Is It Just Coincidence That Hula Popper Rhymes With Whopper?

Probably so, but that in no way takes anything away from this old lure. Consider this story, which MidwayUSA CEO and founder, Larry Porterfield, likes to tell:

"Though he went mostly for food, not sport, Dad was a reasonably serious fisherman... . In our area of Missouri, many of the larger ponds and lakes were stocked with largemouth bass, bluegill and channel cats. I have vague memories of some of the stories Dad told about the big fish he had caught, either with hook and line or his bare hands.

"His only fishing rod was an old baitcasting outfit, with 40-pound-test line that would haul in just about anything, including big snapping turtles and tree limbs. Dad's strategy was to 'horse 'em in' once the hook was set, and with the 40-pound-test, he could do just that.

"One year, Mom gave him a Johnson's spincast reel for Father's Day. This new outfit had lightweight monofilament line--less than 10-pound-test--with an adjustable drag. It was a set-up that would allow you to throw a small artificial lure--like a Hula Popper--clear across a small pond.

"In the summer, Dad worked six days a week at a rock quarry; however, summer days were long, and sometimes my brother, Jerry, and I talked him into taking us fishing after work. There was a nice 5-acre lake just a half-mile north of home, and we could be in the johnboat just five minutes after leaving the house. Dad had his new Johnson fishing outfit, while we boys had our willow poles and fishing worms.

"One afternoon, on the south side of the lake, Dad hooked a very big bass. He had rowed the boat into position, cast his Hula Popper just outside the weeds, and began popping it as he reeled. A big bass slammed it, and Dad commenced pulling. Unfortunately, he hadn't learned how to use lightweight monofilament line and a drag, so the big bass broke off in just a few seconds.

"The next day, Jerry and I were walking the water's edge and found the Hula Popper. Evidently, the big bass had shook it clear. We proudly presented it to Dad that evening and begged him to have another try at the big bass. It was deja vu--same place, same bass, same Hula Popper, same broken line.

"Dad hooked--and lost--that fish three times before it finally got smart..." or perhaps just swam away to nurse its sore jaw.

Introduced in the 1940s (there appears to be some conflict about the exact year) as a flyrod lure, the baitcasting version that we know today appeared a year or two later. Sometimes referred to as the "baby boomer lure," the Arbogast Hula Popper got its name from the sound it makes and from the skirt that is part of its make-up. Incidentally, the original skirt actually was patented in 1938 for use on the Hawaiian Wiggler spinnerbait. With its spitting action and popping sound, the Hula Popper serves as an effective sight-and-sound lure around weedbeds and sunken logs. It comes in approximately 11 color patterns (the green frog pattern with white or yellow belly is the most popular) and four sizes, ranging from 3/16 to 5/8 oz.

The best time to throw a Hula Popper is anytime from when the water warms enough in spring to generate a little topwater action and continuing until the end of autumn. This bait works well in calm water over any depth. However, there is plenty of evidence to show that it also can hold its own in rough water. And while many folks only use topwater lures during morning and evening, this one, according to a host of seasoned anglers, can be used effectively all day long.

Ask any 10 anglers how to fish the Hula Popper and you're apt to get an equal number of slightly varying suggestions. You might even have a couple of them tell you to forget it and just fish a Pop-R. Therefore, I hope you'll understand why I'm trying to take a middle-of-the-road approach here.

Considering that the intent is for your Hula Popper to imitate a wounded minnow or frog, most will recommend you make a cast and let it sit until all the rings have subsided, then twitch and pop it back to the boat with pauses of varying lengths in between. You can use light twitches or sharp ones. If you're looking for a reaction strike, use some really aggressive twitches. Let the results tell you which style the bass want. Just understand that the more aggressive you get with your twitches, the more pronounced the strikes are likely to be, so make sure you keep a firm grip on that rod handle at all times.

I also found some anglers who say they like to work this lure by just slowly reeling it along without any pops or spitting. In this situation, the cupped mouth acts as a resistance, creating some side-to-side movement. That action, coupled with the swaying skirt, can attract some strikes that'll last you a lifetime.

An important point to remember when using a Hula Popper is that you're fishing a topwater lure, so it's in your best interests to use a line that floats. If you use monofilament, it'll usually cause the lure's nose to sink, and you'll subsequently lose some action. You also might consider adding a split ring to the lure for increased side-to-side movement.

And finally, don't let missed strikes persuade you to keep moving down the shoreline. Instead, stop and make two or three more casts to see if you can't perhaps "tease" the fish into another strike.

For more than 60 years, the Hula Popper has been giving anglers an adrenaline rush. I still carry a couple in my tacklebox and use them on those days when I see fish feeding on top but all my other topwater baits have failed me. My personal preference is the loud sound you get with an aggressive twitch, which I used in the strip-mining pits back home. I have only one piece of advice, though: Keep a resuscitator handy, 'cause the reaction strike from even a single whopper truly can be a "heart-stopper."