First, use it when you see fish being caught so you know it's not the fish inactive. Best for largemouth. Fish toward weed-lines and points. Use 8 or 10 pound test line so you get a good cast. Put bigger hooks on them so they hold better, twice the size it comes with. Cast toward the weed-line or structure of some kind. Pop it hard enough to make a plunk/sound, but not too hard so it doesn't move too far with each pop, the bass get it in their mouth better when you move and pop it slow. Give a pop, pause a second, pop pause, pop. Cast three or four times at one spot then another to cover the whole area. Then go to the first spot you tried and do it again, unless you hit a bass in one spot, give it another 10 casts before moving, and by moving I mean only about 10 to 20 feet from where you were aiming the first time. About every 10 or so casts pop it all the way back in case one is right in front of you and always make some casts into the open water even if it's deep, a bass will come up from 30 feet to hit a popper. Technique does matter, Times the bass will hit popper even if your working them fast but slower better. The popper is in the fishes strike zone longer. And if a boil comes near your popper but the fish doesn't hit it, stop moving the popper, stop reeling it in and just pop it in the same spot about five times then pop it a little faster as if the popper saw the bass and if attempting a getaway. Watch other popper fishermen, are they getting hits but not you, figure out what they are doing different. Two days ago I caught about 20 in about two hours and my friend only one, he was moving too fast and pulling too hard on the popper which makes it move too far in a split second, the bass were missing the popper. Again, an aggressive/hungry bass will nail anything but try slower. Poppers are best the first and last two hours of the day, but I use them all day unless hot mid-day, go to rubber worms on the bottom. Flat like glass with no wind I prefer but the bass will hit the popper in ripple. Moderate to fast running water not best for popper.

Luck,

Danny