Hmmmm, from my experience, you can use Poppers 2 ways. One is to use them as a slow working blooper, where you "pop" the lure, let it sit back, pop it again etc, bringing it slowly back to the boat. This certainly works, gets some great hits, but half the time from the reef sharks dammit.
The other is a more hi-speed retrieve. This is easiest if you are slowly idling along the reef edges casting at white water or baitfish on the surface, chuck it into your target area, then let it pop back up to the surface, and start retrieving at a reasonably fast, controlled speed. Start out with your rod tip high, and as the lure nears the boat lower the tip. With a fast moving popper with a reasonable cup to it's face, like the yo-zuri surface bull GT, moving fairly fast thru the water still means the popper catches a scoop now and then of water to cough out from the face and cause plenty of disturbance, and just speeding up a little means you can lift the head totally clear of the water so it skips easily across the surface in readiness for the next cast.
If you are wanting to"bloop" the poppers, it is best to do from a dead boat, to use a popper as a faster actioned lure, you can more easily do this with a moving boat, which has the advantage of covering more ground as well. If you do see a shark swing in behind your popper, just wind faster, they generally lose interest quickly then. If, however, you want to hook into the sharks, just slow down a little, and whammo.
I really want to give the stick baits more of a crack this next trip up there, although if suddenly I am getting monstered too regularly by effing sharks, I will go back to my normal popping style.