BPS TOPNOCKER (discontinued but still awesome)

[bigbill]

The BPS topnocker was discontinued but no one told the bass yet. I'm fishing very heavy pressured places. I ride around seeing my favorite spots busy like a mickey d's drive thru. When someone leaves the spot another arrives to fish it again. I'm fishing very used water but it depends on what time i get there too.

Today on my second cast i nailed another 2lb smallie and by my 5th cast the second smallie was caught. I used the BPS Topnocker in color #25 for about an hour today. I feel very fortunate to be catching bass since there are so many fisherman fishing the same spots. For me to catch fish when i see no one catching anything i give the credit to the lure. I vary my presentations during each cast too. I walk the dog by making 3 twitches, then pause, then hold my rod tip down and reel it making it dive for a few quick turns of the crank, then pause, then i pop it on top so quick it stays in the samespot going up and down in the water, then i make 3 quick twitches and repeat. By varying my presentation during one cast it seems to be more successful. I mush be driving them crazy because my line all of a sudden goes tight when i have a fish on to my surprise.

I was fishing across the deeper part of two points.  We talked about fishing the points before.

I only got two fish today but i had fun and its getting better. I'm fishing the place were the big pike is but no sign of it today it was just bass. I switched rods today too. I was using the 8lb test instead of the 17lb test on my topwater rod setup. I'm wondering if the size of the line has something to do with the success i'm starting to have? Does line diameter make a difference? I'm using excaliber silver thread line. Can the fish see the larger line in the water over the smaller diameter line? Does it spook them? I think ever since i went to heavier line my success has dropped off a little.

I now wished i purchased 10 BPS topnockers now. Its the hottest topwater lure i have ever used and its discontinued.  Its just silly that they would discontinue it.

My old puter is running on borrowed time now and my new warp speed puter is do any day now so i can post pics soon. I'm running without some functions right now. So sorry for no pics but i'll catch up soon.

[SJB1226]

theres no doubt that heavier line is easier for them to see and with so many lures in front of them they may very well be very line shy.. smaller line harder to see could be the reason for more strikes for sure.. I know some deeper clear phosphate pits here in FL that have some very big bass in them and I have caught a lot of 7+ pounders out of them and a few 9's.... but if you arent fishing a light lb test FC you wont catch fish.. maybe a dink every now and then but not many fish and no good ones... my go to setups are my Pixy's, Pixillas and PX68's that are on lighter rods most M/XF rods and one ML/XF with Sunline Shooter and Seaguar Tatsu FC in 6-10# with small jigs/craw trailers, drop shots ect ect

Point of this post is that YES line size can be a HUGE factor in the lakes im talking about if you arent fishing a high quality FC that is REALLY very close invisible under water in a light test you just wont catch fish... I out fished my dad one day 15 or better to one with him using braid with a 10 foot or so Mono leader... when he changed to a FC leader he started hooking up but I still out fished him 6-7 to one even with a FC leader because the braid thats 10-12 feet in front of the FC was still spooking them. it wasnt he was being back boated because he was in his Ranger and I was in my Z-9 fishing the same point with the same lures...only difference was line.

Sorry for Typos Im Typing and Driving.

[deaknh03]

I just received the new BPS catalog and the topknockers are still in there for sale.

[bigbill]

I just received the new BPS catalog and the topknockers are still in there for sale.

I don't see them on there website anymore so i emailed them and they told me the manufacturer discontinued them.  If they did bring them back i'll buy a few more.  I gave all my extras to family members who also are having awesome success with them.  I use them like i use the spooks too.  Today i casted over a small patch of weeds and brought the topnocker up to it and stopped then another 2-3lb bass just attacked it.  My line just went slack and i seen the line going so i set it.  There's something about the loud knock plus the firetiger green like color. Its the best topwater bait i have ever used so far with the mister twister top prop a close second with spooks third.  With my health bad now i get to fish for an hour at least so i have to make good time of it.  I try to run all my hottest lures in Ct as quick as i can on my mistake days(pain).  I love bass fishing its the best..... ;D

[BlaineFred]

Threw a Knocker one in the Potomac in the Mattawoman area in a tournament on Saturday. 

Partner was catching a lof of bass on a popper, but I didn't get any hits on the Knocker. 

[bilgerat]

You'll find another bait that kills 'em and it will make you forget all about it. I rember thinking the same thing about senko style worms years ago and now I don't even use them anymore.

[bigbill]

Each place i fish is a tad different with the presentations. I think its because of the layout of the points and the way the water flows in certain spots. My normal presentation is the 3 twitches and pause like using a spook. this is hands down the best success. But at other places if nothing happens i go into a make it dive under, swim it under then pause let it pop up and pop it just a little so it almost stays in one spot and pops. I have a whole set of topnocker colors but the two that are most successful are the two in chartruese, one is chartruese and the other is a firetiger its actually a chartruese with black lines. Most of my places i fish are slightly stained to stained water most of the time.

I run thru my hottest baits but the topnocker will call the fish in with the noise. Plus i can cast it out farther than any other lure. This way i can spread the scent too. I'm right were the river feeds into the lake so my scent is going straight into the lake. As the fishing gets better if it does i can say its the scent attracting them. A few days in a row i'm catching bass were there was nothing before. I'm there everyday at 9am to 9:30 the place is open at 8am(gated). I went back this afternoon and missed two strikes. I'm using the point to my advantage too by fan casting it. Remember i'm a shorefisherman. My most success in the past on each fishing trip was 6 to 8 bass per outing most of the time. Unless i hit the frenzy that occurs with the weather front and the moon phases hit at the sametime causing a fish after fish frenzy. But well see if i flood the place with scent if the fishing gets even better this week.

I tried the joesflie in the 1/4oz bass size and a bomber redapple craw crank with nothing happening. These always work awesome too. Tomorrow i'll throw the rapala in blue/white i call it the "Blue Max" its been a killer too.

Fishing each new place is another nut to crack once we figure out the bottom structure and what lure to use. I need to breakout my hummingbird portable fish finder watch too. This will tell me the exact bottomstructure and where the deeper parts/dropoff's are then i can adjust my fishing to it.

Fishing from shore is only backwards from a boat right? My point is you can shore fish and still have good results.

Monday 1 bass(9am), tuesday 2 bass(9am), this morning 1 bass(9:30am) this afternoon missed two bass. I got to get out there at 8am.