Top Water Fishing

[npl_texas]

I've never caught a fish on top water.  

 

Do you just throw top water under the right conditions (early morning, cloudy day, late evening) or do you look for actual top water activity?  I fish a lot of early mornings but don't see much top water action so I have no confidence to through a top water bait.  

 

EDIT:  Trying to be more concise.  Do you throw top water at the right times no matter what, despite no actual activity on the top of the water?

[npl_texas]

I've never caught a fish on top water.  

 

Do you just throw top water under the right conditions (early morning, cloudy day, late evening) or do you look for actual top water activity?  I fish a lot of early mornings but don't see much top water action so I have no confidence to through a top water bait.  

[visagelaid]

I would get a white buzz bait and throw that bad boy until you caught a fish.  I would throw it early in the morning, and I would continue to throw it until i hooked up.  Some may find this hard to believe.  But I've never caught a fish on a jig...So i really cant say anything.

[fishballer06]

When the water gets really warm and the sun gets high and hot, topwater isn't the best thing to throw mid day. Early morning and dusk are the best times to throw it. However, when the water is in the upper 50's and 60's, it can be effective all day long. 

[Scarborough817]

Normally i fish a spook or buzzbait early in the morning or sometimes a buzzbait throughout the day in shady areas, you can throw a frog all day on mats and pads. i dont worry about seeing topwater activity i just throw it out and they will normally eat it if they're feeding

[scaleface]

56 minutes ago, npl_texas said:

 

 

Do you just throw top water under the right conditions (early morning, cloudy day, late evening) or do you look for actual top water activity?   

 

 

both

[RoLo]

 

Without a doubt, "time-of-day" is very important but topwater fishing throws lots of curve balls.

The best topwater bite of my life occurred during mid-day with partly sunny skies.

 

At least as important as the time-of-day is the "time-of-year".

My personal favorite topwater season is the 'post-spawn' followed closely by 'early fall' (post-summer)

followed by the entire summer season. It goes without saying, whenever you hear the unmistakable sound

of a surface-feeding bass, quickly grab your topwater outfit, it'll be the easiest bass in the lake to catch 

 

Roger

 

[DubyaDee]

Time of year for sure. If you need to gain confidence in top water grab a little popper or spoor jr and throw it all day long.

[Bankbeater]

I use fish topwaters only in the early morning or just before dark.  Now I fish them throughout the day if the conditions are right for it.  Some of the small lakes I fish get really choked with vegetation so I will be working a pop-r or a frog all day.

[soflabasser]

2 hours ago, npl_texas said:

I've never caught a fish on top water.  

 

Do you just throw top water under the right conditions (early morning, cloudy day, late evening) or do you look for actual top water activity?  I fish a lot of early mornings but don't see much top water action so I have no confidence to through a top water bait.  

 

EDIT:  Trying to be more concise.  Do you throw top water at the right times no matter what, despite no actual activity on the top of the water?

 

Topwater fishing is by far my favorite form of bass fishing and I tend to do best with this technique when fishing low light conditions such as sunrise, overcast/cloudy days, sunset, and at night. Some lures I use are Rebel Pop-R's, Zara Spooks, Live Target Hollow Body Frogs, and various other topwaters. Good places to fish these are near man made structures, shallow areas near deep water, over heavy aquatic vegetation( hollow belly lures), and in areas where baitfish are being attacked near the surface by bass.

[FCPhil]

Buy a medium-small frog and a whopper plopper (a bit pricy but it will be worth it, I have the ghost shad 90 size). Throw the whopper plopper where there is nothing to get snagged on and cover lots of water. Throw the frog in and around grass, reeds, wood, etc. Put some time into it and pretty soon you'll be hooked on topwater fishing. You'll probably be shocked how often you can catch fish on topwater lures. 

 

I fish pressured water in Colorado where breaking 2lbs is rare. I used to think topwater was a waste of time here so I never tried it. Now it's my favorite type of fishing and I catch fish all times of day both sunny and cloudy. 

[iiTzChunky]

2 hours ago, visagelaid said:

I would get a white buzz bait and throw that bad boy until you caught a fish.  I would throw it early in the morning, and I would continue to throw it until i hooked up.  Some may find this hard to believe.  But I've never caught a fish on a jig...So i really cant say anything.

I was the same way till today, got my first bass on a jig.threw it right by some Lilly pads. Bass hit it as soon as it hit the water. I couldn't believe it. 

 

But I 2nd the throwing top waters early morning and late evening. I like booyah pad crashers the best. Soft body toads are really good as well when the bass wanna chase. Just a little walking and they crash. Be sure to wait 2 seconds before you set the hook, let the bass get the bait all the way in his mouth first. 

[soflabasser]

Topwater fishing is by far my favorite form of bass fishing and I tend to do best with this technique when fishing low light conditions such as sunrise, overcast/cloudy days, sunset, and at night. Some lures I use are Rebel Pop-R's, Zara Spooks, Live Target Hollow Body Frogs, and various other topwaters. Good places to fish these are near man made structures, shallow areas near deep water, over heavy aquatic vegetation( hollow belly lures), and in areas where baitfish are being attacked near the surface by bass.

[iiTzChunky]

9 minutes ago, FCPhil said:

Buy a medium-small frog and a whopper plopper (a bit pricy but it will be worth it, I have the ghost shad 90 size). Throw the whopper plopper where there is nothing to get snagged on and cover lots of water. Throw the frog in and around grass, reeds, wood, etc. Put some time into it and pretty soon you'll be hooked on topwater fishing. You'll probably be shocked how often you can catch fish on topwater lures. 

 

I fish pressured water in Colorado where breaking 2lbs is rare. I used to think topwater was a waste of time here so I never tried it. Now it's my favorite type of fishing and I catch fish all times of day both sunny and cloudy. 

I fish a little pond all the time by my house, mostly use worms because you always catch somthing with em. After about 2 weeks it started to seem like all the fish where small, then I threw some top waters and started pulling out bigger fish. It's like the big fish where only interested in top waters. 

[Jar11591]

I throw top waters regardless of if I see any surface activity, as long as the conditions are right. Usually the first I throw in the morning and I'll keep throwing it until the sun is all

the way up or when the bite stops. Overcast days can have a good top water bite all day long. Evenings I throw top waters as well. Don't let the fact that you don't see any surface commotion stop you from throwing a top water. Some

of my most successful top water bites have come on mornings or evenings when there was zero surface activity. 

[jr231]

I caught my PB on a rapala skitter pop. The oversized one in a brown frog pattern... This was in June , mid day when it's "too hot to fish" ... Heaven forbid you throw a topwater in these conditions. 

[RoLo]

2 hours ago, soflabasser said:

Topwater fishing is by far my favorite form of bass fishing and I tend to do best with this technique when fishing low light conditions such as sunrise, overcast/cloudy days, sunset, and at night. Some lures I use are Rebel Pop-R's, Zara Spooks, Live Target Hollow Body Frogs, and various other topwaters. Good places to fish these are near man made structures, shallow areas near deep water, over heavy aquatic vegetation( hollow belly lures), and in areas where baitfish are being attacked near the surface by bass.

 

"Ditto"

 

If I may, allow me to add a rarely considered surface lure,

an unweighted or lightly weighted "Soft Swimbait" (e.g. Gambler Big EZ).

When a bass wallops a paddle-tail minnow on top, the water surface resembles shattered plate-glass

 

Roger

[JustinCT]

I'll use top water under most conditions. Real early or late in the season I'll avoid it but from about May 1 through the first week of October it's a go to for me. My favorite way to fish by far. Zara Spook is my go to.

[WRB]

4 hours ago, npl_texas said:

I've never caught a fish on top water.  

 

Do you just throw top water under the right conditions (early morning, cloudy day, late evening) or do you look for actual top water activity?  I fish a lot of early mornings but don't see much top water action so I have no confidence to through a top water bait.  

You asked this question in both General and Tackle forums.

The conditions you mentioned are the prime times and you are somehow missing the signs of surface feeding bass. What to look for; obvious is a load splash, jumping baitfish, not so obvious are swirls and aquatic vegetation movement. If the water is clear enough you can see bass near or a few feet below the surface.

Bass have their eyes located near the top of their head and see upward better than downward therefore are physically built to attack things over head and forward. If bass are in 10' of water or less top water is a good choice. Threadfin Shad spawn about 1month after bass so any top water that replicates Shad works good. Terrestrial critters works all summer, birds nesting over the water are primary bass prey.

Tom

[gim]

Low light conditions work best for me too.  However, froggin' in the slop even during the middle of the day when the hot sun is out has also worked.  Its probably the most exciting way to fish, but the fish have to be in the right mood for it to work (aggressive).

[eyedabassman]

Whopper plopper, spittin image,Jitter bug, Spook, game over!

[Yakalong]

I always have top water tied on. I will throw it a lot of times later in the morning (around 9-10). Anytime i see fish chasing shad on the surface that pole is in my hand. Top water is the best bass fishing there is 

[2tall79]

There was a video going around last year showing a bass breaking thru ice to get at a topwater bait.  I'll throw one year 'round when wind and water conditions are right.

https://www.facebook.com/bassdork/videos/1850286431927584/

[superB]

I don't care if bass are busting on top around me or not. I like to start my day with a buzzbait, and i don't put it down until they quit biting it. 

[hawgenvy]

Top water bass fishing doubles the excitement. To see a big bass ferociously explode on a frog before you even feel anything, and then to reel down on and set your hook into that monster makes each catch a double header. Follow the excellent tips above and keep trying until you're hooked!