What Do You Get When You Cross a Zara Spook and a Pop-R?

Total Score: 7.92 + EDITOR'S CHOICE!

Introduction: Yuki Ito, president, CEO, lead designer of Megabass is not one to rest on his laurels. With an already successful line of topwater poppers in the PopX and PopMax, two years ago he introduced the world to his latest topwater plug, the mysterious XPod. Featuring an adjustable lower jaw, the XPod was purported to be an on the fly tunable lure that can either pop, walk, swim, or anything and everything in between. But at $30 a pop (no pun intended) how many people were willing to take a chance on this seemingly novelty bait? We've been fishing this bait for a year and a half and now, finally, here is our review of the mighty morphin, Megabass XPod.

Megabass's XPod is best described as the devil spawn of a Zara Spook and Pop-R.

Impressions: The Megabass XPod is about the size of a Zara Spook and every bit a Zara Spook, Pop-R devil spawn. Throw in the typical Ito Engineering tuning like slits in the gills for water passage and add on top of that, an adjustable lower jaw and you have the makings of a bait that will turn a lot of heads. We already know it can catch fisherman, just like any other Megabass product, but can it catch fish?

The lower jaw is adjustable shown here in middle position ...

"Commands": But before we even get it out on the water, we need to discuss this adjustable lower jaw. Megabass refers to each snap-into-place position of the lower jaw as a "command" and numbers them from one to seven (closed to full open respectively). Each "command" affords the bait a distinct, different action - or so they say.

... and here in full open.

Field Tests: My first time on the water with this bait was back in October of 2008 when we traveled to Dream Lake, Alabama. I was pretty bent on throwing big baits the entire time there, but in those twilight hours, the fish at Dream Lake really move up and start busting all over the surface. It's a topwater fisherman's, wet, dream!

At three quarters of an ounce, this bait sails through the air quite easily on every cast.

Casting: As one might expect from a solid, no joint, plug like the XPod, casting and pitching are non-issues. The bait sails through the air and given the right rod length, you can easily fire this bait with accuracy, for distance, or with a little skill, a little of both. The hooks are separated enough to not foul on your cast so the moment this bait touches down, you're ready to go.

The serene low-light hours of Dream Lake, Alabama.

Retrieve: The secret with this bait, of course, is in the retrieve and the action during retrieve varies according to the position in which you set the bait's lower jaw. The more open the baits mouth is, the more water it will displace and the more side to side action you will get. Given the right setting, it's actually possible to pop and walk this bait at the same time.

The XPod was just as easily worked tied direct or attached via a snap.

With the adjustable jaw set at its widest setting, if you give the bait good pull to get it underwater and follow up with a constant retrieve, and you can get the bait to wake back to your position at varying depths (determined by how far you make it dive on the first pull). Twitch or jerk your rod during this type of retrieve, and the bait will dart, dive, pop, skitter, and of course foul if you're not careful. The limits to the XPod's actions lie purely in the user's experimental mindset.

Mexican bass like the XPod (Lake El Novillo).