Want to see how this freshwater “bass lure” does with seatrout?
Then you’ll enjoy this review of the Whopper Plopper topwater lure!
Using topwater lures is one of the most exciting ways to catch fish. Nothing beats watching an explosion on a lure as you are retrieving it in.
If you are like me, you probably walk up and down the fishing aisles multiple times looking for that “secret weapon” that fish can’t resist.
It is also very rewarding to try out new lures and actually catch fish on them.
That is why I have decided to try out the “Whopper Plopper” topwater lure for catching some inshore fish.
This “Whopper Plopper” is a fairly new lure that is out on the market.
The style of this lure, however, is dated from back in the 1950’s when the Heddon Lure Company created the first single prop bait called the Torpedo.
These “prop” lures are mainly used to target largemouth bass due to their aggressive nature to strike at the surface of the water.
It is not really clear whether these fish attack these lure thinking it may be an injured baitfish, or if the noise and action just irritate them to the point of attacking it.
A bait at the surface of the water really doesn’t have much of a chance against a predator fish lurking at the bottom waiting to ambush its prey.
[custom_cta]
There’s nowhere for the bait to go besides jump out of the water, but by that time it’s too late.
Since these lures were mainly targeting freshwater anglers, I decided to give it a try in the saltwater.
Trout, snook, and redfish are willing to strike topwater lures just as much as bass do, so I figured they wouldn’t turn down this lure, the Whopper Plopper.
In the image below, you can see that trout, snook, and bass have a very large mouth with an upward facing bottom jaw that extends past their upper jaw (this enables them to effectively attack a bait or lure at the surface).
Redfish don’t have this same adaptation with their mouth as they primarily feed on the bottom and directly in front of them.
Their upper jaw extends past their lower jaw, which isn’t effective for feeding at the surface.
They will, however, still strike a topwater lure, but they must be in an aggressive mode as they have to get their body very high up in the water to strike the lure.
This is why you will see the back of a redfish come out of the water just before it strikes a topwater lure.
Now let’s get back to the Whopper Plopper (so much fun to say!) and the pros and cons of this lure.
Pros Of The Whopper Plopper Saltwater Lure:
- It catches fish! (which you will see in the video below)
- Seems to be made very durable so it should last you a while (unless a monster snook decides to keep it for her collection)
- Works very smoothly right out of the box and great action from the “prop”
- Casts far (weighs 0.4 ounces)
Cons Of The Whopper Plopper Saltwater Lure:
- Expensive – Ranges from $12-$14 for the smaller size (there is also a large version)
- If fishing an area with floating grass, the grass will tend to wrap around the prop shaft affecting the action. However, a few hard tugs when retrieving the lure can help clear off the grass
- As with using most top water lures, your arms may get tired after a while of casting and retrieve if using a twitching type of retrieve (which I found to be the most effective)
In the following video, I will be showing you some different retrieval techniques, underwater footage of the lure in action, some fish catching action, and a quick view of satellite maps to show the type of areas that I was using the lure in.
Whopper Plopper Topwater [VIDEO]
Conclusion
Nothing better than catching saltwater fish with a bass lure!
Just goes to show that the most important part of consistent inshore fishing is NOT the lure, it’s all about location.
I’ve realized time and time again that if I spend more time focusing on where feeding fish should be (instead of focusing on the lure, lure color, etc), I usually catch more fish regardless of what I am tossing out.
It was fun fishing with the Whopper Plopper because it has a such a presence on the water.
Good times.
What freshwater lures have you used to catch saltwater fish?
Let me know in the comments.
Click here to see the Whopper Plopper on Amazon.
Related Post: Rapala Skitter Walk vs Skitter V (Plus Underwater Footage)
And to see exactly where I was fishing, click here (or the link in the box below) to learn about becoming a Salt Strong Insider.
[custom_cta]
P.S. – If you think your angler friends of fishing networks would like to see this, please Tag them or Share this with them. You Rock! Pa-POW!