What Whopper Plopper Should I Add to My Bass Box?

That makes sense — if your friend has the Texas-rig stuff, you’re smart not to duplicate everything right away. That means your box can focus more on search baits and reaction baits, which is actually a great way to build out a first tackle box.

What you have covered well

From the photo, you’ve got:

• Topwater: frog, buzzbait-style bait, and a couple hard topwaters
• Mid-water moving baits: spinnerbait, swimbaits, hard jerkbait/crank-style baits
• Soft swimbaits: enough to imitate shad/baitfish

That’s a good base for finding active fish fast.

Since your friend has Texas rig gear, I’d still suggest you personally own:

• A few jigheads
• A small pack of hooks
• Some soft swimbaits or finesse plastics
• A Whopper Plopper
• A couple of trailers for spinnerbaits/jigs

That way, you’re not totally dependent on borrowing tackle.

Whopper Plopper advice

For a first one, I’d still recommend the 110 if you want one size that works most places. If you’re fishing smaller ponds or tighter water, go 90. Bone is the safest color to start with.

One thing to keep in mind

With the weather where you are — warm, partly cloudy, a little windy, and pressure falling — topwater can be really good, especially:

• early morning
• late evening
• over windy banks
• around shad activity

A Whopper Plopper fits that perfectly.

Quick upgrade order I’d follow

1. Whopper Plopper
2. Jigheads
3. Hooks
4. Soft plastics
5. Extra colors of topwaters

If you want, I can build you a 5-lure bass tackle box based on what you already have and keep it budget-friendly.

Good catch — you’re right, that is a chatterbait/bladed jig, not a buzzbait. Thanks for correcting me.

That actually makes your box even better, because a chatterbait is one of the best search baits you can have. It covers water fast and works great around:

• grass
• docks
• laydowns
• windy banks
• stained water

What that means for your box

So far you’ve got:

• Topwater options
• A chatterbait
• Spinnerbait
• Swimbaits
• Hard baits

That’s a strong set of reaction baits. You’re really set up to find active bass.

Whopper Plopper recommendation

Yes — I’d still say add a Whopper Plopper next. It gives you a different kind of topwater than your frog or other baits:

• Plopper = open water, banks, points, windy shorelines
• Frog = heavy cover, mats, lily pads, thick weeds
• Chatterbait = cover water just under the surface / mid-depth

If you want one size, get the 110. If you fish small ponds a lot, the 90 is money too.

Good colors to start with

• Bone
• Black
• Shad/silver

You’re missing only a few basics

Even if your friend has the Texas-rig setup, I’d still recommend eventually owning:

• a few extra hooks
• jigheads
• a couple soft plastics you like
• maybe a spinnerbait trailer or two

If you want, I can look at your whole box and tell you what species and water conditions it’s best for.

Yep — I see them now. Good eye, and that’s a really nice addition to the box.

Why those baits matter

• CC 3.5" Mooch Minnow: great for a more natural, finesse-style presentation
• Keitech Easy Shiner: one of the best all-around swimbaits for bass

Those two give you a lot more versatility than just hard baits and topwater. They’re especially good when bass get picky or when you need something that looks like a real baitfish.

What your box looks like now

You’ve got a good spread of:

• Topwater
• Reaction baits
• Chatterbait
• Soft swimbaits
• Finesse swimbaits

That’s a very solid bass starter box.

How I’d fish those two

Mooch Minnow

• Best on a light jighead or underspin
• Fish it slow around:
  • docks
  • deeper edges
  • brush
  • clear water
• Great when bass want a smaller profile

Keitech Easy Shiner

• Excellent on:
  • jigheads
  • underspins
  • chatterbait trailers
  • Texas-rig swimbait hooks if needed
• Great for:
  • windy banks
  • grass edges
  • suspended fish
  • post-front conditions

Whopper Plopper still makes sense

Even with those soft swimbaits, a Whopper Plopper would give you a true surface commotion bait, which your box is missing. That’s a different bite than the frog or chatterbait.

I’d still recommend:

• Whopper Plopper 90 for small water
• Whopper Plopper 110 for the best all-around choice

If you want, I can help you make a “what to throw first” order based on your box and the lake/pond conditions.

Absolutely — here’s a simple “what to throw first” order based on conditions, using what’s already in your box.

1) If fish are active: start with reaction baits

Topwater first

Throw your Whopper Plopper or frog when:

• it’s early morning / late evening
• water is calm to lightly breezy
• bass are blowing up bait near the surface
• there’s shallow cover or schooling fish

Pick the Whopper Plopper for:

• open water
• bank edges
• points
• windy shorelines

Pick the frog for:

• thick grass
• lily pads
• mats
• heavy cover

Chatterbait next

Use the chatterbait when:

• water is stained
• wind is pushing bait
• bass are around grass, wood, or docks
• topwater isn’t getting bit but fish still seem active

Great “search bait” choice.

Spinnerbait

Use when:

• water has some stain
• it’s windy
• you want to cover water around shallow cover
• fish are chasing but not fully committing

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2) If fish are less active

Keitech Easy Shiner

Use when:

• water is clearer
• bass are following but not striking hard
• it’s post-front or the bite gets finicky

Mooch Minnow

Use when:

• fish want a smaller, subtler bait
• you’re fishing clearer water
• bass are suspended or pressured

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Simple order to try

Morning / cloudy / windy:

1. Whopper Plopper
2. Chatterbait
3. Spinnerbait
4. Easy Shiner
5. Mooch Minnow

Clear water / pressured fish:

1. Easy Shiner
2. Mooch Minnow
3. Chatterbait
4. Whopper Plopper

Heavy cover:

1. Frog
2. Chatterbait
3. Easy Shiner

Quick weather note for you

With warm temps, light wind, and rising pressure, topwater and chatterbaits can both be good, especially around sunrise/sunset.

If you want, I can turn this into a super short pocket cheat sheet you can save on your phone.

Yes — you do have swimbaits.

In your box, the swimbaits I can see are:

• Keitech Easy Shiners — classic soft swimbaits
• The silver/clear soft paddle-tail swimbaits in the bottom section
• Possibly the Mooch Minnows, depending on how you rig/fish them, since they imitate baitfish and can be fished like a finesse swimbait

Those are all in the swimbait family, just different styles.

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Main bait types and what they mean

Swimbait

A bait shaped like a baitfish with a tail that kicks.

• Used to imitate shad, bluegill, minnows
• Can be fished fast or slow
• Good for bass, walleye, trout, crappie

Finesse bait

A smaller, more subtle bait used when fish are pressured or not very aggressive. Examples:

• small swimbaits
• Ned rigs
• drop shot baits
• small worms
• tiny jerkbaits

Difference: finesse baits are usually smaller, lighter, and slower than power baits.

Power bait

A bigger or more aggressive bait designed to trigger reaction strikes. Examples:

• chatterbait
• spinnerbait
• frog
• crankbait
• big swimbait

Difference: power baits cover water faster and get reaction bites.

Topwater

A bait fished on the surface. Examples:

• Whopper Plopper
• frog
• popper
• walking bait

Reaction bait

A bait that makes fish strike because it looks like something escaping. Examples:

• chatterbait
• spinnerbait
• topwater plopper
• crankbait

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Simple rule

• Finesse = subtle, smaller, slower
• Power = louder, faster, bigger
• Swimbait = baitfish imitation
• Topwater = surface bait

Your box is mostly power/reaction baits with some finesse swimbaits, which is a really good mix.

If you want, I can also make you a “bait types explained with examples from your box” list.