Topwater Help

[WI_Angler1989]

How do you guys decide what topwater lure to use? What conditions, water temp, season, etc make you pick between poppers, spooks, buzzbaits and prop baits. Those are my main choices.

 

[Fishinthefish]

In your neck of the woods the main thing for color is sun position and water clarity. Clear sunny skies, clear water I'll go lighter, over cast or dark skies I go dark. As far as when to throw it, I wait until the bass are shallow and active. Usually summer time when they're up tight near vegetation but still actively feeding. As far as what to use and when, I just throw what I like. I've found no way to fully define what top waters the bass want based on conditions, sometimes they want a slpw jitterbug, sometimes they want a popper raced, popped, and paused. Sometimes swimming a biospawn vile craw across the top does more than enough just like that.

[Bluebasser86]

2 hours ago, WI_Angler1989 said:

How do you guys decide what topwater lure to use? What conditions, water temp, season, etc make you pick between poppers, spooks, buzzbaits and prop baits. Those are my main choices.

 

Buzzbait-stained to dirty water, usually with at least a little ripple, but not big waves. My main option when covering water and I also prefer it when targeting largemouths.

Spooks-clear to stained water, flat calm to rolling waves. My preferred option when targeting smallmouth and spots.

Poppers-clear to dirty water, calm to moderate waves. This is a target bait for me. I like to use them when fishing specific targets like stumps, laydowns, emergent weed edges, and docks.

Prop baits-clear to dirty water, some ripple to moderate waves. I usually opt for a propbait when I feel like the fish are feeding heavily on bluegills. Also a target bait like a popper, but seems to attract larger fish.

Buzzbaits work in the coldest water in my experience, but they all seem to be most effective in water above 55 degrees. Seasons doesn't matter to me. 

[smalljaw67]

I like buzzbaits in stained water but if the fish are scattered then I use it even in clear water.  Spooks and other walking baits for me are used when the water is calm to a slight ripple, they don't make enough commotion to stand out in chop. Popper, like Bluebasser said, are for targets and when you want to make noise without moving the bait too far. Both can be used in clear to stained water. Prop baits are kind of the "all-purpose" topwater, I use them in clear to stained water but I've had success when the water is choppy as well as when it is dead calm but I found the best time to use it is when there are bass chasing minnow forage. If conditions are right for a topwater and I notice minnow flickering right before or after a bass blows up, I'm pulling out the prop bait.

[WI_Angler1989]

Thanks a lot guys, I appreciate it! 

[Scarborough817]

normally start with a moving bait like a buzzbait especially when overcast then slow it down and go to a spook or a popper depending on how active i think they are 

[Ads7633]

In my experience you would be wise to only throw topwater baits when the sun is not on the water. Likewise I almost always start my day with topwater baits because often times(not always, but a general rule of thumb) the topwater bite quits about the time the sun gets above the tree line. It usually will pick up again in the later evening. However, some other things that can help the topwater bite are overcast days and wind(the ripples on the surface distort the sunlight under the water). So with these factors in mind a lot of times you can pick which topwater bait you prefer. Like said previously, Buzzbaits are a strong option most of the year, but all of them work and it is more about you building confidence with one or two of them. I would suggest picking two, one that you will use to cover water quickly when the bite is hot(Buzzbaits, buzzfrogs, propbaits, wakebaits, etc.) and one that you will master when the fish aren't as aggressive(popper, spook, topwater frog, etc.)

[scaleface]

I dont have exact answers I just fumble through it .. Usually the first top water I throw in the year  is a floating minnow  [ Long A Minnow]. It will be my main top water until after the post spawn . My best day ever was with a Long A Minnow on post spawn fish .After that buzzbaits take over . Buzzbaits are usually thrown in warmer water , overcast skies , early and late in the day , nightime and add a little chop on the water . Buzzbaits work better for me in the colder fall temps than in the colder spring temps . I like chuggers on   hot summer sunny days .thrown around standing timber when bass are seen occasionally hitting shad . I dont fish this way much anymore because I cant tolerate the heat but its a 50 to 100 fish technique when its working . I rarely use walking baits because I miss too many fish with them .  One of my favorite baits that I dont have anymore is the Dalton Special . I like it  spring , summer , fall .  Thers a whole bunch of lures I dont fish much because there isnt enough  time to fish them all . I just follow my instincts .

 

 

 

[Team9nine]

Don't overthink it. For me, it simply comes down to speed control. If they want to chase something fast, then I throw a buzzbait. If they want something sitting dead still, then it's more likely a stick bait. For anything in between you have the poppers and prop baits. There is power in a simple approach 

-T9

[papajoe222]

My choice of bait style begins with the water's surface. If it's calm, I go with something that doesn't make much commotion. The more surface turbulence, the more I want the lure to disturb it.  The only bait I'll throw under any condition is a buzzbait, but if it's really choppy, I'll go with a double blade.

[WI_Angler1989]

What about water temp? I'm in Central WI so it isn't quite like southern warm waters. What's the earliest you throw a topwater? 

[Heron]

Im still sorting this out myself, but so far I lean towards these basic guidelines.

> I throw topwater in the evening/night, or overcast daytime.

> The more choppy the water = The more commotion I want to make.

> The darker the skies get = The more commotion I want to make

> Less commotion = twitching, popping, dog walking

> More commotion = Constant buzzing. 

More or less.  This has worked out decent so far

[Jar11591]

1 hour ago, WI_Angler1989 said:

What about water temp? I'm in Central WI so it isn't quite like southern warm waters. What's the earliest you throw a topwater? 

 

Topwater can be really effective for pre-spawn fish when water is in the mid-50s. I've caught quite a few fish in less than a foot of water during pre-spawn with poppers. 

[ClackerBuzz]

I put them into 2 categories:  floating vs non-floating.

and another 2 categories: treble hooks vs weedless.

when the bite is good you don't need to pause so non-floating can be burned like a buzzbait.

if the bite isn't strong you need to be able to pause for a few seconds like with a spook, popper etc.

but treble hooks are no bueno if there are weeds/algae on the surface so you need a frog/toad

[greentrout]

Have with you a buzzbait of all sizes, chug bug, devils horse, tiny and baby torpedo, favorite frog and walking bait like zara spook and puppy. No set rules. Experiment and follow your own course.

Old rules still apply best in the very early morning and dusk and in the middle of night on a hot summer night.

Good fishing.