River 2 Sea Whopper Plopper 130
A 13cm, 28g popper from River 2 Sea, floating for the surface water column typically run in brown.
At a glance
- Type
- Popper
- Shape
- topwater
- Length
- 13 cm
- Weight
- 28 g
- Action
- floating
- Pattern
- natural
- UV reactive
- No
- Glow
- No
- Rattle
- No
- Scented
- No
How to fish it
Cast and worked across the surface in short, sharp jerks of the rod tip. The ideal cadence is two pops, one-second pause; the strike usually comes on the pause as the popper sits trembling in the bubble disturbance. Don't fish it like a stickbait — poppers are loud-and-stop, not glide-and-roll.
Best deployed at first light, last light, and any time bait is busting the surface. Primary targets in AU waters: Murray Cod, Bass, Mangrove Jack. Concentrate on the up-current side of structure — bommies, washes, current lines, and bait schools — and walk the lure across the strike zone.
Wind-on leader: 60–100lb fluorocarbon FG-knotted to PE3–PE6 braid for inshore/sub-tropical work, scaling to 130lb leader and PE8 braid for tropical GTs. Single inline hook upgrades (Decoy, BKK, Owner) replace stock trebles for safer release of fish you want to release.
Common mistake: working the popper too fast. Let it sit for two full seconds after each pop sequence — that pause is when 80% of strikes happen, especially on calmer water. If the surface is mirror-flat, slow down further; if it's choppy, work harder to keep the lure visible.
Rigging
- Leader
- 60–130 lb fluorocarbon, FG-knotted to braid
- Braid
- PE3–PE10 depending on target species
- Hooks
- Single inline upgrades (BKK, Decoy, Owner ST-66) replace stock trebles
- Cadence
- Two pops + one-second pause — strike on the pause
- When
- First light, last light, or any time bait is busting the surface
Reading BiteCast for this lure
When this lure is in your tackle box, BiteCast's data layers tell you the right conditions to fish it. The most relevant layers:
- SST (sea-surface temperature) →
Match SST to the target species' preferred range; sharp surface fronts often coincide with feeding zones, even inshore.
- Chlorophyll →
The green/blue boundary is the food-chain front — fish concentrate on the edge, not the dense bloom interior.
Best months in AU
Surface lures shine in warm water — late spring through autumn for kingfish, GTs, and tuna; a quieter winter for tailor and salmon on southern beaches.
General guidance for southern + central AU; tropical north runs warm-water species year-round.
Where it shines in Australia
- Top End / NT estuaries— Daly, Mary, Adelaide River systems Sep–Dec are barra peak before the wet
- FNQ tidal rivers (Hinchinbrook, Daintree)— Year-round mangrove jack + barra; lure work peaks pre-wet
- Murray-Darling system + Vic / NSW impoundments— Cod season opens 1 Dec; spring + autumn lure bite, summer surface, winter deep
Target AU species
About River 2 Sea
AU-founded; now global. Whopper Plopper is the iconic surface lure.
Origin: Made in Australia
FAQ
What is the River 2 Sea River 2 Sea Whopper Plopper 130?
How do I rig the River 2 Sea River 2 Sea Whopper Plopper 130?
When is the best time of year to fish the River 2 Sea River 2 Sea Whopper Plopper 130?
What species does the River 2 Sea River 2 Sea Whopper Plopper 130 catch?
Where in Australia is the River 2 Sea River 2 Sea Whopper Plopper 130 most effective?
Should I replace the stock trebles with single hooks?
Related lures
Where to buy in AU
BiteCast doesn't sell tackle — these are search shortcuts to popular AU retailers. We're not affiliated with any of them.
Iconic surface lure for Murray Cod, barra, bass.
Use River 2 Sea Whopper Plopper 130 smarter with BiteCast
Add it to your tackle box, then let the AI companion rank it against the other lures you carry for today's conditions.