Posted by raider11369 on 2002 PM:

how to use a hula popper

i have recently bought the "hula popper" top water lure. i havent heard of it before and im not sure of how, when and, what kind of place i should use it in . if anyone can help me please reply.

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Posted by JOHN G on 2002 PM:

Raider, Hula poppers are a little bit different from other popping topwater lures in that they will displace a little bit more water, throwing it ahead of the lure, much more than say, a PopR....

Now, think about it....if it is creating more of a disturbance, that means it would be a good choice when you really want to draw the fish's attention, for example, muddy water, heavily stained water, and the way a lot of guys use it, nightime , I am talking after sunset, not early evening when many popping lures are effective.

it can also be effective in that sense for popping over much deeper water than you might ususally throw topwater.....

Hula is a spitting popping fool that many of us have used to get some big ol' bass.....

have fun with it!


JOHN G

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Posted by Travis on 2002 PM:

and it doesn't have to be glass calm to throw it.....


T

Posted by "Wild Bill" on 2002 PM:

SmileMy first plugs in "61....

were a frog pattern Hula pooper and a frog pattern jitterbug, given to me by my dear grandafther who made bassing a big part of my life, implanting a passion of bassing deep in a fertile young mind back then.
It's a floating topwater, a perfest first plug. It floats, so it won't get hung unless you see something you want to avoid hanging it on and cast right at it. Its working, as it is sitting or popping. Cast it out. let it settle for a few secs, or past the time the rings settle down, then chug it once, and wait, Chug again, wait. Try chugging twice, and wait. Watch your bait. Fish will either explode upon it, or just SLURP it down. Either way, lower your rod tip, reel up slack, then when you feel the fish pulling, set the hook hard. Do NOT react to the splashing water of the initial attack, or you often pull the bait away before the fish completely has it, often sailing it right at you. Many times, they set the hook upon themseves.
Work it over sub-emergent weeds , or next to emergent weeds. Toss it near to docks, stumps, etc. but not too close, or you run the risk of snagging it, Ruining that area.
Many think of a topwater as only a low light , or dark lighting condition bait, but they have served me all day long, given the right conditions. Bass will find ambush spots, and set themselves up to pounce upon prey passingin front of them often These work the best in the warmest season for me, but other's here may have other experiences , too.
Good luck, and thanks for taking me down the "memory road" of my youth by discussing the Hula Popper.

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Posted by Travis on 2002 PM:

I could go down amnesia lane a bit with that bait as I am sure many could. Took a bunch of respectable greenies on that thing. Hated the hooks though, even when I was a kid. I liked how the plastic skirt matted to my grandads Ole Pal metal tackle box he left me... like cheese on a hot sidewalk.

Wild one: those panfish like slurps were usually the big boys weren't they ?


Trav

Posted by "Wild Bill" on 2002 PM:

Talkingwhen the toilet flushes......

in the middle of the water, right where your bait just WAS, that's a good one, nine times out of nine[ha, ha].
Yeah, gotta keep that hula skirt away from any other baits, etc.
If your a sick fool like I, change them factory trebles to Excaliburs. I got them for $1 a package at a local LI bait shop not long ago. I hate missing fish, and they help hook-up ratios.

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Posted by JPBass on 2002 PM:

I don't know what you guys are doing with those baits. They're far too out dated and inexpensive to catch fish these days.

To get a proper "popping" action across the surface you need something that costs at least 15 bucks and comes from Japan!!

But in response to the original question, just throw it out there (anytime) and give it an occasional twitch. Some of the older fish might still hit it.

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Posted by Pete L on 2002 PM:

My first real topwater bait!! Followed closely by the jitterbug!!! Still throw both , and catch fish on both of them!!!!

Had it drilled into my head ---- Wait for the rings to dissapear ,
before the first twitch!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pete

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Posted by ChrisChance on 2002 AM:

Love the Hula

Not only good topwater but fantastic dancing.

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Posted by Scott C on 2002 PM:

quote:

like cheese on a hot sidewalk



LOL

Is there any way to replace the skirts on these.....I have one that I would love to throw but its got a big ole glob of cheese hanging off the end of it now...... That thing has got to be 20 years old and I KNOW it can still catch fish... I just need new cheese.

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Posted by bobn on 2002 PM:

scott-you can order replacement skirts from bps--bobn

Posted by Scott C on 2002 AM:

Thanks Bob......

I dont usually shop on-line but I will look into it.

SC

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Posted by Rob J in WNY on 2002 AM:

Thumbs upHula Popper...

It used to be my 'nemesis' lure, but that is no more. For years, I threw it with no success, yet, I kept a spot for it with my hardbaits and topwaters. Nice to be 'devirginized' from that lure!

Last Saturday at Honeoye Lake (Finger Lakes), the fishing was pretty consistent, so I decided to tie it on for a go. I nailed a fish on the first cast, and one more a bit later.

The Hula Popper, with it's huge 'mouth', definitely throws up more water than a standard 'cup faced' popper. About 2 to 3 times as much at times, so it's potentially going to get the attention of bass from further away. Perhaps it will spook the more shy fish. In that case, work the bait more gently, or use a Spit'n Image or Spook.

I did have to separate the strands of rubber on the skirt before using it - a process which stole several minutes of precious fishing time!

Tight Lines...

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Posted by PapaJohn on 2002 PM:

TalkingWow, this brings back memories...

When I was a "kid" my brother and I caught LOTS of bass on hula poppers on our annual family trips to Minnesota. If memory serves me well, I can add some things from my own experience:

Although the water does not have to be glass-calm, it seems to work best when it is.

Sometimes the best pattern with it is POP, (with a quick, short sweep of the rod).....looong pause (count to 10 or more)... then POP again. Sometimes the waiting is painful, but strikes often came after quite a while. You'll have to experiment a bit. Also, be sure to slowly and carefully reel in slack in between POPS for two reasons 1) so you're ready for the hook set, nothing worse than a lot of slack ruining that, and 2) too much slack or sunken line in the water and the next POP isn't very attractive.

I remember the slurps and occasions where all I could tell was it was suddenly gone, but then there were the really fun ones where a bass came up from below and went ballistic while taking it, those were the best.

On replacement skirts, mine came with rubber skirts, they're the ones that turned into cheese. Some of the replacements are made of a synthetic material that holds up better, they come in different colors too. The most annoying thing about the skirt is when bluegills come after it, but I remember some platter-sized bull-gills taking it too.

Oh, and if it came with a double hook that you can spread apart.. there is an eye hidden in the hula skirt, be sure to snap this double hook through the eye. I caught a lot of short strikes on that back hook.

This is one of the rare occasions I feel old. The hula popper is a really fun lure. Thanks for the walk down memory lane. I'll have to pull it out again next calm night I'm on the water.

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Posted by Scott E. on 2002 AM:

Thumbs up5/8 Black Hula Popper on glass smooth water after sunset

Ahhhh.... the Hula Popper was on of my old favorite night time plugs, as was said wait for the water to settle and give it three pops of the rod tip so that you get the classic hula burp, let it settle again and repeat. Make repeated cast to the same areas as sometimes bass will look at it but not strike and may need to be aggitated more into hitting the lure.

Bass find that lure to be so alluring on a mid-summer night with the water smooth as glass that it will keep you busy for hours.

With the 5/8 Hula try this:

Remove the front hook and disgard in a safe place, by removing the front hook you will notice that in the water the front of the lure will sit higher. Also try removing the skirt and turn around so that the skirt now covers the lure rather than hanging off like a tail, you will notice when pulling the lure through the water that the profile is much more like that of a frog and will have much more of a pulsing swimming action.

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