The River2Sea Whopper Plopper has taken the bass fishing scene by storm as it defies logic. It produces vicious all-day strikes whereas most topwater bites shine first thing in the morning and late in the evening.
What Makes This Fishing Bait Different?
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| The River2Sea Whopper Plopper is a top seller on Basspro.com |
Bassmaster Elite Pro Ish Monroe is left dumbfounded by most of his experiences with the bait. “When a bass hits this thing, they are the most explosive strikes I’ve ever had on any topwater bite. Every bite is like they are trying to break it in half!”
Monroe has yet to find a condition, other than super cold water, where they won’t eat it. He never shows up to a tournament without a topwater bait tied on, preferably a Whopper Plopper, 12 months out of the year, so long as water temps stay above 54° degrees F.
“Depending on what part of the country you are in, 70- to 75º degree F water temps are when conditions are absolutely perfect for this bait. The harder you wind it- the harder the strikes are,” he said.
Bass Pro Customers are Talking About the Whopper Plopper
"3rd cast I plopped it past a submerged log and got a vicious water-breaching strike and caught a nice 3.5lb fish" By MOFish20 from St. Louis.
"Use this bait any time through out the day" By DavisD from Toronto Canada.
" Hands down the best, most fun, exciting and productive top water baits I have ever used" By JerseyJosh from Columbus, Oh.
Where to Throw It
Using a straight retrieve, Monroe works the bait in semi-stained water around sparse grass, rocks, sparse weeds, docks and shady pockets.
Monroe actually found his fish at the Elite event on Toledo Bend where he took 3rd place with the Whopper Plopper. Once he dialed his pattern in, he found the jig was his more consistent pattern.
The Braid Connection
Monroe fishes the River2Sea Whopper Plopper on a 7’7 Daiwa Tatula medium-action fibreglass composite bait cast rod paired with a Daiwa Tatula Type-R reel sporting 7:3:1 gearing. He won’t fish the bait with anything but 50-pound Maxima braided line.
“When a fish blows up on it, you won’t set the hook and miss fish, you’ll just keep turning the handle and they’ll keep blowing up on it until it has it,” he said. Braided line floats and while monofilament line could work, it has a fair degree of stretch which could make getting hooked up an issue. The problem with fluorocarbon line for this application is that it sinks and the line drags the baits’ nose down causing the line to tangle with the hooks.
Colors and Sizes
When faced with dirty water or during the first thing in the morning, late in the evening, or at night, he favors black colored patterns like Lune and Yellow Head. In clear water and while fishing during the middle of the day and when it’s sunny, Powder or Bone given him great confidence.
When fishing on Northern bodies of water, the T1000 color is the trick.
Monroe only throws the 130 size despite smaller and larger versions being available. For anglers targeting smallmouth or smaller largemouth, the 90 size might be an option.
Did You Know?
The Whopper Plopper fishing bait comes rigged with one of the neatest split rigs that eliminates the worry of having the knot slip through it. As well, River2Sea had their own hook designed for the bait that was smaller yet beefier- it doesn’t bend.
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