The chrome Pop-R hit the water just inches from the bank. Just a twitch of the topwater lure and it looked like a parting of the seas as the big bass swirled on the bait. This was not one of the 1-pounders that had been slapping at bait for the last half-hour. This was a bass.
In one move, it engulfed the bait and darted from the shore to the boat and around it before being corralled. It was the best bass of the afternoon at 5 pounds.
Topwater lures come in all shapes and sizes, and the strike alone makes them the most exciting tool in the tackle box.
“It is more exciting than any other thing in fishing. It is the only visual bite you get where you can actually enjoy seeing it. For a largemouth, they are even more explosive because they attack from below,” explained Lake Fork guide Ronnie Kelly.
But for many fishermen, topwater lures are the forgotten lure, maybe because they can be more seasonal or because some fishermen consider fishing them too slow. The truth is topwaters can work most of the year.
“I think dead of the winter and the dead heat of the summer is about the only time they are going to be out, but definitely in the spring and fall, from March through June and October and November you are going to get some bites,” Kelly said.
Kelly said the trick is to be the first one out with the bait. On Lake Palestine, he said that could be as early as late February when the water temperature gets into the upper 50s or low 60s when buzz baits are especially effective.
As for covering water, topwaters come in all shapes and sizes from buzz baits to chuggers, walking baits, weightless swim baits and flukes, and frogs.
“There are all types of excitement and bites. A lot of times where the excitement is something like a frog might be in the brush and you are not able to see it and then the battle begins,” Kelly added.
The alure to a topwater is that bass tend to feed up. Whether they see the topwater as food or an irritation, it is a natural reaction to swim up after it. Kelly believes the sound and action on the surface draws the fish to the bait. The question is from how far. With modern electronics he said he can see fish coming to the bait, and not just those running directly over them.
“The reality is we don’t know how far a fish is going to come for the bait. Think about a bass, though. If it brushes its tail, it can move five or six feet in no time at all,” Kelly said.
There is a lot of confusion about when and where to fish topwaters. Some say you cannot fish them after the sun gets up in the sky. Others believe they only work along the shoreline. Kelly believes if a fisherman confines themselves to either of those two, they are going to miss a chance at big fish. In reality, sunlight brings the baitfish up in the water column putting the topwater more in play.
Knowing which type to use is part trial and error, part situational and part confidence. Of course you cannot use a chugger or walking through thick vegetation, that would be where a frog comes in. Kelly said chugger-types work better when the fish are stationary.
When it comes to color, Kelly says there are two schools of thought. You either want to match what the fish are eating, such as reds or browns during the bluegill spawn, or light colors or silver during the shad spawn, or you chose color based on water clarity. The clearer the water, the lighter the bait up to clear.
Another question newcomers to topwaters often have is how fast or slow to fish the bait. With buzz baits and frogs, the answer is partly dictated by the speed to keep them on top of the water. There is a determining factor for the ultimate retrieve speed for any type of topwater.
“Speed is based 100 percent on water temperature. The colder the water, the slower you fish. The warmer the water, the faster you fish,” Kelly said.
Fishermen are going to experience two types of strikes with a topwater. One is the fish swimming up and swallowing it. At times, fish will also swim up and slap the bait with its tail or body in an effort to stun it. In the case of the latter, Kelly suggests to keep working it to get the fish to re-engage or throw in with a second bait like a fluke because the fish is in search of prey.
For information on fishing with Kelly or electronics tutorials, call him at 903-574-5796.
The Link LonkJune 27, 2021 at 04:00AM
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Looking Up: Topwater Baits Successful, Exciting Way To Bass Fish - Tyler Morning Telegraph
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