Choosing Which Top Water Bait?

[Smalliebiggs]

When throwing top water, how do determine which style to throw (popper vs walking vs prop bait vs buzz bait etc etc)? Thanks in advance.

[fishguy613]

I almost always go with a walking bait ie Rovers, Sammys, Gunfish, Bonnies, Duo Pencil

They drive the bass wild

[tcbass]

I almost always start out with a spook type bait and then if tjsts not working a buzzbait. Recently buzzbaits have been a lot more productive.

I'll also start with a buzzbait if there is a lot of weeds.

[Bluebasser86]

Poppers are for fishing targets like stickups or stumps.

Walking baits are good for covering water and when fish are really chasing shad and baitfish and clear water.

Buzzbaits I like in dirtier water and around heavier cover.

Prop baits are good target fishing baits as well and seem to excel when bass are feeding on bluegills. 

[SirSnookalot]

I don't care for spooks, I fish poppers and don't feel the brand makes any difference.  I primarily fish them in ponds, as of late I've been doing very well with them and most of the 20"+ fish have been caught in deeper water, not shoreline.  I use either a storm chug 3/8 oz or Rebel style 1/4 oz, the pause after the twitch rules.

[fishballer06]

Weather determines it for me most of the time. A light chop on the water is perfect for buzzbaits. If it's windy, and the wind is pushing the boat along (drift fishing), I like something that comes in quicker, like a buzzbait or a spook. If it's calm, a popper, torpedo, or spook work well. Most importantly, it's what the fish want. Try different things until you find out what they want. If you're throwing a buzzbait and they're barely bumping at it, maybe try something slower, like a popper or torpedo. 

[buzzed bait]

Poppers are for fishing targets like stickups or stumps.

Walking baits are good for covering water and when fish are really chasing shad and baitfish and clear water.

Buzzbaits I like in dirtier water and around heavier cover.

Prop baits are good target fishing baits as well and seem to excel when bass are feeding on bluegills. 

 

great answer right here....

[WIGuide]

Poppers are for fishing targets like stickups or stumps.

Walking baits are good for covering water and when fish are really chasing shad and baitfish and clear water.

Buzzbaits I like in dirtier water and around heavier cover.

Prop baits are good target fishing baits as well and seem to excel when bass are feeding on bluegills. 

best answer

[Texas Pride]

My favriot lure is a yellow magic popper i caught so many fish on one when i tryed all other types of top waters even other types of poprs and could not even get a reaction now i always have a yellow magic on there and catch them left and right my favriot colors are japanese shad, alewife, and smoke shad and i like the 1/2oz size best there competly worth the more exspenive price they cost but i hope they come down on price because i would like to buy alot more

[Texas Pride]

And i use yellow magic poppers in every condion, water type, and cover type and still catch them i higly recomend yellow magic

[iceintheveins]

I like poppers when I don't have to cover a large area of water or when bass are first hitting topwater for the year. Buzzbaits are best for me in lower light conditions or covering lots of water, especially around emergent vegetation. I like a spook when I need to cover water and they aren't aggressive enough for a buzzbait, or when they are chasing baitfish or the buzzbait has already come up empty. A prop bait I generally use only when there is quite a bit of chop in the water.

[dday07]

Buzzbaits- 4 ft. or less

walking baits- 5ft. and higher

popper any-depth i need to slow it down

frogs-any depth can't work any of the above

[greentrout]

Put me on the water with these: Devil's Horse, Chug Bug and Spook and I'm extremely confident I will catch bass.

 

Old school basser...

[Fish_Whisperer]

I started using the kvd sexy dawg jr earlier this year... had some success with it which increased greatly when I found the full size version in my local tackle shop.  It works for me throughout the day; my popper seems to work early morning only.  Zero luck on buzzbait.  

[iabass8]

Poppers are for fishing targets like stickups or stumps.

Walking baits are good for covering water and when fish are really chasing shad and baitfish and clear water.

Buzzbaits I like in dirtier water and around heavier cover.

Prop baits are good target fishing baits as well and seem to excel when bass are feeding on bluegills. 

I agree. 

 

I do like to throw a buzzbait over a spook initially though

[jdl2425]

Poppers tend to work best for the waters I fish ( typical water depths are usually 5 ft or less). The xcalibur zell pop, for $10, is worth every penny. I have yet to catch a fish on a spook and buzzbait.

[flyfisher]

i fish all the ones mentioned and will add if it is night time nothing produces better for me than a black jitterbug...

[BassThumbAddict]

It was very overcast today so I went out and immediatly started throwing a Buzzbait. They just did not want it. Threw on a kvd sexy dawg jr and caught a nice one. Just figure out what they want. I usually start with walking baits cause they cover a lot of water.