Heddon Baby Torpedo

[buzzed bait]

What's the best way to fish this lure?  Constant retrieve or sporadic?  Slower or faster?  Or is it personal preference/fish preference?

[Dyerbassman]

I think you answered your own question. Do everything that you mentioned until the fish let you know. It can be frustrating, but once you dial it in, its go time. Good luck

[J Francho]

I buddy of mine swears by these.  He even has a specific rod, just for this bait, a big, heavy spinning rod.  He walks the little guy, like a spook - but really fast. It works:

 

[bigbill]

I use a rip, rip, rip then pause it. Each rip has to be exactly even on the distance. Or I call it 1, 2, 3 pause its the same thing. Make your presentation exactly even because the fish look for flaws in our presentations. I say go out and practice it and the bass will let you know when it's right.

This presentation will work with torpedoes, spooks, poppers, top props, etc. I mainly use the 1, 2, 3, pause presentation with all the topwater stuff it also walks the dog perfect too. Perfection of the presentation is the key to any success when bass fishing I don't care what lure your using.

Once you learn this next is a slow reel with a prop bait just fast enough so the prop causes a ruckus on top of the water. If slow doesn't work then speed it up. Try a simple reel n pause too.

There are many different presentations with the same lure we need to figure out which one works.

[WRB]

The torpedo is a class of top water lures called jump baits. The action that triggers strikes is making the lure jump like a baitfish trying to get away from a bass. The retrieve takes practice: similar to walking the dog with a more forward pull...side to side and jumping forward.

Tom

[J Francho]

The torpedo is a class of top water lures called jump baits. The action that triggers strikes is making the lure jump like a baitfish trying to get away from a bass. The retrieve takes practice: similar to walking the dog with a more forward pull...side to side and jumping forward.

Tom

 

That's a pretty good description of what my buddy does.

[buzzed bait]

Thanks for all the good info guys!  I picked up a couple of them for super cheap at WalMart so I'm ready to give them a try, just wanted to know how/where to start.

THANKS!

[MarkH024]

Tiny torpedos and regular size are great little baits. I have a handful of them.  I like the twitch twich pause method myself. Sometimes you really just have to deadstick it and the next movement will cause and explosion.

Slightly off topic: 

I've tried to figure this out before so I'm just going to ask here, what hooks does Heddon use on most of it's treble baits?  They're really terrible in my experience but I do love Heddon baits.  The hooks are super lightweight it seems but dull and very weak.  Some of the baits like the Spook say they have Mustad triple grips, but none I've ever bought do.  anyone? bueller?

[J Francho]

I don't know, but I swap them out for Owners before I even fish them.

[WRB]

VMC also makes some good replacement trebles, the replacement Rapala series trebles are light weight and good for Torpedo's. I believe Heddon uses a low end Mustad treble on their legacy lures...horrible hooks.

Tom

[JayKumar]

I like to move 'em, but sometimes fish want topwaters not moving.  Tough bite!

[smalljaw67]

I fish rivers for smallmouth and the tiny torpedo along with the baby and the big torpedo all have legendary status among river smallie guys. They are a cross between a jump bait and a prop bait, the difference is you can do some neat stuff with the torpedo. After you make the cast give the bait a rip forward but not by pulling the rod overhead but off to the side like a sweep, then the next rip you sweep the rod to the other side, this make for a slow change of direction, sweep, pick up the slack and then sweep again, that is what works best for me. I have seen guys walk the bigger ones but the small ones all get ripped the same way you would a Dying Flutter. The Dying Flutter is a must have prop bait, a finesse Devils horse basically, the difference is it is round instead of oval and the sound is more like that of the torpedo, if I'm getting small ones on the torpedo I switch to the Dying Flutter and it usually works at getting the bigger fish to hit it.

[buzzed bait]

all good info, thanks guys!

[BakerJosh]

These are my main lure. Honestly, the best thing to do is play around with it. Make it look like a wounded bait fish. I have found that almost any technique can work.

However, I highly recommend using the clear color. For whatever reason bass seem to really go crazy for it.