Popper review

Here's a review of all the poppers that I got to try out thus far. My impression was that colour and shape didn't make a big difference. Proper animation, a good rhythm and, most importantly, the right spot made the difference. With those three factors in place any of these poppers caught fish. That's why I deliberately decided to not rate how well the different poppers catch fish. In the end you have to chose one that you trust and concentrate on animating it properly.

Name	Weight	Maneuverability	Durability	Comment
Bertox Popper	150	very good: stable in the water and easy to pop	unreliable: very good finish, yet terrible wiring that breaks after multiple fish	I loved it but after two consecutive wire breaks I couldn't trust it anymore
Orion T-Rex	150	good: easy to pop but not perfectly stable in the water	good: finish damages quickly, otherwise no problems whatsoever	since maneuverability is the most important factor for me, I preferred other lures
Orion Cono Cono	180	very good: easy to pop but and stable in the water	good: finish damages quickly, otherwise no problems whatsoever	this lure is so short that belly and tail hook easily get tangled, which is annoying when you need big hooks
Heru Cubera	150 and 180	very good: easy to pop but and stable in the water	reliable: stickers go off quickly, paint is ok, strong wiring, wooden body may soak water	my preferred lure: easy to animate, reliable and affordable
Heru Tuna	100	good: easy to pop but but not perfectly stable in the water	reliable: stickers go off quickly, paint is ok, strong wiring, wooden body may soak water	it doesn't make a big splash, so it might be less effective when fish are far away

I have a clear winner: the Heru Cubera! It's ugly! But it works perfectly. The Orion lures both had specific limitations. The Bertox popper is beautiful and works very well but unfortunately it's not trustworthy! Apparently, a new version of it exists now (with a different shape). Let's hope they fixed the wiring on that one. And the Heru Tuna, well, it's a little small and it's limited to calm water, otherwise good.

The most important take away for me was: all these lures work well once you have figured out their animation. Some are less stable in rough water though. But the most important thing is that the lure is reliable. For me this means: don't buy cheap quality BUT you also don't need high end lures for catching fish.