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Lure Review


Not your run of the mill topwater lure, the frighteningly realistic Dragonfly Popper by River2Sea USA
 

Date: 2/27/05
Tackle type: Lures
Manufacturer: River2Sea USA
Reviewer: JIP






Total Score: 8.41

Introduction: River2Sea USA continues to bring unique quality lures to market. Their newest invention, the Dragonfly Popper is a top water lure that features fine details and body contours that resemble a real dragonfly, a lure that bass certainly don't see everyday.

 

River2Sea Dragonfly Popper (Pop70) Specifications

Class Floating (Top water)
Colors/Patterns 6 available
Size 2 3/4"
Weight 3/16 oz
Hook Size #6
Hook Type Daiichi Treble
MSRP $9.99

 

As realistic as they get, the Dragonfly Popper is stunning in detail. The Natural Blue color is the latest addition to the line up, bringing the total number of colors/patterns available to six

 
Impressions: Insect lures have always been crafted for anglers to use to target their favorite freshwater fish, but over the years many have actually disappeared. Thanks to River2Sea USA we can now fish a dragonfly again. How many times have you been fishing and seen them flying around lakes and skimming the top of the water, landing on vegetation and structure? The Dragonfly Popper is very impressive as you set your eyes on this insect lure for the first time. The body is realistic from all angles and anglers might even mistake it for the real thing. The body shape and contour is amazingly detailed and coated with layers of paint. The little details on this lure demonstrate River2Sea's dedication to producing a lure that really mimics prey. This lure has 2 sets of plastic wings on each side just like a real dragonfly would. The River2Sea Pop70 top water lure comes only in one size with 6 productive colors, and is armed with one sharp Daiichi treble hook.

 

As JIP lips the fish the Dragonfly Popper flies away. Also notice the other 5 patterns these lures come in

  

Complete Rig for Dragonfly Popper

Rod Quantum Tour Edition PT (PTS664F)
Reel Quantum Plasma (PLM20)
Line 6 lb. Trilene XL

   
Field Tests: Just as a fly angler will "match the hatch." The River2Sea Dragonfly Popper is definitely a lure for the dragonfly season which runs around April to June depending on your local weather conditions. We fished with the topwater lure pretty much from Spring all the way to Fall, and found it extremely effective during the Summer months where the temperatures are blistering and the water is dead calm.

 

River2Sea USA crafts these lures with precision and pays much attention to the tiniest of details

 

Casting: The casting ability of the Dragonfly Popper really depends on the conditions. If it's windy casting this winged insect is harder, but on those nice days, especially those calm and quiet mornings, this lure flies through the air nicely using six pound test Trilene XL line on a Quantum Plasma spinning reel. When these conditions arise it's not difficult to cast it between lily pads or other structure.

 

The Dragonfly comes with a jitterbug-like lip

 

Retrieving: With a topwater lure the angler has to give life to it in order to entice strikes. With the Dragonfly Popper put your imagination to work as you can apply various techniques to make this insect lure look alive.  You can twitch it or pop it, but I didn't find those as effective as my favorite method, buzzing it like a wounded dragonfly. Cast it between or next to cover, allow it to sit until the ripples are gone, and then gently send small pulses to the lure with your rod creating small water movement as if the dragonfly is trying to move its wings. Try and do this without too much lure movement. Using this technique can drive a bass or other fish crazy as they see a dragonfly trying to get airborne again. We had bass, crappie, bluegills, and other sunfish hit the River2Sea Dragonfly Popper as we used it around cover with many different type of lively techniques.

 

One Daiichi treble hook is placed in the middle of the lure.  Also notice the detail and contrast of the body from this angle and the big green eyes

 
Durability:
 The Dragonfly Popper is a quality lure and it stood up to the explosive topwater action throughout our tests. The paint and finish remains undamaged and the overall structure of the lure is still nice and solid. The only thing that we wish was more durable are the wings. If an aggressive bass attacks the lure violently the wings can bend. They didn't break while we were testing and we were able to bend the wings back and the lure was still effective for many more strikes, but in the future we would like to see an improvement in the overall durability of the wings.

 

Not just great for taunting bass, but other fish such as bluegills and crappie will hit this lure when twitched or popped at the surface

  
Ratings:

River2Sea Dragonfly Popper Ratings (?/10)

Construction/Quality Great craftsmanship using top notch paint and components.  The only thing that needs improvement are the wings 8.5
Performance This lure is not just fun to fish, but effective at tempting bass to explode underneath it especially during the Summer and Fall seasons 9
Price There aren't many dragonfly lures anymore, maybe just one other right now that's being mass produced.  River2Sea USA's price is very competitive 8
Features The lure features an extremely realistic appearance with everything down to the details on colors and patterns 8
Design (Ergonomics) Excellent attention to detail to replicate the real thing.  The body contour, eyes, wings are all designed with precision 9
Application A great lure for aggressive fish that'll strike at topwater prey such as bass, crappie, and more 8

Total Score

8.41


Pluses and Minuses:

                 Plus                                    Minus

J Realistic design L Wings need improvement in durability
J Fine details  
J Quality hook  


Conclusion: Dragonfly lures have come and gone, and not many companies make them anymore even though recreational anglers call for them on days where they can take the time to toss a topwater lure for fun, and test their own skills at luring a bass to take a surface bait. River2Sea USA has not only brought back the exciting lure, but improved upon the original idea with exceptional attention to detail and use of some new materials. The River2Sea Dragonfly Popper is not only fun to fish, but effective as well, especially on those calm days from Spring to Fall. The lure is crafted with precision and the appearance is frighteningly realistic, down to the smallest detail. Yup, the buzz is out, the Dragonfly Popper is indeed back.


 

   

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