Top Water Bite : Water Temps ?

[ChrisD46]

Here in the South , the top water bite typically begins when the water temp rises above 60 degrees and then typically diminishes in the Fall when the water temp drops down below 60 degrees . Curious for Northern bass fishing if such top water bite temps hold true - anyone routinely catch bass up North on top water baits when water temps drop down below 60 degrees ?  ... Thanks .

[PhishLI]

1 hour ago, ChrisD46 said:

anyone routinely catch bass up North on top water baits when water temps drop down below 60 degrees ?  ... Thanks .

Yes. Starting at 40 degrees. Mostly on slow rolled wakes, but they'll hit a whopper plopper too. 

 

P.S. The Livingston Bullnose mentioned in the attached post is a wake bait.

 

[LrgmouthShad]

From my time in NY I believe Northern largemouth - not talking about NLMB vs FLMB here- are more aggressive and the window of effectiveness for certain baits extends into colder temperatures than in the South. Everything is relative, I imagine. 40 degree water is chilly for a Northern LMB but it is downright frigid for a Southern LMB 

[gim]

5 minutes ago, LrgmouthShad said:

I imagine. 40 degree water is chilly for a Northern LMB

40 degrees is WAY too cold for topwater fishing here. Even 50 is too cold.  Kind of a moot point anyways since the topwater bite is pretty much non-existent for me anyways the past several seasons.

[Bankbeater]

I'm not sure what the water temp was, but the bass started going after spooks here in mid April and the bite was strong up until mid June when the temps got up into the 90's. 

[LrgmouthShad]

Just now, gimruis said:

40 degrees is WAY too cold for topwater fishing here

I did not answer the topwater fishing question directly because I don’t do it enough to have enough data. I certainly caught them on spinnerbaits to +/- 40 degrees 

[ironbjorn]

I was catching pond largemouth on a spook up until a few days before New Years. Indiana.

[gim]

1 minute ago, LrgmouthShad said:

I did not answer the topwater fishing question directly because I don’t do it enough to have enough data. I certainly caught them on spinnerbaits to +/- 40 degrees 

Maybe “north” is relative. I was specifically referring to MN when I initially answered. Once the water temp drops below 50 here, it’s time to hang it up for the season. That’s kind of the dotted line when they really stop biting.

[LrgmouthShad]

25 minutes ago, PhishLI said:

P.S. The Livingston Bullnose mentioned in the attached post is a wake bait.

The proof is in the pudding. Let the haters hate

[Born 2 fish]

Southern wisconsin 55 degrees seems to be a good start for me 

[PhishLI]

1 minute ago, LrgmouthShad said:

The proof is in the pudding.

It's possible that most people wouldn't bother with topwater in temps this cold, so there isn't much of a consensus on the matter.  Also, I'm fishing very shallow water, and these baits might not be as attractive in deep water lakes. Honestly, I wouldn't have thought to try this several years ago except for the fact that nothing that is supposed to work was working, so I threw a hail Mary pass that paid off. After I got bit by a 5 lber in February on a slow rolled Shellcracker G2 I changed my thinking on the matter.

[Deleted account]

I don't think it's a matter of can you catch bass with top water lures in cold water, you can, it's a matter of there being better options as the water gets colder. I'm sure I could catch them with top water lures in water colder than 50, I just don't most times.

[Woody B]

I suppose it varies quite a bit.   I've heard people say the topwater bite is best when the water is clear.  I do better with stained water.   (as I've told many times) I bought my boat in December 2021 after decades of not fishing.   I caught a few bass on a spoon my first trip.  My Dad said "Did you throw a Devils Horse any?"    The next time I went, just for kicks I tossed a Devils Horse under the end of a deep dock, near the main creek channel.  I caught a 2 pound bass.   Water temp was 52 degrees.  It was sunny, the water was stained.   

 

I think top water fishing is best when it's warm enough for insects to be falling in the water but a Bass basking in the Sun will hit a topwater lure pretty much anytime.  

[Jar11591]

I catch bass on topwater through October, when the water is in the 50s.  
Upstate NY. 

[GreenPig]

Won a few tournaments here in Ga. throwing buzzbaits in 50 degree water. Our fish are illiterate and failed to read the rules on which baits to strike in certain temps. 

[DitchPanda]

I caught bass last October on a popper up here in Northwest Iowa. Not sure on water temp...but id guess low 50s range. My buddy Brian caught our first top water fish this spring on a popper in water around 50.

[flyfisher]

I think species matters too.  There is a lake I frequent specifically in the winter and it has a large spotted bass population along with blueback herring.  I have had more than one day out there with water temps in the mid to high 40s and sunny where they were chasing the herring and busting the surface.  I didn't have any topwaters but if i moved my jerkbait enough to keep it floating they would crush it.  Pretty memorable to have days of 5+ fish in the winter on topwater.

 

[PhishLI]

10 hours ago, Deleted account said:

I don't think it's a matter of can you catch bass with top water lures in cold water, you can, it's a matter of there being better options as the water gets colder.

Sure, but I wouldn't exclude them because it goes against your sensibilities. In the post below I did quite well using conventional baits, but my brother caught a slob crawling a MS Slammer on this brutally cold night in frigid water.

 

 

[WRB]

If I see or hear surface activity a top water lure is a good option regardless of water temps.

Tom

[CM-fisher]

If I really tried I could get a bass on topwater in november up here in MN, but there are so many other tried and true cold water lures that I would rather use. I throw topwater only in early morning or the evening from post spawn to early fall.

[Catt]

1 hour ago, WRB said:

If I see or hear surface activity a top water lure is a good option regardless of water temps.

Tom

 

When bass start moving up shallow during early pre-spawn they are looking to eat. 

 

We have a buzzbait bite that starts as early as mid February with water temperatures still in the low fifties. The only time I've seen bass bend the shaft of a buzzbait it this time of year.

 

If your lake is offcolored & you can't see beds throw a frog. The bass may not eat it but they will reveal themselves.

[ChrisD46]

Thanks for the replies - generally safe to say if water temps are 55 degrees or higher and / or you see surface activity - then top water is worth a try .

[the reel ess]

14 hours ago, GreenPig said:

Won a few tournaments here in Ga. throwing buzzbaits in 50 degree water. Our fish are illiterate and failed to read the rules on which baits to strike in certain temps. 

I've caught a good bit of fish on a Plopper in that temp range. If the big bass are shallow, a buzzing bait can draw their ire. Therein lies the entire rub. They must be shallow for you to catch them off the surface. I don't think bass are gonna charge up from 8' or more in cooler water to crush a topwater. But if you put it in their mouth, often they'll react. 

[Bankc]

I think in water below around 55°, you can still sometimes find a topwater bite, but you have to slow it down.  Think popper, slowly worked, instead of buzzbait.  Once the water warms up past 85°, I find the topwater bite trails off again.  But you can still sometimes get a bite with a slowly worked lure.  

 

But every day is different.  I've discovered I'm more likely to be wrong following conventional wisdom than to be right.  Typically, I just start off doing what worked last time, and if it doesn't work as well anymore, experiment around to see how things have changed.

[Deleted account]

13 hours ago, PhishLI said:

Sure, but I wouldn't exclude them because it goes against your sensibilities.

LOL. The only thing that goes against my sensibilities is not coming back to the dock with rimmed coolers...