Two of the primary reasons why some lures give the impression that they create more "presence" is simply because they are good poppers that stay in the water well AND more importantly, because they are of a size and weight which the angler can actually pop properly.
Some manufacturers have managed to quite cleverly build a bigger popper at a lighter weight (eg. Ebipop Ext, new Sea Frog 120) but the design becomes critical on this otherwise the popper will be too buoyant.
When manufacturers push the barrow on an inverse relationship between size of the lure and the size of the cup, they also create a popper that becomes easier to pull out of the water, particularly in rougher conditions. You don't tend to notice this as much in calmer conditions but in rougher conditions where poppers get tosed around a bit, these lures tend to become unbalanced more easily. Good design will obviously compensate to a degree but there is a limit.
I've seen a heap of lures in the past, many of which are no-names where this equation has gotten to the ridiculous - 130g lures with I Cup sized cups. They swim like dogs the moment there are some waves.
