Pencil popper style topwaters have proven to be great fish catchers in the striper and bass worlds. The ima Big Stik and Little Stik have been catching bass for years and now there’s a new version, the Baby Stik. The new smaller version opens up where and when to throw these baits, according to Major League Fishing pros Fred Roumbanis and Matt Lee.
Both have been using the bait all year and have become fans of the downsized bait that has the same excellent action as the larger baits.
Smaller, but Plenty of Action
Roumbanis likes the smaller version and says it has the noise of a bigger pencil popper but in a more finesse action.
“It’s a great little finesse topwater that’s almost a cross between a walking bait and popper,” he said. “It’s smaller but still very loud and attracts fish from a long way. It’s great for times when bass are feeding on smaller baitfish, like during the fall.”
Lee has always used big pencil poppers, especially on lakes with blueback herring and welcomed the new size option. “The spitting action of these baits is what gets their attention,” he said. “The new size is great to imitate smaller baitfish. You can use it in more situations now.”
Gear and Retrieves
While the bait is smaller than the other versions, it’s still a ½-ounce bait and casts exceptionally well because of the rear-weighted design that allows it to fly through the air in a straight line without resistance.
The bait excels with a walking action and spits water, making it an excellent choice for fishing quickly, according to both Roumbanis and Lee.
“I like to fish it fast and get it ripping; it will pivot and twitch,” said Roumbanis. “You can fish it faster than the Little Stik because it doesn’t have as much resistance as it goes side-to-side. I like to fish it on a 7 to 7-foot, 2-inch rod with a soft tip and on a 40-pound braided line with a short leader of fluorocarbon or monofilament. This helps so the braid doesn’t wrap around the trebles when you work the bait fast.”
Lee also likes the braid to fluorocarbon combination but removes the split ring and ties a loop knot. “You can work it right-to-left really fast and it won’t foul up,” he said. “I want the bait to be spitting a lot and moving quickly, but not right to me: more just working side-to-side. This is a great little bait and still casts extremely well. Now having three sizes, you have something for every situation.”
Advertising