I’m a sucker for a good topwater. From buzzbaits to frogs to Spooks to poppers, there’s little in the sport of fishing that can get me as fired up as a topwater bite (basically just punching). I’ve recently been reviewing a little finesse popper from Yo-Zuri, the 3DR-X Popper. Finesse poppers work really well in the fall as well as the first month or so after the bass leave the beds. The latter has been the testing grounds for me for this popper, Here are my thoughts.
BASICS
The 3DR-X Popper measures a mere 2-5/8” and weighs in at only 1/4 ounce. It comes pre-rigged with two small (number 8 I believe) black nickel treble hooks, with the back hook sporting a Mylar feathering. The bait is available in 8 color selections, with five of the colors utilizing Yo-Zuri’s internationally patented 3D internal prism scale finishes. The bait has multiple internal rattles and retails for $7.99.
INITIAL THOUGHTS
As previously stated, I love fishing a topwater. Hollow body frogs are my favorite, simply because of their all-terrain capabilities. But my second favorite topwater to fish with is a popper. I like a finesse popper in particular, like the 3DR-X, because these smaller baits get more bites—but they’ll also still catch big ones too. Since a finesse popper can catch kickers as well as limit fillers, it makes for a great tournament fishing bait. It’s also a fun bait to throw around a pond or creek to catch whatever I can.
Looking at the 3DR-X, I felt pretty confident I would like the bait before I ever even made a cast with it. It has the components that I like in a bait like this. It’s the right size, has sharp hooks and most importantly a feathered tail, though this back treble is actually tied up using Mylar—a more durable and reflective material than traditional feathers.
TESTING THE 3DR-X POPPER
I’ve been throwing the Yo-Zuri 3DR-X Popper around for about a month now, again testing it through the early post-spawn here in Alabama. I’ve caught a few fish on it on my local lake where I fish tournaments (Lake Martin) as well as in a pond I like to go to for testing products. There’s been a little bit of a shad spawn lately and the occasional ball of bass fry floating around. This popper has put some bass relating to both in the boat.
The 3DR-X Popper walks really well, quite easily once you get the cadence down. It has a pretty good little chug to it for its size, almost making a “boing” sound on the pop. I’ve had a couple fish come up and slurp the bait in while it was paused, which is usually a good indicator of how effective a bait is—when the fish will still commit to it even with the opportunity to really think it over.
FINAL THOUGHTS
This bait casts better than I thought it would. I prefer to use baitcasting gear whenever I can, so I opted for a 7-foot medium heavy Lew’s Speed Stick paired with an Lew’s LFS Speed Spool, which is one of my favorite reels for casting light baits. My accuracy was a little off when trying to bomb it out, but I could throw this 1/4-ounce popper 70 or 80 feet without any issue. I was even able to skip the bait a little in close quarters, which increased its effectiveness under and around cover.
I was a little concerned about the size of the treble hooks when I first pulled this bait out of the pack. They looked up to the task for pond and creek bass 3-pounds and under, but I’ll sometimes catch real kickers on a bait like this in the 5-pound-plus range. And I like to use braided line, which has no stretch. This combination of big bass and stout line can lead to bent hooks on a popper like this if the drag isn’t dialed in perfectly and/or the rod is a little too stiff.
So, if I new the potential for a big bite or multiple big bites was high, say around bluegill beds or around a Mayfly hatch, I would likely up the hook size a little to maybe a number 6 treble. But for the majority of anglers looking to fish a finesse popper (especially on monofilament or spinning gear with braid), the hooks that come on the 3DR-X are sharp and strong, plenty capable.
What else can I say. I like this little popper. It’s easy to fish with and it catches fish. It casts well for its size and the hooks are sharp and plenty strong enough for most situations. The chug from the mouth of the bait has a nice sound to it with rattles to boot. The Mylar tail has held up fairly well and seems to be what inevitably lures in even the more wary bass. For $7.99, it’s a solid buy in my opinion.
