Surface Poppers, Stickbaits and Pencil are all varieties of the ever popular “topwater” lure selections. Topwater lures are, as the name suggests, lures that are designed to work their magic on, or very close to the surface of the water. The commotion they create on the water’s surface aid in attracting the attention of predatory species, and eliciting a bite. They are generally lumped into three main categories.

Poppers are what most angler’s minds jump to when they think of surface lures. Surface poppers are lures designed to float on the waters surface when at rest, and they all have an inverted cupped face from which the tow point is situated. The size, shape and depth of this cup will dictate how “loud” the popper will be when blooped back across the water upon its retrieve. It will also determine how much effort is required on the angler’s behalf when working the lure. The classic Halco Rooster popper and Nomad Chug Norris are benchmarks in Australia, but there are many boutique timber lure makers here and overseas that we stock, such as West Coast Poppers, Amegari, Blaze Garage and GPC Lures from Japan.

Stickbaits are a hugely popular style of lure for an ever-growing range of species these days. They are categorised into floating and sinking, but both work on a similar principle to one and other. They are a much more subtle presentation than that of a popper, by not creating as much noise, they will illicit strikes from less active or aggressive fish. Their seductive swimming style is delivered through angler rod work, and to get that evocative “S” wiggle through the water means you are fishing these lures correctly. We carry an incredible range of high-end stickballs to suit every angler’s budget from Maria, Halco, Rapala and Nomad, to GPC Lures, Jackfin, Amegari and more.

Surface Pencils are the simplest of these topwater lures to fish, but often get the most incredible visual strikes of all. Generally these lures are designed to be cast out and then immediately retrieved at pace to get them skipping tantalisingly across the surface, much like a fleeing garfish, longtom or flying fish might. As they do not require much in the way of manipulation in the retrieve, they are often rear weighted, therefore casting like a bullet, to cover more water. A great lure when searching an area. Nomad Darting, GT Ice Cream’s and the Jaz Lures Guardian are fine examples that we stock.