The original River2Sea Whopper Plopper has caused quite a stir in the bass fishing community. I’ve enjoyed a bunch of great fish catches with it throughout the past few years and lately, I’ve been tinkering with the new Whopper Plopper Silent. Here are thoughts about the newest addition to this hugely popular line of topwater lures.
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Same tail action, but a little less noise
Fans of the original Whopper Plopper will be glad to see the same cupped, molded plastic tail on this newest version. When you reel the Whopper Plopper Silent, the tail spins around the wire harness of the front half, creating a very distinctive “plopping” sound (hence the name). The faster you reel it, the louder it gets and the more water it sprays and displaces.
The beauty of the silent version, however, is its more subtle sound as it moves across the water. On those flat-calm mornings and evenings when a noisier topwater may spook nearby bass, I’ve caught a lot of fish on this lure. I’ve fished it on both large reservoirs and small ponds with some outstanding blowups in the calmer, lowlight periods. The removal of the internal rattles has not made any noticeable difference in casting distance, either.
You can reel it or twitch it
The versatility of the River2Sea Whopper Plopper Silent has been quite impressive throughout my testing. Much like the original version, you can reel it steadily as you would a buzzbait, but you can also twitch it like a topwater popper. We haven’t had much rain in my area for the last several months, so I’ve been dealing with some really clear water. I wasn’t getting as many bites as I normally do on the original Whopper Plopper, but after switching the the Whopper Plopper Silent I was able to twitch it slowly along grass lines and get a lot of bites.
The cupped tail is also really durable, which I think many anglers will appreciate. The 130 size (pictured) weighs 1-3/8 ounces, so you’ll make a few bad casts when you’re targeting shallow cover. I’ve unintentionally banged it against seawalls and dock posts without any cracking or breaking to speak of.
Causes commotion even at slow speeds
You can crawl the Whopper Plopper Silent as slow as you can go without sacrificing its drawing power. It might be tempting to tie it on and burn it across the surface but don’t overlook the effectiveness of a very slow and deliberate retrieve. The tail rotates from the first turn of the reel handle and continues to work through sparse vegetation as well.
It has some serious hooks
Perhaps my favorite thing about the Whopper Plopper Silent is the incredibly tough components. The hooks are certainly nothing to scoff at. This particular 130 size comes with two No. 2 River2Sea Treble Hooks that will easily handle anything that touches ’em. Remember: You’re throwing this bait on heavy tackle and braided line, so wimpy hooks are not an option. These hooks absolutely will not bend or break, even when you’re horsing in a big bass.
The split rings are tough, too
Just like the hooks, the split rings are pretty hardcore. They’re nearly impossible to open without a pair of split ring pliers so they can be a bit irritating when changing hooks, but I don’t think you’ll have to change these hooks very often. I’ve heard of several guys catching huge pike on this lure and they have all been pleased by the durability of these split rings.
Resists hook rash and teeth marks
I have a lot of lures that are more than double the price of the Whopper Plopper Silent, and their color schemes don’t hold up half as well. Granted, I don’t have very many toothy critters in my neck of the woods, but as far as big bass go, they’ll have a tough time tearing up your paint job. I’ve literally put miles on the pictured lure and I can find very little hook rash anywhere on it.
It has made me late for supper a few evenings
The evening bite on the Whopper Plopper Silent has been pretty spectacular. I’ve been using the larger one, so I’m not getting dozens of bites. But whenever I can sneak off for an hour or two between work and supper, I’ve been able to count on two or three monstrous explosions. I’m sure you’ve heard it from others before, but there isn’t another bite like a Whopper Plopper bite. This one looked like a peacock bass when she ate it!
The Whopper Plopper Silent is available at TackleWarehouse.com.
Bonus Video: How to Fish the Whopper Plopper
If you’re new to the Whopper Plopper game and want to try out the new Whopper Plopper Silent, this video from John Murray will dramatically shorten your learning curve.
