Real World Test: I fished PH Custom Lures's Ploppin P on board my ARK Rods IVK610MLXS Invoker spinning rod matched with Quantum Smoke S3 25 Spinning reel spooled with 10lb Sunline Supernatural nylon monofilament. For once I managed to match the right line with my topwater bait.

Rigged and ready to go

Castability : One of the reasons I chose spinning tackle for this bait was for the ease of casting. Being a balsa wood bait that is not really all that heavy at 5/8 of an ounce, I found it easier to cast and place the Ploppin' P where I wanted with spinning tackle. With no wind in the equation, casting tackle would be no issue, but overall, spinning is just easier with this bait.

What makes it different is it's hand crafted out of wood

Ease of Actuation : Once in the water, it's just a matter of beginning your retrieve to get the Ploppin' P plopping and spurting. It behaves pretty much as expected at all speeds but I like it best somewhere in the medium rate retrieve area. I like it to just where you can hear it gurgling, not just see it, and a nice bubble trail is behind the bait.

And features a metal plopping blade

Another option for the retrieve is to pull the bait forward a foot or two like you're working a wood-chopper, but with pauses in between to give fish a chance to look at the bait before it takes off again.

The Ploppin' P is effective with a straight retrieve but I found that mixing up the retrieve really could pay off depending on how aggressive the fish were. Sometimes fish would hit it right after the pause, other times they would only hit it when burned. Don't be afraid to mix it up depending on water temps, clarity, and the mood of the fish on each particular day.

Thanks to that wood body, this bait has really good buoyancy in the water

The Ploppin' P has really good buoyancy in the water when resting too. If there's one area of caution or something to look out for is after a few fish or a cast into something unexpectedly solid like a dock piling, rock, or tree trunk, the blade is susceptible to ending out of shape. Usually a little twist here or there is enough to get the blade back in working order but it's not difficult to imagine the blade getting damaged enough to where the bait is inoperable.

Conclusion: Hand crafted wood baits will always have a place in my tackle box. I appreciate the effort and artistry that goes into making something like the Ploppin' P. Sure, I'd like to see more colors and some name brand hardware, but those are somewhat minor points. What is available with this bait works, and ultimately, that's what really counts. I look forward to checking out more of this company's hand made products but for now, if you're looking for an old school take on a modern design, PH Custom Lures's Ploppin' P is a fun bait to take out for a spin.