|
Explosive topwater action produced by Strike Pro's Gobi
Popper
| Date: |
10/9/03 |
| Tackle type: |
Lures |
| Manufacturer: |
Strike Pro |
| Reviewer: |
JIP |
Total Score: 8.92
Introduction:
If you're a bass fishermen and haven't tossed top water lures yet, then
you're missing out on some of the most exciting fishing action there is. Besides
being absolutely thrilling,
topwater fishing is an effective way to catch both largemouth and smallmouth
lunker sized bass. Strike Pro introduces the Gobi Popper, a high-grade top
water lure that's designed to draw scores of surface strikes.
|
Strike Pro
Gobi Popper 65 Specifications |
| Type |
Popper |
|
Class |
Floating (Top water) |
| Colors/Patterns |
10
available |
| Size |
2
1/2" (5/16oz) |
| Hook
sizes |
#6 |
| MAP |
$7.29 |
Strike Pro's Gobi Popper 65 is
nicely designed and very detailed
Impressions: While the colors and patterns on
the back of some top water lures don't play an important role in catching fish, poppers
are a completely different story. Because these lures sit in the water with
only the head sticking out of the water fish see the
entire body of the lure when moving and at rest. Like the Strike Pro Classic Shad that we reviewed
not long ago, the Gobi Popper is extremely detailed in design and construction. This
lure employs Strike Pro's 8 coats of paint plus artistic hand
detailing to give the Popper a stunning finish. Not only does the Gobi have a
first-rate paint job, but the holographic reflections, realistic eyes, texturized body, and the addition of
a skirted hook all add up to a feature rich package.
|
Complete Rig
for Gobi Popper 65 |
| Rod |
Hookhider IM6 |
| Reel |
Daiwa TDX |
| Line |
12
lb. Maxima Ultragreen |
A large concave mouth is one of
the features that makes the Gobi a great top water lure. Also notice the
beautiful details on this Popper
Field Tests: Fall spells out a time where the fish often move into the shallow
waters in search for easy prey before the cold of winter arrives. We took this lure
to various bass lakes to see how the Gobi performed in varying conditions and
times of the day. Note: The Gobi Popper can also be used for species like pike, muskies,
salmon, trout, snook, and stripers.
Casting: The Gobi Popper is easy to cast
even with a short 6' rod, my preferred length when fishing these type of lures. After each cast, remember to let the lure sit until the ripples disappear
beneath the lures before
retrieving, this allows fish directly in the vicinity of the lure a opportunity
to strike what they perceive to be a easy target. The best areas to target
are above and around structure and cover. Submerged or over-hanging
trees/bushes are the prime target spots to toss the Popper, especially in
lakes where the water clarity is good. Proper placement around structure
will help draw strikes from fish just waiting to ambush easy prey.
The Strike Pro Gobi Popper sits in
the water with its head up and part of the mouth underwater, ready to spit.
The feathered hook is clumped together out of water, but once submerged it's
attractive
Retrieving: The retrieve speed will be solely determined by how the top
water bite is. If you see bait fish breaking
the surface of the water, a faster retrieve might work over a slower one, as
schools are already being spooked by pursuing fish. But one sure way to work the popper is with a slow method
three tugs, resulting in a rhythmic pop-pop-stop, then a pause. When
the top water bite is slow, after you pause, wait for a good while before you
start again. While the lure is stationary, the Gobi sits nicely in the water
with only its head above the surface. Sometimes with just a little wind blowing
is enough to move lure and help trigger hard-hitting strikes. Then there are
times when fish are on the reaction bite. You can retrieve the
lure fast, breaking the surface of the water, creating a small wake, as the fish
curiously chase the Gobi.
Depending on how you jerk the Gobi,
it will breaks the water's surface differently, producing different types of actions
When jerked, the large concave mouth on the Gobi produces a nice
"bloob" sound as it cups the water, spitting it forward. As the lure is retrieved, the
rattles inside its chamber also transmit sound into the water. Aside
from the audible calls, the eye catching brilliant color patterns and reflective
paint help make the Gobi Popper a truly appealing bait for fish to strike at. While
field testing the Strike Pro lure at Steven's Creek Reservoir, a lake known for
trout fishing more than anything else, the Gobi Popper landed 6 largemouth bass
within minutes of each other, with many more misses. As with topwater Frog
fishing the Gobi will draw many more strikes then actual hookups. Due to the
nature of the explosive attacks from fish it is often hard to predict or set the
hook quickly, but persevere and strikes will translate into hookups.
The Gobi Popper calls to bass and
other species of fish
Durability: The overall durability of the Gobi is excellent. You
don't have to worry about the paint being damaged by the fish. After many weeks field testing, the
Strike Pro Popper's body showed no signs of deterioration. Some
hairs from the feather tail did get pulled off during our tests, but overall the
tail held up as well as can be expected. When the trailer becomes unattractive simply replace the hook
with another quality off the shelf hook with a similar dressing.
Check out the quality 8-layer
coating Strike Pro uses. At different angles the belly of the Gobi shows a
different holographic pattern as light hits it
Similar to other VMC hooks used on other Strike
Pro products, each hook is solid and will not bend easily. After landing many fish,
and after unintentionally hooking branches and other structure, the hooks on our
test lure are still as sharp
as ever.
Ratings:
|
Strike Pro
Gobi Popper 65 Ratings
(?/10) |
| Construction/Quality |
Excellent quality and craftsmanship along with premium components |
9 |
| Performance |
Sits nicely when still and produces good action when popped or chugged. The Gobi is a very good top water lure especially if you're into bass
fishing |
8.5 |
| Price |
A
quality popper that competes with the top of the line lures but at a better
value |
8 |
| Features |
Sharp hooks, dressed rear hook, a rattling system, and holographic layers of
paint are features that make this lure an effective top water fish
catching machine |
9 |
| Design
(Ergonomics) |
As
detailed as a lure can be, this popper is designed to call and catch fish. A very nice pattern that's painted by hand and a contoured
body that's balanced while sitting in the water |
9.5 |
| Application |
A
top water product that's a must have for bass, but can also be used for
other species of fish like stripers, pike, muskies, and more |
9.5 |
|
Total Score |
8.92 |
Pluses and Minuses:
|
Plus
Minus |
| J
Detailed design |
L
Portions of the feathered hook can
fall off as a result of hard strikes |
| J
Premium paint |
|
| J
Explosive top water action |
|
| J
Fun and easy to fish |
|
Conclusion: Lethal strikes, explosive finishes, and heart
pounding fun all describe top water lure fishing. A topwater explosion is
truly a sight to behold, and simply awe inspiring for surface probing anglers. While there are many top water lures,
few are as nicely finished as the
Strike Pro Gobi Popper. The Gobi features many fine coats of paint, an attractive pattern, excellent detailed design, loud
rattling system that calls fish out from cover, and has proven to be a
distinguished performer when it
comes to rousing top water strikes.
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