Tis a sad but all too familiar story Tim relates then asks

What knot do you use to tie on your tippet?
Clinch knot but why do you ask? Are you guessing that a "better" knot
wouild not have broken when you horsed your cat up over the bank?

Here is a test for you to answer your questions. Tie on the same length of
tippet, same weight and in exactly the same manner as you had on when you
had the cat on your bug. Then tie the end of a tippet to a strong hook. If
your cat was a 10 pounder, get a 10# bag of potatoes and hook it. (15 # cat
= 15 # potatoes, etc.). Now find a place in your yard or nearby that has
the same structure as your bank and try to drag the potatoes out in the same
manner as your cat and see if something breaks.

There are only two options. 1. Something breaks or 2. Nothing breaks. As
you compare this test and re-think in your mind what happened with your cat,
you may find the answer as why it broke where it did. Let us know what you
decide.

Has anyone else caught a cat on a popper?
Yes but not many cruizing cats and only 2-3 times when I specifically
targeted cats via popping bug. Those were around Easter on a lake in
Northern California when thumb-sized lime green frogs hatched during catfish
spawning. About the only place I can recall catching cats on popping bugs
was when catalpa worms were dropping into the water. And anybody can catch
anything in a place like that LOL!

Several years ago I was fishing from the high bank of a big gravel pit when
I saw a pod of 3-4 about 5 to 10 pound cats cruizing the edge. I ambushed
them with 4 or 5 different popping bug patterns for a hour or so and could
not get a single take.

Congratulations on your cat. Good Luck!
John