braided fishing line, it is recommended to use a spinning rod with a parabolic action. Hunting for pike is effective with both monofilament and braided line.

Leashes must be made of steel strings.

Where and when to fish?

In cool water conditions, the performance of the popper drops somewhat; deep-sea products begin to work well.

The greatest effectiveness of the popper is observed in the hottest season , when the predator, after a long oxygen starvation, climbs into the upper layers of the reservoir and instantly rushes to the active bait.

The advantages of a surface wobbler over other baits are manifested in fishing hard-to-reach places: above thickets of grass, in windows of dense vegetation. The main areas of the reservoir for using such bait are overgrown bays, toad grasses, and shallow coastal areas.

Popper fishing technique

Several basic wiring options will help ensure success in pike hunting:

1. After casting the bait , you need to take a short pause until the water completely calms down. After that, the cord needs to be wound evenly, while the tip of the rod makes smooth twitches. Depending on the specific fishing conditions, the speed of the retrieve, the position of the rod, and the strength of the jerking actions are determined.
2. To catch a passive predator, the following animation is used: slow retrieval combined with frequent stops. A game like this is a win-win option in a no-bite situation.
3. In the most hopeless situations, chaotic wiring, consisting of a series of intense jerks and short pauses (3 - 4 seconds), saves. This game realistically imitates a wounded and exhausted fish.

Features of catching pike with poppers

First, let's get acquainted with the bait. It is made in the shape of a fish with an open mouth, its appearance is shown in the photo above. If a wobbler, thanks to the blade protruding from the front, is capable of going deep, then this is impossible for such a bait. It moves along the surface of the water and makes squelching sounds, which attracts a predator.

On a note! Perch, asp, pike perch and even catfish are also caught with bait when the mustachioed giant comes out into shallow water in the evening.

There are two types of poppers available - floating and sinking. The difference between them is that the first ones are immersed in water for half of the body, while the drowning ones have a buried tail. An example of such a bait is shown in the photo below.

It remains to add that poppers are made in the form of:

• fish;
• a monoblock that vaguely resembles living creatures;
• frogs;
• flexible components connected to each other.

In some models, cavities or channels are made inside the body, which are filled with shot. Thanks to this, the movement becomes jagged and a noise appears, like a rattle, which additionally attracts fish.

Popper is a surface bait, it is characterized by some features:

• When retrieving, it makes sounds as if a fish is slurping, feeding on grass or insects that have fallen to the surface. In July, splashes of juvenile fish can often be heard near seaweed thickets, especially if you quietly approach them by boat. Realistically simulating the movements and sounds of fish swarming on the surface is the task of a high-quality popper.
• The popper moves along the top so that the angler can watch it and see the stages of pike bites (attacks).
• Predatory fish constantly monitors the upper layers of the reservoir. What is happening there attracts her attention. If a fish that looks like prey suddenly starts splashing, this will provoke the pike to attack.

However, it is difficult to achieve complete imitation of prey behavior; for this, suitable gear and special wiring methods are used.

Bait effectiveness depending on the season

The peculiarity of the popper's behavior is also determined by the time of year. It is better to fish with such bait in the summer, when the water is warm, there is a lot of food on the surface, and peaceful fish feed heavily. However, it can be used in open water and at other times. You can catch pike with a popper even in the fall, when the predator stays in the depths. But such fishing requires some experience and patience.

Tip: the weather at the time of fishing can greatly affect the result. It is better to use this bait in calm water. Ripple and waves significantly reduce the effectiveness of a popper.

After spawning, pike feed heavily, so at this time they can be caught using any type of bait. You can catch toothy fish with a popper in the spring, as well as in the height of summer. It’s just better to do this in shallow water, where pike come out into warm water.

Recommended reading: Fishing with a popper

Suitable reservoirs and fishing areas

When choosing where to fish, take into account the characteristics of the bait. In our case, this is a game in the surface layer of water, which allows it to be used in places inaccessible to wobblers or spinners. First of all, you need to keep in mind the bays, backwaters, and bays overgrown with grass. In reservoirs and lakes where there is no current, there are thickets of grass in which the fish feel safe.

It is not easy to get pike in such places. One way to do this is to run a popper along the surface in windows of aquatic vegetation. Or another, no less common option - thickets of grass occupy a huge area, leaving a thin layer of water free on top. Poppers again allow you to fish in such places.

The bait can be passed over thickets of grass without any snags, tempting the grass pike with its gurgling and splashing. By spraying water, the popper will imitate a struggling wounded fish, which will again attract the attention of the toothy one. Catching a predator in stagnant water, remote and rarely visited toad grasses, and overgrown ponds is a nice thing.

However, even on the river, in the current, fishing for pike with a popper is often effective. Sometimes a gurgling bait manages to lift an ambush predator out of a hole, from the depths, provoking its attack.

Very promising fishing spots include areas with flooded trees or stumps, which is often found in reservoirs. It is difficult to cast a regular lure in such places, and sometimes fishing ends with the loss of bait. But catching pike with a popper in snags can be quite successful; the predator simply loves to ambush in such places.

Note! When planning to catch a predator with a popper, you need to remember that the best time for this is morning or evening dawn.

Later, especially at noon, the feeding fish become less active and move to the lower layers of water. The only exceptions can be considered the end of August and part of September, when the fish feed almost all day, intensively replenishing fat reserves for the winter.

Blitz tips

1. to choose a place for fishing in a well-studied body of water.
2. The tackle must be equipped with high-quality products , and it must be light and as comfortable as possible.
3. Good results are obtained by experimenting not only with the shape and color of the bait, but also with wiring methods. Pauses must be mandatory.
4. The hook does not always need to be done when the predator first grabs the popper ; often it misses at first. Repeated attack of the bait is more effective.

Sources:

https://www.syl.ru/article/217035/new_popperyi-na-schuku—luchshih-ulovistyie-popperyi-na-schuku-reyting-foto https://zen.yandex.ru/media/id/5a36aa435816699a3b28eef4/5b654d6214f73d00aa596c15 https://lakeking.ru/ryba/pike/poppery.html