64 Degree surface water temp for towpaters?

[the reel ess]

Is this warm enough for a topwater or a mouse? I have several topwaters burning a hole in my tackle back.

A Live Target Field Mouse, several frogs, a Hula Popper and a Jitterbug. Not to mention a Chug'n Spook, Devil's Horse, Pop R and several others that produced last year.

[WRB]

Bluegill wake bait is a good lure to locate big bass near spawning areas.

Tom

[everythingthatswims]

I will use small spooks and poppers during prespawn/spawn. Typically they aren't committing well enough to throw a frog (and I'm sure someone out there crushes pre spawn fish on a frog, this is just my personal experience) so I stick to stuff with trebles. If you find a colony of bedding crappies, topwater can be very fun haha.

[papajoe222]

I'll experiment with topwaters when water temps stay above 50 and keep a dedicated  setup on the deck after it hits 60. Pausing a bait with a feathered treble over a bed during the spawn can sometimes produce when other presentations don't get a second look. 

[Kevin22]

Absolutely. I remember an elite event probably 5 years ago now where Rojas caught fish on a frog in 36 deg water. Any time fish are up near the surface a topwater can and will get bit. 

[Jar11591]

I've caught quite a few fish in water temperatures of 54°- 58° on poppers. Usually on warm days in very shallow water.

[gulfcaptain]

Anytime the water is over 59 you can possibly get fish on topwater in the spring, fall sometimes as low as 55 at least from my experience. And well then there are times when the fish are up and schooling and it doesn't matter how cold the water is if they are feeding on top.  Watched an event I believe on Bull Shoals where one of the guys had 25lbs on a spook in 30ft of water with 50 degree water or something like that.  Everyone was dragging baits slow and he had a full on topwater bite on schooling 4lb fish.

[strikefc34]

As long as the lake isn't frozen you really cant rule them out !! As soon as you hear frogs, you can bet fish are eating them.

[the reel ess]

Well, they weren't doing that. Tried the frog, Spook Jr and tossed the mouse-mostly for fun. But I always love to give it a try. I managed one 3.41 lb. off a bed with a craw and one dink on Trick Worm, but none on topwater. They were not active, to say the least. Most had moved back off the bed before a front.

 

[smalljaw67]

That is the spawning temp in my area and when the water hits that mark, spinnerbaits and shallow cranks produce but the only two topwaters are a wake bait and a prop bait. A popper would be a good option too but something about prop baits when the fish are moving in to start bedding, I think the sound of the blades and the small commotion resemble a pod of small minnows taking off and it just drives them nuts. I've had fish swirl and not commit on the top around that water temp and then I'd throw a wake bait and it would get smoked!!! It would be almost like they hit it to kill it rather than eat it as this time so you do get violent hits but you tend to either miss, lose, or hook on the outside of the mouth more than normal during this period.

[Megastink]

Got a few bass on a frog in 50* water, was catching them on a prop this weekend with 55* water. 50 is my benchmark.