Berkley Frenzy Popper

Just a quick note to anyone thinking of picking some of these poppers. They work great but you will need to change the hooks out when you get them. While at lake fork I had the hooks staighten out on a big fish. I checked all 9 of these baits we had with us and the hooks were the same on all of them. You could grab them with you fingers and bend them. I had to panic and put new hooks on them the night before the tournament I was at.

I put in a e-mail to Berkley about it to see if they would start using better hooks. Or at nothing else try and improve my dissapointment of the baits. I pointed out to them that the hooks on their crankbaits and rattletraps were a much better hook and they did not bend.

anyone else use these??

Jeremy

I agree, a great bait, about the best walking popper on the market and a good addition for every tackle box, but cheap hooks. Just not very sharp, but the bait itself only runs about $3.99 retail, so still a good value.

A quick tip on Fork, I think you need to loosen your drag. If you’re bending hooks out on treble hook lures, your drag is too tight. When I fish up north and use 17 lb test or bigger, I just clamp down the drag and winch in the bass. Anything under about 5 lbs comes right to the boat, whether they want to or not. Lots of my buddies up there use pliers to lock down their drags all the way. Clamp down your drag on big bass though, say about 6 lbs and bigger, and they do one of the following:

1) Break your line,
2) Bend out your hooks, including beefy 5/0 superline hooks or ones of heavy duty flipping jigs, or
3) Rip the hook from their flesh.

Big bass pull really hard and something is going to give. Let it be your drag and not your line or hook. I use a pretty loose drag and thumb down my reel when I set the hook and also if I need to stop a fish from heading into cover. Unfortunately, it took me a number of lost big fish before I wisened up.

Tom

Thanks Tom,
I was using a Med action pole with 8 pound test line. I also have the drag set so it will pull about 3 inches of line when I set the hook. What you pointed out was my problem when flipping the grass though Because I did have a hook bend on a 16″ fish, trying to get him out of the grass.

I got an e-mail back from Berkley today telling me to send everyone that I bought back to them. They said they would replace the baits and also “Make me Happy”. They also said they would look into switching the hooks for the same ones that come on their crankbaits.

Jeremy

Jeremy,

I agree with Tom, the frenzy is the best walking popper out there. It’s been go-to popper for a long time. All of my baits are older and the hooks seem to the same quality as other hard baits. I’m sure a bruiser could bend em if I really pressured the fish, but good enough of our up North bass.

John

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Jeremy,

I agree with Tom, the frenzy is the best walking popper out there. It’s been go-to popper for a long time. All of my baits are older and the hooks seem to the same quality as other hard baits. I’m sure a bruiser could bend em if I really pressured the fish, but good enough of our up North bass.

John

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John, they’re (the fish) usually bending your arms over, working you over enough that bending the hook isn’t an option.

Eric,

Touch talk from a wimpy Champion driver.

John

You don’t need to be tough to drive a Champ. (just smart) All those years of driving a Ranger is taking its toll on your back and head.

And my elbo and shoulder hurt from catching all of the big fish