Soft Plastics As Topwaters

[jib5jab]

Hi,

 

I know that you can use some soft plastics as topwaters, such as flukes for example. But I have heard of, and experimented, with using rage craws as a buzzbait, and was wondering if anyone fishes that way regularly. If so, what baits do you use?

 

Thanks

[BasshunterJGH]

I've used berkley havoc pit bosses as buzzbaits with success. And of course flukes and horny toads. I'm sure rage craws would work too.

[ABW]

X2 on the Pit Bosses. I've gotten some viscous strikes from bass on those. Also lizards too

[Catch and Grease]

Rage Craws and Zoom Speed Craws are amazing when used as a buzzbait type lure!

Its definitely one of my confidence techniques a lot of the year here...

[BassThumbAddict]

I also like the versatility of the pitboss. You have a makeshift topwater and a throwback bait on the line.

[jib5jab]

Rage Craws and Zoom Speed Craws are amazing when used as a buzzbait type lure!

Its definitely one of my confidence techniques a lot of the year here...

what setup do you throw them on

[Heron]

9" culprit fat max makes for good topwater snake.

[Bluebasser86]

Speed Craws, Rage Craws, Pit Boss, all great finesse "buzzbaits". 

[SirSnookalot]

I use flukes, Gambler big ez, few others and they work fine, only if I have to fish weedless.  If the water allows it I will always use hard lure as my first choice, the pause on the popper gets me the best results.

[Catch and Grease]

what setup do you throw them on

 

The Speed Craw I always throw on a Medium/fast spinning rod, The Rage Craw ill throw on a medium/fast bait caster or spinning rod.

 

Spinning has 10-20lb braid and the bait caster has 30lb braid.

 

I have thrown a weightless speed craw on my bait casters before but IMO its a lot easier on a spinning rod because its so light...

[5fishlimit]

Try the Rage Tail Shad!  It's an amazing plastic to fish as a topwater!

[hatrix]

Try the Rage Tail Shad! It's an amazing plastic to fish as a topwater!

I am pretty sure it is designed to be a topwater bait. I don't know how well it would do fished any other way. The rage smokin roosters also work well fish on top. Also senkos can be killer. You can twitch a senko and it will dart all over like a fluke.

[Heron]

I am pretty sure it is designed to be a topwater bait. I don't know how well it would do fished any other way. The rage smokin roosters also work well fish on top. Also senkos can be killer. You can twitch a senko and it will dart all over like a fluke.

(off-topic)Rage Shad on a swim jig is pretty cool.  I like to trim the body down to a grub-like shape to fit better on a jig.  Havent caught anything with it yet, but it looks great and thumps great.

[Heron]

Pretty well, nearly any soft plastic that has action, when fished weightless, can be used to to buss the surface. 

[doyle8218]

_{Z Man Palmetto BugZ with Fish Arrow J Buzz} 

[bass1980]

Anything that flaps is a good plastic top water lure. My buddies uses havoc pit boss and I use rage craws. Really works well rigging it weed less and burn it over weeds. I use Zoom horny toad hooks and the hookup ratio is so much better than a hollow body frog, not that it'll take over a hollow body frog. They have their time.

[Sam]

Toads are plastic and are topwater baits.

 

An unweighted Zoom trick worm fished on top can produce excellent results.

 

 

[Senko lover]

I've experimented with craws as a buzzbait. Never caught anything on them, but I'm sure I could if I tried hard enough.

Honestly, though, I'd rather just use a buzzbait or a soft plastic frog. They're designed for the technique.

[A-Jay]

Rage Tail Eeliminator ~

 

A-Jay

[Catt]

One deadly technique I use in shallow matted grass is speed reeling weighted worms on top.

Another excellent plastic "buzz bait" is Rage Tail''s Lobster!

[CarolinaBoy4Life]

Another member on here pointed me to using the rage craw as a topwater and it works like a charm! Burn that bad boy across the top of the water and hold on

[primetime]

one of by best days this year was on a shallow weedy lake known for being tough for establsihing a pattern in the summer since the entire lake looks bassy and most of the lake is 2-5' of hydrilla, Kissimmee grass, and Milfoil but we were catching nothing in the afternoon (Wasn't a tournament) just a weekday when I started to chuck a 7" senko as far as I could and fish it like a fluke only much more aggressive before killing it every 20 feet, and if nothing happened, I would then make the bait skip, reel is super fast, and then give it a hard walking action to the left and right and kill one last time....75% of the probably 12-15 fish caught in under 2 hours were choking a 7" Worm while it was ripping full speed like a spook on the surface, only much faster....I had used this technique of "Walking a Senko" after watching the Ima Skimmer work so well, and figured it was the slimmer profile but for some reason the 5" worm just has never had the same effect. Not sure if it fires up the school or what, but when it works, it works, and when it doesn't, you look like a complete idiot so if you are in the back of the boat for the first time, make sure you either know the person you are with, or have proven yourself, or alert him to the loud splashdowns which are going to start occuring as I believe that is the reason this works at times....

 

So yes, Senko and Sluggo's are my 2 favorite baits to fish on top, I rarely throw toads and if I do I like a Zoom Horny Toad or Rage Toad with feet inward, but I usually throw a Rodent or any beaver style bait like a frog and drop it on holes where it looks like a fish has busted the surface and many times they strike the rodent while it cruises like a frog, or on the fall....I do better that way than I do with a toad many times....Yum had a good idea with the Weedless Zara spook, I forget the name, but hooksets were brutal and it was too thick, but I would like to see a company make a longer skinnier version that is heavy and lacks salt for the purpose of walking a worm over weeds....The Old school weed demon is good at this.

[Weld's Largemouth]

baby brush hogs, craws, curly tail worms; anything that will create at least a subtle buzz effect on the surface.

I once was buzzing a senko across the surface and a 4lb bass slammed it like it was his last meal.

[Big Swimbait]

Rage Tail Eeliminator ~

 

A-Jay

My favorite too, but I'm out. I heard somewhere they might bring it back - hope so!

[annexation]

My senko fell off my hook one day (I know, right! It happens now and then) and all I had left in my pack were some Pit Bosses. Not wanting to re-rig with a weight, I pushed it on the hook and threw it out into the water. Started killing them right at the top. It has a subtle action at the surface, but it's there. Nifty topwater when you need something a little less noisy.