Surface lures for pike: fishing with poppers, wolkers, sticks, crawlers and other toppers

Surface lures (topwaters) are attractive not only for predatory fish, but also for the spinning player. They are attractive by the fact that the process of a spectacular attack of a predator (a pike candle, somersaults of a sheresper, a mesmerizing chomping of a perch) takes place in front of the fisherman’s eyes, all the splendor of the fight is also. Oh, how the toothed head shakes, trying to get rid of the hated popper …

Topwaters (from “top” – top and “water” – water) are lures that are used to catch a predator on the surface of water bodies and / or in the upper layers of water (deepening with pulls up to 10-15 cm, no more).

Spinning players use poppers and other surface lures to hunt asp, perch, chub, pike. Surface lures include poppers, walkers (they are also walkers), sticks, crawlers, surface wobblers, speedboats and other toppers.

Seasonality and area of ​​application

The area of ​​application is dictated by the characteristics of surface lures – these are river shallow waters, spits, coastal zones, the upper layers of small oxbow lakes, lakes, asp cauldrons, as well as the collection of active predatory fish walking on the surface, regardless of water bodies. But there are some differences in the use of different types of toppings when fishing for different predators. There is an opinion that toppers work only in summer. There is some truth in this, but it is not entirely true. With skillful and appropriate use, topwaters are able to work wonders not only in the warm season, but also in spring and even late autumn, when the pike is active at the surface. Large poppers and walkers are especially good in autumn (an additional plus will be a clear day) when fishing for feasting pike in bays, oxbows, lakes. It is also worth noting that surface lures are indispensable for fishing in strong places,in which snags, water lilies, nettles reach almost to the very surface, leaving 20-30 cm of clean water. How can you not try a delicious walker? Each predator requires a different approach, especially when it comes to choosing and using poppers and other surface lures. In order not to be sprayed in this article, we will consider the features of the choice of surface lures and their use when fishing for pike. https://youtu.be/G-LPKRQ-NE

Topwater tackle – tough, biting, powerful

Surface lures are quite stubborn in themselves, plus they require vigorous action from the angler. Which imposes certain obligations on the tackle. For topwaters, powerful and high-quality inertial reels and multipliers are suitable. Moreover, if you plan to catch pike on large toppers, then you should give preference to the latter, although a high-quality meat grinder with an appropriate rod is a suitable option. The optimum blank length is 1.8-2.2 meters. This length will allow for high-quality wiring of a popper, walker or stick. Build-fast. The optimal solution for most walkers, poppers and other topwaters would be braid. The braid more clearly conveys all the movements of the angler to the lure and in the opposite direction, better detects the fish, the line has a better message and throw.

An important nuance! When fishing in clear water, despite all the advantages of a braid, it is better to use fluorocarbon or monofilament, due to their invisibility in the water, which cannot be said about the line.

For pike fishing, a string lead is extremely important. Such a leash carries a triple load:

1. Protection against cutting with sharp pike teeth.
2. If the length is longer than the length of the bait, it avoids unnecessary overlaps.
3. Improves the quality of the bait play, especially the walkers and sticks.

In general, it is very important that the topwater lure matches the tackle. Otherwise, it will not be possible to achieve a high-quality game, no matter how hard the spinning player tries. It is necessary to experimentally select the tackle, feed and animation of each popper or other topwater.

Pike and topwaters in a “bunch”

The pike is a versatile fighter, and therefore, when fishing with a toothed striped fish, almost all types of toppers are used:

• poppers;
• propbaits;
• walkers (walkers);
• sticks;
• crawlers;
• surface wobblers;
• gliders;
• mice and other imitations of insects and animals.

Most often, pike prefers large lures, with wide-amplitude glides along the surface of the water during retrieval without unnecessary chaos in movements. Let’s go through each type of pike topwater in more detail. https://youtu.be/TyDhUA7KB40

Color issue

For surface lures, a bright, noticeable color of the abdomen is necessary – this makes topswater more noticeable “tasty” for pike and other predatory fish. Dark and bright colors in priority (black, brown, orange, light green are poisonous and others). For visual control, on the contrary, it is good that the top of the lure is bright and noticeable for the spinning player.

It is worth noting that fluo yellow, red, light green and their combinations are good. Such as, for example, the 3DS popper from Yu-zurri.

Features of pike fishing with poppers: top 10, casting, wiring

Popper is a surface bait that has a beveled plane in the bow with a squishing pit. During wiring, thanks to it, a water niche is formed, which bursts, provoking a loud slap on the smooth surface of the water.

Poppers, unlike wolkers, are best used for spot fishing of promising places. To search for pike in a wide area, it is better to use walkers and sticks. The pike loves to drive the popper slowly with pauses. Short jerking movements of the rod are used. The speed and amplitude are selected in such a way that the bait creates a juicy squish (ideally on every pull). Such animation provokes even passive fish to grip. The speed and manner of animation is highly dependent on the specific bait. So, the time of complete calming of the bait and the surface of the water after the characteristic gurgle is important. It is during the pauses that the pike is often gripped. It is good to make perturbations during pauses – an additional irritant for the predator. Popper can and should lure a passive predator from an ambush,Oscillations of the front sight on tees look especially tempting during gentle movements during pauses:
Yo-Zuri 3DS Popper [/ caption] Poppers from 6 cm to 15 grams work well for pike fishing; the best, in our opinion, we have collected in a kind of rating of the top 10 (the ranking is out of place, all the baits are working and catchy):

1. Yo-Zuri 3DS Popper is a high-quality and very famous wobbler from yu-zurri. Length 6.5 cm, weight 7 grams. Works on both standard popper harness and dog walk. Not bad for a popper, keeps the jet to drift. A wide range of iridescent colors. By-catch often includes perch and chub. The price is 600-700 rubles . Important!  There are many fakes under ZDS Popper, and some of them are veiled under a well-known brand – beware of fakes, they do not have a long-range casting system, they often fall on their side and do other “miracles”.
2. Megabass Pop Max – Megabass, Megapopper, Mega-bait. Popper for trophy pike. Length 7.8 cm, weight 14 grams. In addition to popper jerky gurgling wiring, it accepts walker wiring. It also works on uniformity, thanks to the presence of special acoustic chambers in the nose of the bait. Price from 1100 rubles .
3. Jackall SK-Pop is one of the most working in the author’s personal arsenal. Length 5.3 cm, weight 6.5 grams. Despite its not the largest size, the pike willingly eats this bait. It is very difficult to learn, to give a gurgling rhythmic gurgle throughout the drive you need dexterity and the right tackle. The plumage on the tee plays an additional role as a stabilizer in the casting process. It is good on a string, for convenience it is worth putting a winding ring, as the gurgling notch is quite large and it is difficult to replace the bait. By-catch chub, perch. The price is 800-900 rubles .
4. YO-ZURI Silver Pop , length 7.5 cm, weight 10 grams. Originally intended for seawater, but among our spinners found application when fishing for pike and perch. Powered by walking the dog. Nautical analogy for ZDS Popper. In water, it occupies a vertical position, gurgles well in a different acoustic range, depending on the pulling force. Price from 500 rubles .
5. Lucky Craft G-Splash , all models from 65 to 120 mm. Wiring – small jerks, so that there are squelches and splashes. During the pauses, stirring and all sorts of noise. It is good to use a short rod. The length of the blank is within 1.98-2.1 meters. Wide range of colors. The price bites – in the region of 700-1000 rubles .
6. Daiwa TD Pencil . The whole range is from 9.5 to 12.5 cm and 8.8 to 19.5 grams, depending on the intended predator and tackle. A kind of symbiosis of classic popper and walker. The first pull is strong in order to give the bait the necessary movements and claps. This is if you use a wobbler like a classic popper. A classic snake is also possible when used as a wolker. When animating, it creates a large number of bubbles, both underwater and on the surface. Very distant and relatively easy to control. Recommended! Price tag from 900 rubles .
7. DUO Realis Popper . 64 mm, 9 grams weight. Nice popper from Duo. Classic. Flies wonderfully, squishes no worse. The price is around 800-900 rubles .
8. Owner Gobo Popper . 60 mm, 6.3 grams weight. It’s hard to say who’s the by-catch. Gobo popper is equally edible for perch and pike. Works in calm and ripples. It can behave like a classic popper on strong and sharp jerks, and as a walker on weak, not sharp jerks of the rod. For pike, classic animation – 2 jerks (between jerks there is a pause of 0.5-1 seconds), a pause of up to 3-5 seconds. The price is about 600 rubles . 
9. Berkley Frenzy Popper , 7 cm, 9 grams. A good budget employee for beginners. Despite the sweet price ( 150 rubles ), it keeps the wiring very well. A short rod up to 2 meters is required for high-quality guidance.
10. Jackall Boil Trigger 10 cm, 10.2 grams. Composition. Cool imitates a knocked out fry on the last breath. The classic snake is combined with periodic blockages on the side, which additionally provokes the pike to grip. Initially, the boiler bait, as evidenced by the name (boil – boil), that is, it is focused on perch and asp during the battle. But the pike also liked this animation, reminiscent of the movements of a wounded fish (dead sticking in the English version). Pike drive – popper with sharp jerks and low frequency, or walker with small and medium jerks without pauses / small pauses up to 1-2 seconds. With fast, sharp wiring, you can tweak under the surface – another option for animation. The price is 1000 rubles .

Pike fishing with poppers in summer: https://youtu.be/4YQZbYd5Oq4

Propbaits – blade as an additional irritant

Propbate combines the characteristics of popper, walker and “fan”). The propeller gives additional undulating vibrations when driving, so beloved by the middle line of the predator. Very often combines the capabilities of poppers and wolkers. Of the notable lures of this class, we note:

1. Megabass Prop Darter I-loud . 10.3 cm, 28 grams. Excellent quality propbait. Equipped with a long-distance casting system. Flickers a beautiful mustache on the surface, the fan starts from half a turn. You can play practically in one place, gently wiggling the rod. Designed for collecting active pike, large perch. Thepricetag is from 1700 rubles , Megabass after all. 
2. Lucky Craft T-Splash . Both 6.4, 11.5 gram models work on pike and humpback perch. Here the whole range of surface lures – popper + walker + propeller on the tail will seduce any of the most passive fish. The price is 800 rubles .
3. Lucky Craft B-Straight . Another handsome man from Lucky Craft. Three models 65-95 mm. Weight 6-18 grams. It is matched to the fishing conditions. The bait is sinking, but with fast retrieval it goes in the near-surface layers of water, which conditionally allows it to be attributed to topwater. Equipped with two propellers that keep the propbait in the specified wiring horizon. Price from 700 rubles .

Walkers (walkers) – torpedoes sliding through the water in search of predatory fish

Walker differs from the popper with a torpedo-like nose, which cuts the surface of the water when navigating. The difference from the popper is also the absence of bulks during wiring and the presence of a snake during wiring on the surface of the reservoir.

Volker is a decoy that requires active animation. Bends, called glides, are laid along the surface. Such lures are good for fishing large water areas – vast bays, lakes, oxbows, reservoirs. More suitable for collecting active pike. The snake made of versatile and different-sized glides, which the walker draws, is called “Walking the Dog” by spinningists. The more active and varied this “walk”, the more chances for a long-awaited predator strike. The posting is carried out with a rod and consists of sharp pulls with one or another amplitude, which is selected based on the conditions, the specific bait and the mood of the fish. After the pull, the slack is quickly selected and the next stage of the animation follows, the pause is practically absent, or present, but very short 2-3 seconds and only occasionally. In general,it is better to carry out the walker without pauses, this provokes the fish to re-bite.

Important! Walkers are very stubborn and require active play, therefore the reel is not used in the active phase – this is fraught with the failure of the gears, the line stacker and other components.

Another argument in favor of using walker torpedoes for fishing large areas is the casting range. Due to the streamlined shape, the shifted center of mass to the tail and the absence of unnecessary elements, the walker undoubtedly flies farther than the popper and other surface lures. Pike walkers are used in sizes from 6-8 cm and above (up to 15 cm, these are already jerks, which are essentially the same walkers), we take the following models for fishing:

1. Jackall Water Moccasin , 75 mm, 9.4 grams. “Moccasin snakes” can do anything. And lay glides, and draw a Christmas tree (when with two quick pulls the wolf leaves twice in one direction, then twice in the other) and chaotically rush from side to side. One of the best by far. Flies superbly, holds the jet well. Price from 600 rubles and above.
2. Salmo Maas Marauder . Length 13 cm, weight 36 grams. Powerful casting walker glider for trophy fishing. For such a miracle, both a cartoon reel and a stick are needed, but if pike fishing takes place in large water areas, the walker from Salmo is the best. Price from 550 rubles . 
3. Yo-Zuri Silver Dog . Length 7.5 cm, weight 7 grams and 9 cm, weight 13 grams. A very high-quality wolf, a distinctive feature is a sparkling color, visible even in muddy water. Excellent flight qualities allow it to be used not only for pike and cautious asp. The price is from 400-500 rubles .
4. Megabass Dog-X Speed ​​Slide and Quick Walker . Length 8.7 cm, weight 10.6 grams. A very large, catchy bait and expensive (Megabass is never cheap, alas). Thanks to a complex balancing system, it is superbly controlled and flies tolerably for this size. Writes a Christmas tree and a snake. It writes out glides very smoothly and beautifully. Forgives flaws even for beginners. Very good along the edge of water lilies, along the shallows, above the grass. Tees are characteristic – they have reverse barbs, which makes it easier to remove vegetation from anchors. Price from 1100 rubles .
5. Owner Cultiva Zip’n Ziggy  80 mm 7.5 g – delicious walker for pike, asp. Excellent flight performance. Flies over the horizon. Large range of colors. The animation lends itself to a beginner, therefore we recommend it even to inexperienced anglers. On jerks, it squishes, which makes it a bit like a popper. The preferred drive is a uniform “dog walk” without pauses. The price tag is from 800-900 rubles .
6. Tsuribito Pencil 80F , 8 cm length, weight 8.5 grams. An excellent pike walker. Smaller cousins ​​are good for asp and ide. Classic snake wiring. 60f (60 cm, weight 3.5 grams) is almost vertical in the water, only the muzzle sticks out. For him, the wiring is also good, in which Pensil does not climb out of the water completely, but only partially. Small but abrupt rod movements. The price tag starts at 800 rubles .
7. Lucky Craft Sammy . The entire model range is 65 to 128 millimeters. Focuses on pike and humpback. Classic posting – walk to dog. During the pauses, the back part sinks. Great color scheme – the eyes run wide for both the fish and the angler. The price starts from 800 rubles and more . Sammi [/ caption] Sammi minke is good in any weather [/ caption ]
8. Lucky Craft Gunfish . The model range is from 75 to 115 millimeters, weighing from 6.5 to 19 grams – all working classic walkers, but they gurgle qualitatively like poppers, which makes it possible to use the Gunfish in windy weather with wind and waves on the water surface. It actively collects a predator from a wide area. Price from 700 rubles .
9. Tsunekichi Huss Penn . Length 9.2 cm, weight 13 (floating) or 15 grams (sinking), depending on the modification. Ttsunikichi Has Penn is not a classic walker, as he does not draw a snake on the surface. With the right animation, it imitates a fish feeding on the surface of the water. Wiring – uniform, jerky, stop & go, a kind of walk-the-dog. A good lead option is a cast, a short dash, the lure deviates slightly from a straight trajectory, but this is not a classic walk-the-dog, a pause for a few seconds and then a pull again. By the way, it flies perfectly. There are models floating and slowly sinking almost neutral floating. The price is prohibitive even for an elite topwater and bait in principle –  from 1,500 rubles and more . Plus, getting it is quite difficult, but if possible, you should squeeze the toad and get a handsome man.
10. Zenith Carol , 85 mm, 10 grams weight. Japanese. Chubby capelin for pike. It has a large ball in its tail, for this reason it is located in the water at an angle of 45 °. Squishes, prowls. Price from 990 rubles .

Advice! If it is necessary to fish for very distant inaccessible points on the river, the floating walker can simply be lowered downstream to the desired distance and only then start wiring.

https://youtu.be/01GvO_7hDlo https://youtu.be/Deeao2OZAxU

Surface wobblers with their own game – everything is usual, but not always easy

For pike fishing near the surface, paddle surface wobblers-zeroes with minimal deepening are also widely used. Such lures have their own game, which does not prevent the spinning player from adding additional surroundings when animating during the fishing process. Popular surface rolls include the following models:

1. OSP Buzzn ‘Crank 5 cm, 10 grams. The shovel is almost perpendicular to the body, therefore the depth is minimal. A very high quality wobbler from OSB, catchy and very vibrating when wiring. Behaves well during breaks. Price 1100+ rubles.
2. Yo-zuri Hardcore 0 , 6.5 cm, 8 grams, depth up to 0.3 meters. Inconspicuous like wobblers, but working … Raises any sleepy pike from the very bottom. Uniform, stop-and-go, light twitch. 600-700 rubles.
3. Jackall Cherry Zero Footer , 48 and 56 mm, weight 7.6 and 11 grams, respectively. Cherrick Zero, like his brothers Van Futter and 44, are my favorites of all the Jakals. Very catchy. Posting – uniformity, uniformity with pauses. Zero Futter is the most superficial, walking at the very edge of the water. Price from 600 rubles.
4. Jackall Cherry One Footer . 46 mm, weight 7.2 grams. Has a slightly deeper depth. High-quality crankbait, animation is the simplest – uniform, stop-and-go, variations on the theme. Price from 600 rubles.
5. Megabass Griffon Zero . 4.5 cm, 8.8 grams. Depth up to 25 cm. Handsome, work of art, catchy zero. The price is 800-900 rubles.

Working surface wobblers for pike minnow class:

1. OSP Bent Minnow length 10.6 mm, weight 10 grams. Postings – uniform, dying fish, feeding of bleak on the surface, walking with a ragged and unpredictable snake. The price is not budgetary  up to 2000 rubles .
2. Yo-Zuri SS Minnow , 70 and 90 mm, 7 and 11 grams. Excellent flight performance, easy to fly. We advise beginners to purchase the “SS” as an introductory minnow for surface pike fishing. Inexpensive from 400 rubles .
3. Jackson Dead Float , 80F, 105F, 125F, 8, 10.5, 18.5 grams respectively. Reacts well to gentle, slow wiring, uniform or with short, weak tweaks. Mgra low-amplitude and medium-frequency. The price tag is about 1000 rubles .

https://youtu.be/ArfL18TM9J4

Pike sticks require mastering science

Stickbaits are inherently not much different from walkers, although some anglers and manufacturers tend to call some lures that way. The main difference is the presence of sinking lures among the sticks for fishing the water column (although this is not a dogma, there are lures with neutral buoyancy, suitable for use in the near-surface layers of 0.5-1 meter). This dictates some differences when using sticks – the possibility of using jigging in the bottom layers, depending on the angle of attack of the rod to the surface of the reservoir, you can vary the depth of the stick. The rest of the recommendations are similar to Walkers. Good stickbaits for fishing active pike from the Strike Pro Slide Bait Heavy One series
70 and 90 cm. 16 and 20 grams, respectively. Depth 0.5-4 meters. That is, this is no longer a completely superficial bait, but it can be carried out at shallow depths. https://youtu.be/M79O9rJX-Uw

Other surfaces on the toothed striped: torpedoes, gliders …

Topwaters belonging to other classes used for pike fishing:

1. Glissers (large frogs, mice and other mammalian spider animals). For example, Moss Boss Heddon , 7.6 mm, 10.5 grams non-hooking glider  . Price 380 rubles . 
2. Torpedo HEDDON Tiny Torpedo 49 mm, 7 grams. The price is about 200 rubles . 
3. Crawler Halco Night Walker 65F 65 mm, weight 14 grams. A very famous crawler lure. “Night reveler” resembles a mouse, frog or other creature floating on the surface of the water. The pike attacks him greedily. Works well in the evening and early morning before sunrise. The price is 700 rubles .

https://youtu.be/RYrqNboWmhQ

Disclaimer. These topwaters work for the author of the review, as well as his peers. You need to understand each bait, choose the necessary tackle, line and place of fishing. Even more important is to believe in the bait and yourself. Otherwise, luck will not be seen. Therefore, you should not blindly buy up all the topwaters listed in the review, especially since most of them are extremely expensive. It is worth starting with 3-5-7 lures, picking them up according to your and fish preferences.

Surface lures are far from being the most versatile, but they have no equal in their entertainment. Once convinced of their catchability, having felt all the beauty of the bite visually, the spinning player will forever remain a fan.

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