What can I do to increase my chances of catching something on topwater in the morning?

[Boomstick]

1 hour ago, CybrSlydr said:

lol  I've tried numerous lakes - as you can see, my last 10+ trips and I've had 2 catches.  And they were both dinks.  I don't think it's the lakes as much as it idiot holding the rod.

 

I've been in a rut with everything lately too. But in my defense, nobody else at the same time was getting anything either. Hope to break the bad streak next week (if I don't get out sooner), when I'm camping alongside a lake and I can rent a rowboat and target smallmouth bass.

[MichaelCopeland]

7 hours ago, A-Jay said:

Me too.

A-Jay

 

 

Me three! Lol! ?

[WRB]

OK, back looking at this thread. 

Wolf Run lake, OH has 2 trout species, Rainbow and Golden, LMB, channel cats, bluegill and crappie. My guess is the OP was seeing trout feeding on insects or small baitfish. Based on that and the fact you have spinning tackle you might want to try using  1/4 to 3/8 oz gold Kastmaster spoon early in the morning as both bass and trout will strike it.

Bass near dams tend to stay around prominate structure features like the spillway, any solid concrete pillars, or anything that creates some shade. Transition areas where the dam meets the soil and any close bye points. All those features tend to give baitfish a place to hide. The rocks are good for crankbaits but difficult to present effectively from shore.

I would also try a smaller surface lure like a Splash-It in Shad colors, fish it fast so it splits lots of water. Lipless crankbait like a Yo-Zuri 3D prizim Shad can be effectively fished around the dam and is a very good falling lure on pauses.

Your best bet using spinning tackle is a slip shot rig and use 6 to 8 lb mono leader, 1/8 oz cyclinder weight, size 1/0 #5133 Owner down shot hook with MMIII 6" curl tail Roboworms. Fish the Slip shot rig around any points you can get to after the sun is up and the top water bite is gone.

Good luck, catch some bass!

Tom

 

[CybrSlydr]

That surprises me about the trout - I know they stock them but I hadn't imagined that they'd have survived this long since water temps are probably above 70.  They were stocked back on March 23rd, so I assumed they were all dead or caught.  I do have two colors of Powerbait and some small hooks, maybe I'll try that sometime.  Need to get a bobber though...

 

I threw just about every lure I tried near the spillway control tower - even got the Lunkerhunt 1oz swimbait stuck ON the tower since I can apparently cast it farther than I thought I could.  Tried a couple senkos there as well as the keitechs on war eagle underspins.

 

I'll check out the Yo-Zuri and others, see what might work here.  Appreciate your input!

 

EDIT:  Is Wolf Run Lake deep enough for the temp differential to be high enough for trout to survive year-round?  I think it's max depth is 50ish ft.  

[WRB]

Trout nearly always stay in the coolest deeper water near dams all summer. The surface water temps are about 10 to 20 warmer the the water below the thermocline. If there is a aerator system it's near the dam, another reason trout tend to locate there.

The spoon will catch all species of fish, so don't over look it.

Tom

PS, it's impossible to predict the thermocline or it's depth if the lake has a aeration system. SWAG; thermocline could be about 20'-25? Most lake management would not plant trout if the ecosystem can't sustain it. We have a few private quarry lakes that plant big trout and those lakes are dry during the summer, the hold over trout are moved to another lake.

[claya]

3 hours ago, CybrSlydr said:

Clarity is quite good - I would say 4ft+.

Then I agree with the previous poster about speed. Maybe they're getting too good of a look at it and you need to speed up the retrieve or use a faster style bait.

[BigAngus752]

Your pic looks like that water is smooth as glass.  One of our regular lakes is great for bass but it tends to be as perfectly smooth as window glass and when it is, there is no topwater anything that works.  But running an inline spinner just below the surface at that time of morning gets hits every time.  

[tcbass]

11 hours ago, A-Jay said:

Me too.

A-Jay

 

 

 

 

Didn't hear him say what lure he was using, what was he using? Is it a suspending bait?

[AC870]

Try the Whopper. The 90 is not bad. 

I run 40 lb braid and a snap on mine. 

[A-Jay]

5 hours ago, tcbass said:

 

 

Didn't hear him say what lure he was using, what was he using? Is it a suspending bait?

 

PayCheck Baits Repo Man topwater walking bait.

It's like a SK Sexy Dawg.

A-Jay

[deep]

5 hours ago, A-Jay said:

 

PayCheck Baits Repo Man topwater walking bait.

It's like a SK Sexy Dawg.

A-Jay

 

I was chasing small schoolies with a sammy the other day. They were running a break on the edge of a main lake point; the break is @20 FOW.

 

I think I caught a dozen or so one fish every cast before I got tired of it.

[tcbass]

7 hours ago, A-Jay said:

 

PayCheck Baits Repo Man topwater walking bait.

It's like a SK Sexy Dawg.

A-Jay

 

 

Thanks. Man, looks just like it. 

[CybrSlydr]

Those of you suggesting I just try a bullet-weighted texas-rigged worm, what weight bullet weight should I use?  I figure 1/4oz would be good with about a #3/0 EWG hook?  

[WRB]

5 hours ago, CybrSlydr said:

Those of you suggesting I just try a bullet-weighted texas-rigged worm, what weight bullet weight should I use?  I figure 1/4oz would be good with about a #3/0 EWG hook?  

No, the proper rig for your spinning tackle is the slip shot rig discribe earlier.

3/0 off set hook EWG hook would be very difficult to get a good hook set with your outfit.

If you want to use a T- rig with a bullet weight go with 1/8-31/6 weight, 6" to 7" worms and 2/0 to 3/0 Owner #5100 or J Lite 5109 worm hook. EWG are heavier wire with extra wide gap, the gap only needs to be 2X the front end of worm diameter.

Tom

[bigbill]

The Topwater strike,

 

1. Get out early in the morning, before the chickens wake up, at darkness before dusk/twilight. Be very quiet with handling your tackle. Walk softly and don't step on rocks or tree roots sticking out of the ground. They are natures alarm system. The noise we make goes straight into the water. I keep my one cell flashlite close to my tacklebox. I use locking snap swivels because I can't tie or see my line in the dark. For lures its spooks, walk the dog, rebel pop r, shallow cranks, rapala minnow, mister twister top prop. I use a steady retrieve or a one, two three twitch and pause. But this twitch and pause timing wise has to be perfect. If I'm throwing my 24" Carolina rig with plastics I use a brass bullet weight with a clicker with a brushog or senko. With the top prop I reel it slow. Or a one two three twitch n pause. During the pause the top prop goes almost vertical just be ready to set the hook.

 

i find the big gals are feeding at the shoreline so being stealthy is the key. Walk softly and don't talk.

 

its a matter of being focused and motivated, stay going.