Ya I been tryin popper lures in ponds around my hometown in mississippi and I need a lil help with them.i really don't know the correct way to use them.when I cast and recive I reel about 3 to 4 inches then I pop it but all it does is make a big splash.is that what it's supposed to do?or am I scaring the fish away? Please need help thanks Josh from Oxford,MS

I work poppers by casting them out and waiting till the ripples in the water have almost disappeared then gently pop it 1 or 2 time then let it set again and repeat. This works for bluegills and other panfish pretty good. If your using larger poppers and are targeting bass try 1 or 2 little pops let it rest for 2 or 3 seconds and repeat. The type of popper your using will dictate how much it will splash or hiss or what ever you want to call it. Start off with subtle presentations first and gradually get more aggressive with the noise and splash.

For bait fish imitation poppers :Think of prey fleeing from a predator and breaking the surface to get away or think what a Dying bait fish may look like swimming in the water struggling to upright it self with barely any life left . That is what a popper is suppose to represent . Either fish it aggressively or fish it subtle . Tip: some birds will often give of clues to pods of bait fish, if you see bait busting the surface a popper is a good lure choice.

For frog imitation poppers : think what a frog dose  it plops into the water and sits for a while , swims a bit  then comes up for air  then perhaps rests on something  and plops back in the water again or swims some more.

I am sure others can elaborate more on this  but it is the basic prey you are trying to imitate.
 

If you feel like you're not sure about the topwater baits you've been fishing, try a Jitterbug. No technique needed here...just cast it out and reel it back...the Jitterbugs action is built in...you can't go wrong. Then once you've bagged a few fish and have more confidence, try those other baits again, "Tight Lines"!