Long distance topwater recommendation

[The Baron]

I’m looking for recommendations on a spook or similar topwater bait for large smallmouth on Lake Ontario - something that will cast extremely far as I’m stuck fishing from shore.  I’m after the 4lb+ class smallies, feeding in clear water off a ledge we can just reach with a good cast - the further the better to keep us out in the strike zone longer.
 

And, keeping in mind if we get bit it will be a good distance out, what type of rod/reel/line setup would you want?

[PaulVE64]

7ft medium power rod med-fast tip.

Whopper plopper 130 in bone 

20# braid to a short 17# mono leader

 

[ironbjorn]

6 minutes ago, PaulVE64 said:

7ft medium power rod med-fast tip.

Whopper plopper 130 in bone 

20# braid to a short 17# mono leader

 

I agree with the Whopper Plopper. 110 is a better size, but 130 will cast farther, and SMB love the bait and will hit both sizes.

 

What I don't agree with is a Medium powered rod. The upper range of Medium powered rods is 3/4 oz, with a lot of them maxing out at 1/2 or 5/8 oz. The WP 130 is a 1-3/8 oz bait, almost an ounce and a half. Unless this is some kind of specialized rod with specialized lure ratings that fall outside of the norm, you're going to break that rod and the cast won't be good.

[JustJames]

Depend on what size you want but use rod power and action accordingly. Luckycraft Sammy, R2S bubble walker. Edit** Removed frog lure since you gonna have a hard time hooking it at very long distance.

[Smalls]

Vixens, Rovers or a Kicknocker. All will cast long distances fairly easy, and are known fish catchers.  30lb braid with a short leader will help you gain some distance. A slightly longer rod, maybe 7'3 will help, too, but working the baits might be more difficult, unless you're standing on something.

[Sphynx]

I've had good luck with the strike King Sexy Dawg/Sexy Dawg Jr. For a walking bait, still playing around with it but I have a couple of St. Croix Mojo Glass rods that really, really launch stuff, you'd probably have to fiddle with the hooks to get something you could reliably set at the end of a long cast (braid to a leader would be helpful) but I can get a 1/2oz Rat-L-Trap out there a freaking mile with that setup, no reason a spook couldn't be cast just as far. 

[A-Jay]

Plenty of good recommendations already ~

The Evergreen Shower Blows in Bone has been a good producer for me recently.

Casts great & calls them up.

I like the 105 & the 125 sizes.

https://youtu.be/AsD61HAztV0?t=91

Fish Hard

A-Jay

 

 

[PaulVE64]

58 minutes ago, ironbjorn said:

I agree with the Whopper Plopper. 110 is a better size, but 130 will cast farther, and SMB love the bait and will hit both sizes.

 

What I don't agree with is a Medium powered rod. The upper range of Medium powered rods is 3/4 oz, with a lot of them maxing out at 1/2 or 5/8 oz. The WP 130 is a 1-3/8 oz bait, almost an ounce and a half. Unless this is some kind of specialized rod with specialized lure ratings that fall outside of the norm, you're going to break that rod and the cast won't be good.

You're probably  right about the power.

 

I throw mine on a 50 yr old Ugly Stick.

Its rated a medium but its more of a medium tip. It will launch the 130.

 

[Dwight Hottle]

Medium heavy moderate bait caster or spinning. That gives you coverage up to 1oz baits. Since you want distance use light braid like 10lb on spinning or 20lb on bait caster. Evergreen International shower blow 125 weighs 15/16 oz. comes with the  best hooks made, super sticky. Also like the Duo Realis pencil 110 weighs 5/8oz and casts like a bullet. Set you drag so it barely slips on a very hard hook set. If you can wade in at all it will help get better distance than casting from shore. 

[Konajon]

Check out the 13 Fishing Navigator 110.

[Bubba 460]

For bigger smallmouth, a Whopper Plopper 130, 7ft to 7'6"MH rod, 40# braid. I can cast ALL of the line off the spool... you cant get any further than that! Just don't cast over state lines without the proper license.

[WRB]

Heddon Saltwater Super Spook in Bone-Silver, 7/8 oz.

LC Gun Fish 117 Ghost is smaller and cast good.

Tom

[king fisher]

My recommendation may sound crazy but works well for me both salt and fresh water.         
   9 foot lamilglass rod M. Fast. 3/8 - 3/4 ounce lure rating.  Diawa coastal 200 reel.  40 pound Diawa J 8 braid.  Rebel Jumping Minow lure.   I have landed many bass up to 9 pounds and over a dozen salt water species on this set up.  The rod and reel are mid priced and the lure is dirt cheap but walks as good as any.  This set up casts almost as far as one of my surf rods.  Super Spook would be my second and far more popular choice for lure.  Don’t be intimidated by such a long rod.  They are 2 piece and cast a mile.

[diehardbassfishing]

 

Lure - Lucky Craft, Sammy. It'll fly!

 

 

Karl

[papajoe222]

When fish are spooky in clear water you can back way off, or in your case make a longer cast, with a Yo-Zuri 3D Pencil Popper and their Prism Chartreuse Silver is a killer on big smallies. Easy to work, moderately priced and has some decent hooks that won't be needing replacement straight out of the package. 

[huZZah]

I can launch a whopper plopper a mile without trying on 65lb braid. It’s also awesome cause when you can’t see it you can usually still see the water churning. Great topwater bait. 

[Fishes in trees]

Isn't this why spy baits were created, for just this situation?

[The Baron]

28 minutes ago, Fishes in trees said:

Isn't this why spy baits were created, for just this situation?

I considered both spybaits and heavier jerkbaits, but we have to retrieve a good portion of the cast back to us in about 2-1ft. of water, over zebra mussel coated rocks.  Any bait that runs more than about 1ft. and doesn’t float up will have us dragging our leader over that and cause a lot of need to replace the leader - or worse.

[Frezzy]

I fish a clear water reservoir for big Smallies (5's are very common) where ultra long casts are required.  I also fish from the bank 100% of the time. I have experimented with every type of topwater bait, rod, reel and line to maximize casting distance while still presenting a bait a large Smallie will eat.

 

For baits the Lucky Craft Sammy in 115 size if pretty tough to beat in terms of casting distance and a great bait that Smallies love.  The Plopper in 110 and 130 are good Smallie baits and cast well, but won't cast anywhere near as far as a long casting spook like a Sammy 115. 

 

The Evergreeen Shower Blows in 125 size does cast an absolute mile and catch fish.  The Sammy 115 will out fish it, but the Shower Blows is the king of casting distance (color selection is kind of week for clear water). Another great casting spook that Smallies love is the Megabass Dog-X Diamante.  Casts almost as well as a Sammy 115 and has great colors.

 

Vixens, Rovers, Super Spooks, Kick Knockers. Sexy Dawgs, Gun Fish.  I have them all.  They all catch fish and are good baits, but not on the same level as the Sammy 115 if you need long casts.

 

For gear go with a spinning rod.  The longer the better. Use a 4000 size reel with 10-15lb braid and a short 10lb mono leader.  Keep the leader knot outside your top guide on the cast. I use a 7'5" G Loomis GLX in MH with a fast tip and a size 4000 Stella or Exist.  

 

[Sam]

A big Sammy or a Whooper Plopper or a topwater bait or a toad or with one or two Suspend Dots to give it more weight as long as the Suspend Dots don't mess up the bait's action.

 

I suggest a 7-foot heavy graphite rod of your choice.

A 7-foot graphite medium heavy rod as a second choice.

Spinning reel with either 8 pound test monofilament or braid the size of the 8 pound mono diameter, depending on the structure (rocks, wood, grass, pads, etc.)

 

You may get longer distances with a spinning rod setup. Just look at the rod's parameters for line test and bait weight.  Take the high and low parameter numbers for each individually, add together, divide by two, and you have the best line test and bait weight for your combination.

 

Have fun!

 

 

[the reel ess]

On 8/29/2021 at 4:26 PM, The Baron said:

I’m looking for recommendations on a spook or similar topwater bait for large smallmouth on Lake Ontario - something that will cast extremely far as I’m stuck fishing from shore.  I’m after the 4lb+ class smallies, feeding in clear water off a ledge we can just reach with a good cast - the further the better to keep us out in the strike zone longer.
 

And, keeping in mind if we get bit it will be a good distance out, what type of rod/reel/line setup would you want?

Looks like you answered your own question there. 

[Black Hawk Basser]

I also recommend a Sammy.  They cast very, very well.