Topwater fishing

[bass stalker123]

What r ur most successful and least successful topwaters baits

 

[RedSkullz]

Dusk and dawn for me its:
1 Hula Popper white/red (biggest one)
2 Rapala Skitterpop (brown frog)
3 3/4 oz buzzbait black
4 Rapala J-11 orange bulging the surface

Nighttime
1 BIggest Hula Popper Black
2 3/4 oz buzzbait Black

Least successful
1 Rebel made this plastic frog with rotating prop style legs...never once caught anything on that.

 

[Meppsman]

Dusk and dawn for me its:
1 Hula Popper white/red (biggest one)
2 Rapala Skitterpop (brown frog)
3 3/4 oz buzzbait black
4 Rapala J-11 orange bulging the surface

Nighttime
1 BIggest Hula Popper Black
2 3/4 oz buzzbait Black

Those sound pretty good for choices!

 

[RedSkullz]

Those rapala skitterpops are extremely effective for bass....and pike love em too....cant use wire leaders with them but i dont think a 40lb flouro leader would hinder the action too much!
My buddy was using a Koppers live action frog last night....didnt get any on it(3 missed strikes), but it looks amazing and is very weedless. I can see that one moving to the top of the list. I just realized that i am missing one my top producing topwater baits on my list!!

5 4.5" tube bait rigged texas style in green/brown...yes a tube for topwater...lol Tubebaits rigged proper as we all know are pretty much the most weedless bait of all. What i do is throw it into the thickest pencil reeds/milfoil/pads and drag across the surface stopping occasionally as i get on top of a pad. I'll let it sink in the open water holes, so its not a topwater lure 100%, but the initial surface draggin has produced alot of fish for me, and produced many more by waking them up in the thickest mats and drawing them to the open water.

 

[PainInTheBass]

This year, I have had decent success using the Rage Tail Shad.

Historically, I have ahd good success using the BPS version of the LC Sammy.

I have caught on weedless frogs, jitterbugs, and poppers.

I had one amazing day where my brother caught 50+ pike on those Rebel buzz frogs. They do work. Perhaps, they are just not very consistent producers. But like anything, the conditions and location has to be right.

 

[reefrunner]

Most: Zara Spook, frog patterned

Least: Dollar store popper that constantly filled with water

 

[Float_On]

Chug Bug. In the evening, I find the minnow (black&white) pattern works best.
Light twitching produces a side to side "walk", bass go nuts in the evening. The chug bug has a better rattle than most poppers, in my opinion.
Also, nothing is going to escape the mustad trebels. (not a weed friendly topwater)

As for weedbeds, I go with berkley "sluggo" type minnow baits. Pausing at opening in weeds, you can spot fish grabbing them just under the surface, high-vis braid helps.

 

[threeparrots]

Heddon Pop'n Image has worked beyond amazingly for me.

Apparently a Cabella's brand, but their June bug has proven it's worth.

These two are dusk killers. Can't say much about the morning -- who gets up early to fish anyways?!!
I have also found that although these are not weedless, casting directly in front of or behind a weed bed doesn't make a heck of a lot of difference then casting on top. I have used weedless frogs before but found a higher hookup success rate with these two in particular.

I also use some fly poppers when I like to lighten the splash made by the ones above.

 

[RedSkullz]

threeparrots- That heddon looks sweet! Have to pick a couple of them up!
Float-on- Storm Chug Bug- yes another great top water producer for me!
Paininthebass- 50 on the rebel buzz frog...thats awesome! Ive been to a few bass lakes that i bet the buzzfrog would rock(darn near everything works for bass even muskie magnum baits), but i got rid of it a long time ago.
reefrunner- Zara Spook...now thats a style of topwater i have never really hammered with...got a few fish on walk-the-dog baits but nowhere near the numbers of fish using the poppers.

 

[Float_On]

I hear you Red...

A territorial bass will hit anything a lot of times.
I've had bass hit floats before.
When they're hungry and aggressive they aren't picky.

Timing and location are what matters. Take note of where gulls are feeding on baitfish during the day, and try there at night. Also fish weedbeds & reeds that are on the windward side of bays. Bait has likely been blowing in all day.

These areas will hold fish of all sizes, so you're likely going to be shaking off lots of little guys.

 

[NADO]

Hammered a nice LM on a weedless frog yesterday....a heart-stopping stike

 

[RedSkullz]

Nice nado!
We drilled a couple of dozen smaller largies today and a half dozen smaller pike....no muskie or walleye though.
I had 5 strikes topwater late morning and midday in thick slop/dime pads using the 4.5" tube surface but i went 0 for 5....sometimes they just dont grab 'em with enough of a vengeance.

 

[RedSkullz]

I hear you Red...

A territorial bass will hit anything a lot of times.
I've had bass hit floats before.
When they're hungry and aggressive they aren't picky.

Timing and location are what matters. Take note of where gulls are feeding on baitfish during the day, and try there at night. Also fish weedbeds & reeds that are on the windward side of bays. Bait has likely been blowing in all day.

These areas will hold fish of all sizes, so you're likely going to be shaking off lots of little guys.

Sometimes territory isnt even it...a few times (on one lake in particular) i have seen largies school up in groups of 10-15 (1lb average). Its something else when you get a hit right beside the boat, look over and there is a dozen bass literally fighting each other for the bait.

 

[threeparrots]

Sometimes territory isnt even it...a few times (on one lake in particular) i have seen largies school up in groups of 10-15 (1lb average). Its something else when you get a hit right beside the boat, look over and there is a dozen bass literally fighting each other for the bait.

I've seen smallies do this as well, often at dusk. You'll have one smallie up near the boat and you see 5-6 dart away from behind it.