Everyone knows who the king of pop is, right?  If you answered Michael Jackson you can stop reading this article right now, or should I say, moon walk away from the computer.  The “real” king of pop is Bassmaster Elite Series Professional Angler and sixteen times Bassmaster Classic Championship qualifier Zell Rowland.  Rowland started fishing with the original Rebel Pop-R back years ago when he was only twenty years old.  The Pop-R was small and made a different sound than any bait back then.  Of course, bass fishing was different back in those days.  It was not unusually for many of the professional anglers to sleep in their vehicles to save money for entry fees.  “I remember one cold night before a tournament, I was sleeping in my sleeping bag in my station wagon and I woke up because I heard this banging noise from the vehicle beside me; so, I went over and found Rick Clunn was inside banging on the window because the doors were frozen shut and he could not get out!”  Rowland continued, “I had to go get some hot water to get him out of the vehicle.”  Would Rowland do it all over again?  “H** yeah I would, I had some great times back then,” exclaimed Rowland.  Times change but Rowland has only got better at fishing with the Pop-R; in fact, his ability to catch fish and customize a Pop-R is legendary among fellow anglers.

The history of the Rebel Pop-R begins with its name.  In 1963, George Perrin designed the first Rebel lure which was not the Pop-R but the 3 ½-inch Rebel Minnow.  This plastic minnow style lure proved to be more durable then minnow shaped balsa baits.  The demand by anglers for this lure quickly grew.  In the beginning, the minnow shaped lure company did not have a name.  That same year the new Fort Smith Southside High
School was dedicated and the football team was named the “Rebels” and so was Perrin’s Lure Company.  Today, Rebel Pop-R’s (www.lurenet.com) come in a wide variety of sizes and color patterns including the tournament winning XCalibur Zell Pop; named accordingly after the renowned king of Pop-R’s Zell Rowland.  After being produced for a number of years, the popularity declined and Rebel discontinued making the Pop-R.  That all changed when Rowland won the BASS 1986 Super Invitational using the Pop-R on the Tennessee River in Chattanooga, Tennessee.  Angler demand after that tournament brought it back into production, but for years it was one of the best kept secrets of professional anglers.

No one knows how to customize or fish a Pop-R better than Rowland; so, I asked him he fishes a Pop-R?  “Do you know the tens of hundreds of times I have been asked that question?” responded Rowland.  “The answer to that question is however the fish want it, the rhythm depends on the fish’s attitude that day, that moment; then all an angler has to do is duplicate that retrieve to catch fish,” explained Rowland.   Which Pop-R should you be fishing?  Rowland likes to follow this basic rule on selecting which Pop-R to fish, “I like the original Pop-R’s when I want more of a chugging action but will change to a XCalibur Zell Pop for when I want a spitting action.”

How Rowland customizes his Pop-R’s:  “I sand the entire bait and always put a feathered hook on the back.”
Tip for other anglers:  “If you become frustrated after losing a big fish, sit down and regain your composer then go back to fishing.”

Rod/Reel/Line for Pop-R fishing: American Rod Smith Team Series Topwater Rod, Ardent High Speed Reel, Silver Thread XCalibur monofilament line.

Sponsors: Skeeter/Yamaha, Lurenet.com and Pradco, Pro Marine, Ardent Reels, American Rod Smith