How to Fish Topwaters for Bass
Topwater Bass Fishing Tips. Is there anything in fishing more fun than seeing a fish explode on a topwater bait? We didn’t think so. The best thing about topwater fishing is that not only is it an extremely fun way to catch bass, it’s also one of the best ways to catch giant bass. In that spirit – we thought it would be a great idea to run down the 5 most popular topwater categories.
The excitement of a large or small bass blowing up on the water’s surface is a thrill few anglers soon forget. With springtime right around the corner, it is time to break out the topwater lures and be on the lake as the sun peeks over the eastern shoreline.
Topwater plugs can be broken into five categories or styles; poppers, darters, prop baits, crawlers, and flexible plastics.
Where you should use Topwater Lures For Bass:
In general, Topwater Bass Fishing Tips tend to work best in the late spring (just after the spawn), summer, and fall. In hot weather, topwaters will produce on schooling bass; in dense cover, fish a buzzbait right over the heads of bass. Topwaters are excellent baits for fishing big, open water and shallow shorelines. For example, if there is a drop-off from 15 to 25 feet, a topwater will often draw strikes from suspended bass, especially in clear water.
Long tapering points are great places to try topwaters. You can move to the end of the point and cast the area where the point falls off into deep water with a big topwater such as a stick bait. In extremely clear water with little structure, a silver, white, or gold minnow lure twitched quietly on the surface often produces explosive strikes. Fish topwaters quickly in rivers and around extremely heavy cover. A buzzbait is ideal for these situations. The idea is to fish the lure fast over the heads of bass, provoking a reaction strike. In a river, bass may not enter the current to strike.
Tip:
Some of the coolest experiences in bass fishing can be had with topwater lures because they will expose a lot of big bass you might not otherwise see. But it would be a lie to say it’s all cool stories all the time. There can be a lot of frustration with hunting bigger bass with topwaters and lot of near misses that make you question what you are doing.
Lee offers these tips when Topwater Fishing For Bass.
- 1. Let it Sit – Poppers, walking baits, frogs or any topwater you can work fast or slow deserves a couple of extra seconds sitting on the water after you cast it out. The old adage of “let the rings dissipate” after casting is true. Many times you’ll get hit before you move it.
- 2. Work it Quick – Just like with many subsurface bait, cadence is key to topwater fishing. It’s easy to get stuck in a rut and work the bait the same way every time. Try smoking that sucker across the water, way faster than you normally would. You’d be surprised how often you get slammed.
- 3. Find the Pockets – A lot of us love to blast a topwater as far as we can chuck it to cover the maximum amount of water. This isn’t always the best way to fish them. Try short, targeted casts. Under docks, beneath tree limbs or any place you might think to “flip” a bait normally.
- 4. Wait…Then Set the Hook – This is the hardest thing to do when that 7 pound giant comes barreling out of the weeds to destroy your Spook. You gotta wait before ripping on him. Give him a chance to come down with the bait and dive under the water, then set the hook.
- 5. Change out Your Hooks – This is true of all your reaction baits, but after you’ve lost a double-digit at the boat because he bent out all your stock treble hooks (which happened to me), you’ll switch them out quick. Get some sturdy ones, like Mustad Triple Grips, and start swapping. It’ll be worth it. Trust me.
- 6. Switch Up Baits – Just because they stopped blowing up your buzzbait, doesn’t mean the topwater bite is over. A lot of times I’ll work a Plopper or buzzbait in the morning and then switch to a popper, walking bait or frog during the day. They may still be looking up, but just want something slower.
- 7. Keep Trying – A lot of new anglers are intimidated by topwater fishing. Don’t be discouraged because you miss a few fish… (and you will). It might be a timing issue or maybe you don’t have the right rod, but don’t stop working on it and learning the technique. It will pay off, big time!
By using your distance, boat position, and angle, you give yourself more room to work topwater lures for bass, pause it, kill it, twitch it and otherwise stall it in the strike zone to elicit a reaction from a bass without getting too close to your boat and putting them on guard to your presence.
If you’re not using this versatile big fish catching bait, you are missing out. Topwater Lures For Bass can be used in a variety of situations and are effective almost all year. They are exceptionally effective during the pre-spawn when bass are looking for an easy meal. Tie one on and give it a try this year, you will be glad you did.
“Catch The Dream!”
