As bass anglers, we all have boxes dedicated to the lures we know are going to catch us fish. Crankbaits, spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, poppers: the choices are endless. But what about the Whopper Plopper? While nothing new to the bass scene, it’s often a lure we see missing from our fellow bass angler’s tackle bags.
As with every bass lure on the market, choosing the right Whopper Plopper can sometimes feel a little overwhelming, so we’ve put together a breakdown of some of the best colors available today. Whether you’re new to fishing a Whopper Plopper or you’ve been fishing them since well before they were popular, keep reading below to find out what we consider the best.
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What is a Whopper Plopper?
Designed by world-renowned hall of fame angler Larry Dahlberg, the Whopper Plopper was made with muskie in mind but has quickly become a staple amongst bass anglers, with sizes and colors to cover just about any fishing situation.
At first glance, it might be easy to dismiss the Whopper Plopper as just another prop bait, but this simply isn’t the case. An inline stickbait with a segmented soft propeller tail, the Whopper Plopper is a jerkbait, buzzbait, and prop bait all rolled into one. The free spinning tail creates an enticing ‘pop, pop, pop’ sound as it’s retrieved that is unlike any other lure available, and the result is a top water ‘search’ bait that fish cannot resist.
Top water is possibly one of the most exciting ways to catch any fish, and there is no better way to take advantage of that than with a Whopper Plopper. If bass are feeding up, a Whopper Plopper will catch them.
The Best Whopper Plopper Colors
What started as an angler’s idea to boat more muskie has now become one of the most popular bass baits on the market. With that popularity comes an array of different options, especially when it comes to color, to cover every angler's needs. Here are some Whopper Plopper colors we recommend trying out for yourself.
Loon
Available at: Bass Pro
By far the most popular color of Whopper Plopper on this list, you’ll understand the appeal the second you cast one out. The loon pattern catches fish, and lots of them. It’s not necessarily effective because it looks like a loon, but because of its natural color scheme and dark profile. Not only does it contrast well against an overcast sky, but it also stands out on a clear day, providing a silhouette that fish can see with ease. As it’s retrieved, it does its job imitating an animal desperately trying to stay afloat and offering up an easy meal for hungry bass.
Munky Butt
Available at: Bass Pro
How could you go wrong with a name like Monkey Butt? In all seriousness, this is a must-have color for clear water conditions when the fish have better visibility and an easier time distinguishing natural from unnatural. With a detailed color scheme and semi-translucent bottom, Monkey Butt does an excellent job of imitating baitfish that may be schooling near the surface. It’s a color that really shines when chasing smallmouth bass in clearwater rivers and streams.
Bone
Available at: Bass Pro
The Bone colored Whopper Plopper is hands-down one of the best colors to cover all water conditions and fishing scenarios. The off-white/yellow color isn’t overly obnoxious, so the fish won’t shy away from it in clear water. It also provides enough contrast against darker water and overcast skies that fish can easily spot it. Add in the red accents that act as an extra trigger, and you’ve got a color combination that does an outstanding job of selling the wounded baitfish look.
White
Available at: Bass Pro | Amazon
White may not be a color that has as many applications as others on this list, but it’s a must-have for anyone targeting smallmouth bass. The reason is simple: smallmouth love white. Simple yet extremely effective, white is a color that will produce fish when nothing else is working. Many would assume that white is a clear water, bright day color. While not wrong, it can also be a color that’s just as effective under overcast skies or in stained water.
Delta Craw
Available at: Bass Pro
Red is an underrated color when it comes to any fishing lure. A lot of lures have red accents for good reason, but anglers tend to pass over solid red lures for ones that may be more favorable. Red is a color that slowly loses its light absorption the deeper in the water column it gets, to the point where it eventually becomes invisible. The top few feet of the water column is where it’s most visible, so it makes sense that it's a great color for a topwater lure. Add the black accents for some contrast, and Delta Craw is a color that's hard for big bass to resist.
Bluegill
Available at: Bass Pro
When we think of baitfish that bass feed on, we think of minnows like shad or cisco. What we don’t often think of are the other smaller fish that inhabit the same water, in this case, bluegill. Big largemouth bass love feeding on young bluegill. The ultra-realistic pattern on this Whopper Plopper, coupled with its red accents, will tempt even the weariest of Largemouth. Bluegill is best used when largemouth are keying in on natural colors, and it’s especially effective when the fish have seen a lot of pressure and are ignoring everything else.
Perch
Available at: Bass Pro
Sticking with the ultra-realistic look, a Perch color Whopper Plopper is another great option. It’s not the most popular color on this list, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less effective than the other colors we’ve mentioned. Perch aren’t always found in the same water that bass are, but wherever they are, you can be sure that bass are feeding on them. It’s those bodies of water where this lure can shine.
Blue Blood
Available at: Bass Pro
Even if you’re just getting into bass fishing, you probably know that bass love feeding on shad. The Blue Blood Whopper Plopper is designed to imitate those shad. It’s a great choice when bass are cruising shorelines or weed edges in search of schools of them. With its blue sides and transparent bottom, the Blue Blood Whopper Plopper looks just like a struggling shad, and its aggressive pattern reflects light, giving it lots of flash that bass can see from a long way away.
Rainbow Trout
Available at: Bass Pro
The Rainbow Trout Whopper Plopper isn’t any less effective than the others we have on this list. What it is, however, is better in very specific situations: on rivers, streams, and even lakes where the rainbow population is abundant. Being highly reflective and very bright, this is a color that is best fished when the sun is high, drawing bass out of the cover they will be relating to on bright, sunny days.
How to Choose The Best Color Whopper Plopper
The Whopper Plopper is a lure designed to attract fish with noise and vibration, but that doesn’t mean that color isn’t just as important. Knowing which color you should be fishing on any given day can mean the difference between a good day on the water and a great one. There isn’t a simple answer to which one is going to work the best, but we’ve put together this color chart to hopefully help you select the right one for the conditions you are going to be fishing.
| Low Light/Clear Water | Low Light/Stained Water | High Sun/Clear Water | High Sun/Stained Water | |
| Good | White | Delta Craw | Blue Gill | White |
| Better | Bone | Bone | White | Loon |
| Best | Loon | Loon | Monkey Butt | Blue Blood |
Does Whopper Plopper Size Matter?
The simple answer to that question is yes, size does matter, but it may not be as clear-cut as that, and the decision isn’t always simple.
The best size of Whopper Plopper can be directly related to the color you have chosen. You’ve chosen that color based on both conditions and fish behavior, so choosing the right size should relate to those same things.
As a general rule, in low light conditions, or when the fish are actively feeding, you’re going to want something that is attractive to them, and this doesn't always mean it should be natural-looking. Instead, the result is often something flashy or bright; something that's going to trigger an already active fish. Active fish are aggressive fish and will not shy away from bigger presentations. In fact, active fish often prefer bigger targets.
On the contrary, when the sun is high and the day is bright, bass can be a little more skittish. That's when you’re going to choose something that's more natural, not only in color but also in size. Made famous by fly fishermen, the ‘match the hatch’ mentality comes into play here. You’re trying to match, as best you can, your lure to what fish are feeding on.
Of course, there are always exceptions to these rules, and no matter how well we think we know these fish, they always do a good job of proving us wrong, throwing us a curveball, and leaving us scratching our heads. Any successful bass angler will experiment, and it’s just as important to experiment with size as it is color.
Final Thoughts
The Whopper Plopper is a loud, obnoxious search bait, and with that sometimes comes the debate as to whether color is even important. Sure, you’re calling out to any bass that might be in the area, but attracting them is one thing. They still have to get a good look at what they’re up against.
It’s not always easy to figure out what color is going to produce fish on any given day, but we hope the colors we’ve covered here can help you narrow down your choices.
Leave a comment below and let us know if it has!
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