I'm extremely late to this conversation but can tell you that every bass I've caught in the canals has been on topwater in the evening. Rebel Pop-R, StrikePro Walking Stick, Heddon Spit'N Image and Z-Man Pop Frogs have produced well for me. Ironically the biggest bass I caught (15" I don't carry a scale) was on my ultralight Daiwa Presso/Sienna 500 using a 3/4" Matzuo Nano Crank that has just a single #16 treble (Owner hooks rock). I was fishing for bluegill but I guess there might be some truth to downsizing lures for bigger bass. I fish by 59th and T-Bird - no flow gates, just the bridge and the bass move out from under it in the evening.