Some lures just feel a bit “meh” on the surface. This is not one of them. The MEREDITH Popper Fishing Lure 64mm 8.48g is a compact, aggressive little topwater designed for bass, perch and pike that like to announce themselves with violence. At 64 mm long and 8.48 g, this Meredith popper fishing lure sits right in that sweet spot where you can chuck it on normal tackle, walk it around cover and still draw grown fish up from depth.
The secret sauce is in the POPX-style design. The lure’s specific gravity is built into the main resin so it adheres to the surface film instead of rolling over or diving, even when you work it quite hard. A water duct pulls excess water in through the mouth and pushes it out behind the lip and gills, adding bubbles, noise and stability – and keeping it surprisingly composed in saltwater too.
Put simply: it sticks to the water, makes the right kind of racket and stays online when you rip it. Exactly what you want from a proper topwater popper.
Why This Lure Works
Topwater poppers have been catching bass for decades, and for good reason. Wired2Fish flat-out call them one of the best ways to catch summertime largemouth – once the water gets above about 70°F, a popper can be money around mayfly hatches, docks and overhanging trees. This Meredith popper fishing lure leans into those strengths with a few clever tweaks.
- Dialled-in size and weight: 64 mm and 8.48 g is small enough for finicky fish but heavy enough to cast accurately on light baitcasting or spinning outfits. You are not lobbing a feather; you can actually reach the juice.
- Surface-hugging specific gravity: The popper’s density is built into the resin so it adheres to the surface, riding just right rather than sitting awkwardly high or diving under. That makes every pop and spit more controlled and repeatable.
- POPX-style water duct: Excess water is channelled through a duct and discharged behind the lip and gills, creating bubbles and a subtle “biological” sound that calls fish up from below. It also stops the lure from skipping or blowing out when you crank it harder.
- Topwater category: Explicitly listed as a TOPWATER bass lure, not just a generic hardbait, so the whole design is tuned around surface work rather than compromise.
- Fresh and saltwater stability: The water duct and body shape keep it tracking straight even during high-speed reeling in saltwater, which can be a nightmare for lesser poppers.
Outdoor Life’s tests on the best topwater lures for bass call out the classic Rebel Pop-R as the benchmark popper: easy to cast, noisy, small but deadly. The Meredith sits in that same “compact assassin” niche – only with a more modern water-duct design and salt-friendly stability.
How To Fish It
The beauty of a good popper is that you do not need a PhD to make it work. Bassmaster’s foolproof popper patterns article basically boils things down to “cast where they live, vary the cadence, and pause more than you think”. This Meredith popper fishing lure does exactly what you tell it to – so here are some cadences to try.
1. Pop–pause for glassy mornings
On slick, calm water:
- Make a long cast past your target – docks, overhanging trees, laydowns, reed gaps.
- Let the rings fade out completely.
- Give the lure one or two sharp pops with the rod tip, just enough to spit and bloop.
- Pause for 3–5 seconds… or longer if you can stand it.
Wired2Fish’s “catch more bass on topwater poppers” breakdown shows how often the bite comes during those dead pauses, not while it is moving. With that POPX-style water duct, this lure sits tight and stable in the dimple it just made, looking like a stunned baitfish or an insect in trouble.
2. Walk and spit along shade lines
In a bit of chop or around shade:
- Point the rod tip down towards the water.
- Work a steady “twitch–slack–twitch–slack” with your wrist.
- Let the lure shuffle side to side while spitting water from the cup and duct.
This turns your Meredith popper fishing lure into more of a walking bait with a bloop, similar to how pros fish newer poppers like the KVD Splash around marinas and rip rap. Great for covering water along grass lines, riprap and seawalls when you are hunting active fish.
3. Burn and kill around schooling fish
When bass are schooling on top or chasing bait, you can get more aggressive:
- Fire a cast right into or just past the commotion.
- Rip the popper back with fast pops and short pauses.
- Every few metres, stop completely and let it sit in the rings for a couple of seconds.
Major League Fishing’s pieces on topwater poppers make the point that there is nothing mystical about a popper – it is about casting in the right place and changing cadence to match the fish. The Meredith’s stability in saltwater means you can lean into the rod and really make it cough and spit without it tumbling over.
If you are more of a visual learner, there are brilliant tutorials like this YouTube guide on how to fish a popper, where they break down rod angle, line type and wrist action for that perfect bloop.
When To Use It
Topwater is all about timing. Wired2Fish recommend poppers strongly in summer once the water gets properly warm, particularly around insect hatches and shallow bait. Outdoor Life’s topwater lures for bass coverage backs it up: poppers excel when fish are feeding up but not necessarily chasing super-fast baits.
Prime windows for the Meredith popper fishing lure:
- Early morning and late evening – classic low-light topwater periods with fish pushing bait onto banks and points.
- Overcast, humid days – when the ceiling drops, bass often roam shallower and will look up more readily.
- Post-spawn – guarding fish and those cruising the first break absolutely hate a noisy popper near their fry.
- Flat or gently rippled water – the lure’s subtle ripples and bubbles really stand out.
- Clear to lightly stained water – where the compact profile and splash do enough work without getting lost.
In saltwater, the lure’s stability at higher retrieve speeds makes it a handy option for sea bass, garrick or other coastal thugs patrolling rock ledges and points. The product page specifically notes that the water duct and streamlined shape keep it stable even during high-speed reeling in saltwater – exactly what you need around surge and swell.
Does It Actually Catch Fish?
Short answer: yes – used in the right places, a popper like this is pure chaos on top. Bassmaster’s long-running coverage of poppers, like their foolproof popper patterns and “modify your popper” articles, is full of pros quietly leaning on poppers for tournament-winning bags around shallow cover and boat docks.
On the everyday side, Reddit’s r/bassfishing is packed with “first topwater bass of the year” posts where the humble popper crops up again and again. For a lot of anglers, a small, easy-to-cast topwater like this is the lure that turns “I should try topwater” into “okay, I get it now”.
The Meredith design gives you some very real advantages:
- Stability: it will not blow out when you speed it up, even in saltwater.
- Surface grip: it clings to the surface film so every pop and spit is clean.
- Noise and bubbles: the water duct adds that extra fizz and “biological” sound that sets it apart from flat-faced budget plugs.
Is it going to win the Bassmaster Classic on its own? Probably not. Will it give you some of the most fun bites of your season when you throw it at the right stuff? Absolutely.
Gear Pairing
Because this Meredith popper fishing lure only weighs 8.48 g, you do not need specialised broom-handle gear. A balanced, medium-power setup is perfect.
- Baitcaster option:
Match it with a compact reel like the
KastKing Spartacus II Baitcasting Reel
for smooth casting, a fast 7.2:1 retrieve and enough drag to lean on decent fish. - Spinning option:
If you prefer spinning gear, pair it with something in the same class as the
KastKing Centron Low Profile Spinning Reel
on a medium rod for effortless, accurate casts with light line. - Line choice:
For topwater, mono or braid with a short mono leader is ideal – mono’s stretch keeps fish pinned and helps the lure walk and pop properly, a tip echoed across many topwater gear discussions on Bassmaster and Wired2Fish. - Further reading:
Your own article on Best Bass Fishing Setup is a great companion piece, walking through rod, reel and line choices so you can build a combo that throws this popper – and most of your other lures – comfortably. - Topwater toolbox:
Round out the box with other surface offerings from your Topwater lures and Frog Lure WD-036 when you want a frog or walking bait to complement your popper.
Specs
- Product name: MEREDITH Popper Fishing Lure 64mm 8.48g Topwater fishing lure Artificial Hard Bait Fishing for Bass Perch Pike Fishing Lure
- Brand: MEREDITH
- Length: 64 mm
- Weight: 8.48 g
- Lure type: Topwater popper (Item specifics: Type – TOPWATER; Category – BASS LURE)
- Body material: Resin body with specific gravity integrated into the main resin
- Design features: POPX-style water duct that takes in water at the mouth and expels it behind the gills, creating bubbles and a unique sound
- Action: Surface pop, spit and bubble trail; stable during high-speed retrieves, including in saltwater
- Position: Listed under “Position: Management Field – Category: BASS LURE” (site taxonomy)
- Luminous: No (non-glow)
- Electronic: No
- Quantity: 1 pc per order
- Model number: POPX
- Target species: Described as ideal for bass, perch and pike fishing
FAQ – Meredith Popper Fishing Lure Questions Answered
Is the Meredith popper fishing lure only for bass?
No. The product page specifically calls it ideal for bass, perch and pike, and the 64 mm size works nicely for a range of predators in both fresh and salt water. If it eats small baitfish on top, this popper can get its attention.
What line should I use with this popper?
Mono or braid with a short mono leader is ideal. Mono floats, adds a bit of stretch and keeps the lure walking and popping cleanly – exactly what a topwater needs. Many popper pros, like those featured on Wired2Fish and Bassmaster, recommend mono for this reason.
Can I fish the Meredith popper fishing lure in saltwater?
Yes. The lure description highlights that the water duct and streamlined body give it excellent stability even during high-speed retrieves in saltwater. Just rinse it and your tackle after each salt session, as you would with any lure.
When is the best time to throw this popper?
Classic times are dawn, dusk and overcast days in late spring through summer, especially when you see bait flicking or hear bluegill popping on top. Wired2Fish’s “Topwater Poppers for Summertime Largemouth” is a great reference for exactly those scenarios.
Is this a good first topwater for beginners?
Absolutely. The Meredith popper fishing lure is compact, easy to cast and forgiving to work – it will still look good even if your cadence is not perfect. Watch a simple YouTube how-to on poppers, tie this on, and you will be in the game in no time.
Final Verdict
If you want a topwater that feels a bit cleverer than a bargain-bin plug but still lives in the “actually fish it, not just stare at it” category, the Meredith popper fishing lure is spot on. The 64 mm, 8.48 g body is perfect for general bass, perch and pike work; the integrated specific gravity keeps it locked to the surface; and the POPX-style water duct adds just enough fizz and noise to set it apart from simpler designs.
Throw it at dawn, dusk and on moody, overcast days. Work it slowly around cover when you are hunting one big bite, or speed it up along banks and grass lines when fish are chewing. Either way, it is the kind of lure that turns casual followers into full-send explosions on top – and that is exactly why we all love poppers in the first place.
Send this Meredith popper fishing lure past your favourite laydown, let the rings fade… and get ready for that “oh hell yes” detonation.
















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