Skitter Pop
The Rapala Skitter Pop makes top water bass fishing so much fun you might not want to fish any other way! Of course this would be a mistake, but fished correctly, this lure will produce some very memorable catches. There is nothing like watching a bass come up and slam your lure. Adjusting your presentation will catch the fish that just follow it as well. The Pop is made from buoyant Balsa wood with a cupped lip on the front and a dressed trailing hook. The lip traps air when pulled under the water and sends out the “bloop” sound that sends the bass hunting. The dressed trailer hook gives more temptation to make tentative decide to hit the lure. The Skitter Pop works best when the weather is stable. Hot muggy days, and low light conditions, such as dawn and dusk, are ideal. But don't think that's all it's good for. When bass are feeding in the upper 1/3 of the water, such as an insect hatch or schools of baitfish near structure, the Pop will work all day long. The best water color is clear to slightly stained, as the strike will be triggered by sight after the sound calls the bass in. During ideal weather and light conditions, cast it out and start your retrieve right away by working it for 5 to 10 feet at a time. Pause for a short moment and repeat the quick retrieve. This will make a higher pitched sound that active bass key in on. If you see fish bumping the lure or simply following it, you need to change up the presentation. For less aggressive fish, cast the Skitter Pop out and let it sit until the ripples are gone from around the lure. Give just a pop or two, then let it sit again. The slow single pop creates a deep “bloop” noise that triggers the more negative bass. The bass are eyeballing your lure and trying to decide whether or not to strike it. Give them time to make up their minds. Good target structures for this popper are boulder flats and over sunken wood cover. An overlooked area is a steep dropping ledge shoreline. During poor weather conditions bass will spend less time near shore and often follow the steeper breaklines if they are in a feeding mood. Use a good 10 to 20 pound test line and experiment with the cadence and overall speed of the retieve. Hopefully you don't fall right out of the boat when the bass explodes out of the water!
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