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In a recent article, I wrote about my experience using the Whopper Plopper 75 for the first time.
During the trip where I purchased the 75, I also picked up the slightly longer, thinner Whopper Plopper 90 (in “Sooner” color), and decided to take it out for a quick afternoon of fishing on Buffalo Creek, which is a tributary of the Ohio River.
As I mentioned in the other article, my venture into bass fishing is fairly new — at least in terms of anything serious and committed — as I grew up primarily chasing crappie and muskie.
The reality, however, is that bass fishing is everywhere. It is certainly the largest segment of a nearly 50 billion dollar annual industry, and certain lures garner more attention than others.
In recent years, one of those lures has been the Whopper Plopper.
The Whopper Plopper 90 is an Investment
My grandfather used to say, “most fishing lures catch more anglers than they do fish.”
Thirty years later, that sentiment hasn’t changed. Without literally thousands of options available, many of which are fairly expensive, purchasing a new lure can be a real investment.
Perhaps the biggest deterrent for many anglers when considering purchasing their first Whopper Plopper, then, is the cost.
While it is not the most expensive bass lure on the market, it can run double the cost of some popular topwater bass lures. I was able to get a nice discount at my local Cabela’s, however, so stocking up on a couple made sense.
I have been using several different topwaters this summer, including the Rebel Pop-R and the Storm Arashi Cover Pop. Both a more traditional, cover-faced “poppers” that run slightly less expensive than the Whopper Plopper.
The profile and presentation of the Plopper, however, is enticing in itself. The 75 managed to land me several bass in a short period of time, so I was curious to see if the 90 could replicate those results.
Using the Right Lure at the Right Time
When I first threw the shorter, broaded Whopper Plopper 75, I was pleased with the experience. It didn’t produce any massive bass, but I managed to land four fish in a relatively short time frame. Fishing from the shore in northern West Virginia, I wasn’t necessarily throwing lures in the heart of bass country, so I was pleased with the experience.
For the Whopper Plopper 90, I took my kayak out onto Buffalo Creek, fishing a half-mile run that flows into the Oho River. There’s a lot of great cover on the stretch, including two bridges. The weather forecast was also calling for clouds, which can be a real benefit when fishing topwater lures.
We hit the water around midday, though, and the skies were more clear than I expected. In hindsight, I probably should have either hit the water during early morning or come back out in the evening if I was going to work a topwater.
In fairness, we also threw some spinnerbaits and both lipless and round bill crankbaits, so it might have just been the wrong timing in the wrong location.
Thoughts on Fishing the Whopper Plopper 90
Even though my experience wasn’t terribly productive, there’s a lot to like about the Whopper Plopper 90.
Just like the 75, I ran the 90 on 8 lb Berkley x9 Braid Fishing Line with about twelve inches of 8 lb. Berkley Vanish Fluorocarbon Fishing Line leader.
And just like the 75, the snag resistance was maybe the most enticing feature of the 90. I threw this into some pretty thick coverage and, if using a different lure profile (or throwing it on monofilament), I’m not sure I would have retrieved my lure every time. But getting it back was almost like pulling a knife through butter. At its worst, I would maybe pick up an errant leaf.
In terms of the presentation, a lot of anglers prefer the thinner, longer body of the Whopper Plopper 90 (which spans 3 1/2 inches) to the thicker, shorter body of the Whopper Plopper 75 (which is only 3 inches).
In my (admittedly limited) experience with both, I found that the 75 was more robust. The “plopping” motion, which leave a nice, consistent bubble trail, was more noticeable on the shorter version. I also felt that the 90 did not displace water quite as well.
Given that I tried both of these on different fisheries at different times of the day, it’s hard to do a fair and accurate comparison.
Ultimately, I expect that I will be taking both the 75 and the 90 (possibly in new colors, too) any time I hit the water in search of bass. That also means that I will likely be updating my experience with the lure as it gets looks on different waters in different locations.
Popular Colors for the Whopper Plopper 90
While these can be hard to find in your local store — my local Cabela’s was practically sold out when I visited last week — you can almost always find them online.
Below, I am listing some of the most popular colors of the Whopper Plopper 90:
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