Let's play a game. Match the top water bait to the conditions.

[Gnarwhal]

I'm new to the top water game and trying to educate myself.  Simply put, I'm wondering if there are any general patterns I should follow when matching top water lures to specific conditions.  

 

Given 4 styles of top water baits.

• Ploppers/Choppos
• Walking baits
• Poppers
• Frogs

 

How would you match each to environmental conditions like...

• Wind:  Lots of chop.  A little chop.  Glass
• Light:  Dawn/Dusk, Overcast, Bright day.
• Water clarity:  Clear, Less Clear, Dirty
• Water depth

 

Thanks for the help.

 

 

[Fallser]

For what it's worth.  I mainly fly fish, but I do enjoy fishing top waters when I use spinning gear.

Styles.  I don't have #1 in my dark side tackle box, but I do have #2, #3 and #4

Wind

Lots of chop- I don't even bother, but a frog over lily pads or surface weed beds make be worth a try.

A little chop- I'll fish them

Glass- my favorite condition.

Light

Dawn- I'm too bloody lazy to get up that early these days to go fishing

Dusk-  That's my favorite time for top water, with spinning gear or fly rod.  About an hour before sunset till 15 minutes to a 30 minutes after

Cloudy/bright days-  I'll catch fish on top waters

Water clarity

Most of lakes I fish are clear.  I've had smallmouth take top waters in 10-12 feet of water.  Can't help you with dirty water

Water Depth- Anywhere between a foot and 12 feet.

[Jar11591]

Poppers, walkers and weedless frogs all see extensive use when I’m fishing, but poppers being number 1.

 

I throw poppers along submerged weed lines, next to downed timber, over rock piles, weed flats, or really any other fishy looking spot that doesn’t have emergent weeds. I’ll switch to a walker if I’m trying to cover water quicker, or if the fish are swatting at the popper but won’t commit. Sometimes the faster action of a walker will make them commit. Just yesterday I found a school of smallmouth herding perch on the surface over 30’ of water. Casted a walker right through it and worked it as fast as I could and they loved it. 
 

If there is a lot of chop on the water, I’ll make some casts with a popper and chug it as hard as I can, but won’t spend too much time if it isn’t producing. Topwater with rough water can be tricky. If there is a moderate to light chop, I may throw a walker and work it somewhat quickly so the fish don’t lose it in the chop. Keeping the bait moving may help them

locate through the waves. If the water is like glass, I’m throwing a popper and working it very slow back to the boat, with several second in between pops. 
 

Dawn is my best time for topwater. Generally when it’s that early the water is like glass (not always), so I’m throwing a popper. Dusk can also be great for topwater, and can offer similar conditions to Dawn topwater fishing such as a calm lake and low light conditions. Around dusk I’m usually throwing a popper as well. On an overcast day, especially a calmer one that has the water slightly choppy, the fish can hit all day on topwater. And when the sun is high, this is when I get my weedless frogs and head to the emergent vegetation. Especially lily pads. I’ve had much more consistent results with a weedless frog targeting emergent vegetation with a beating sun out than any other situation. 
 

For water clarity, I don’t change it up too much. If the water is stained I may work the baits harder, and for clearer water I may slightly downsize. But not always. That’s just a preference thing. 
 

As far as depth, if I think there are fish there and the conditions are right, I’ll throw topwater regardless. I’ve caught smallmouth with topwaters in 30’ of water, and largemouth in 15’. I don’t think depth alone should determine whether you throw a topwater, because if they want it they will have no problem coming up to get it.