What would you use?

[Sal329]

Fishing the last few evenings I was catching some bass and I noticed a lot of lil fish jumping. You can see the bass commin up and eating them, splashing the top sometimes, most the time you can just see them through the stained water and barely scrape the surface and all the lil fish scattering. I tried a jitter bug but the hook on the rear keeps getting tangled around the line? Can I use a snap with top water baits? What else can I try? Are there any soft plastics I cna use?

[KYbass1276]

Get a LC gunfish or a Pop R you can also try some buzzbaits, some Horny toads might work well also. I like to use a ribbion tail grub rigged weightless and retreive it across the top of the water the tail kind of has a buzzbait action. Some Lc sammys are good to use as well. I wouldn't use a snap but that is my preferance I think it hurts the action.  Also try a spinner bait burn it close to the top where the blades make a wake on the water that works well too

[senile1]

Regarding the rear treble on the jitterbug hanging on your line, are you feathering the spool with your thumb just before your lure hits the water?  Also, are you making looping casts?  A flat trajectory cast with feathering of the spool before the lure hits the water should eliminate this problem.  

[squid]

I would use a clear baby torpedo with a twitch and pause.

[Sal329]

Regarding the rear treble on the jitterbug hanging on your line, are you feathering the spool with your thumb just before your lure hits the water? Also, are you making looping casts? A flat trajectory cast with feathering of the spool before the lure hits the water should eliminate this problem.

I use a spining rod/reel. I was casting over head. Never put my thumb on the spool.

[Guest avid]

use a spining rod/reel.

Well, that's your first problem J/K  

Seeing bait busting the surface because the bass are chasing is a very exciting time.

I throw whatever I have handy and move it fast.  These moments can pass very quickly.

If I have choices I would use a popper, a jerkbait, and a ratltrap.

This is the kind of situation I don't usually come accross that often when bass fishing.  In the salt it happens alot more often.

[spotaholic]

First make sure they are bass...crappie in small ponds and pockets of big lakes will fool you. I have spent hours chasing schooling fish that turned out to be crappie chasing the same bait that bass eat. If you know they are bass the Tiny Torpedo is a excellent choice and I would alo try a Crazy Shad and a Weightless Fluke. I like clear colors in the topwater and white,albino and white ice in the flukes. Post spwan bass also like a floating worm and that may be another choice depending on conditions.IMO

[senile1]

Regarding the rear treble on the jitterbug hanging on your line, are you feathering the spool with your thumb just before your lure hits the water?  Also, are you making looping casts?  A flat trajectory cast with feathering of the spool before the lure hits the water should eliminate this problem.  

I use a spining rod/reel. I was casting over head. Never put my thumb on the spool.

A flat trajectory cast would still eliminate the lure hanging up most of the time.  If you cast with a quick, continuous motion and whip the rod forward towards the target it will load the tip and the lure will be stretched out straight from the tip of your rod, keeping the trebles away from the line.  

[Sal329]

I know they are bass. I was watching one and was throwing a fluke at it and finally he took it. I see them doin this at evenin as sun is just about to set for about 15 minutes straight this happens then it dies.

[Sal329]

[ga_hawghauler]

when bass are hitting baitfish on the surafce I will use a bill dance spitting image shallow diver. I will throw out way past the scool and very slowly work my lure back through the school. Sort of jerking it to make it look like a wounded bait fish somewhat.

[Reelady]

If the bass are actively feeding, and you see baitfish jumping all over the place....you have to think like an "Injured baitfish"....

I would throw into the middle of all of the action, a weightless fluke, tube or senko, a spinnerbait, or a rattletrap. Let it fall through the baitfish...remember....you are trying to immitate a dying or injured baitfish...which translates to "vulnerable"...

I prefer to use white baits.

You could also run a buzzbait over the top. If a fish short strikes your buzzbait, follow up immediately with the weightless fluke, tube or senko

[Matt Fly]

There are days bass chase bait to the top, but don't actively bust the bait on the surface, they are sub-surface feeding, and its the bait making the surface comotion.

Flukes, spinners and in-line spinners, traps, and shallow running baits like manns -1's or minnow baits like the new x raps worked below the surface can be the ticket when the bass are hitting on top.

[roadwarrior]

When bass are in a feeding frenzy almost anything will work, but my preference would be either a Rat-L-Trap type lure or a suspending jerkbait. The last time I had this opportunity I happen to have on a Lucky Craft Pointer 128. A huge advantage with this lure is your ability to make a long cast.

[CJ]

I go with 3 lure types.Yes,whatever you can get to the fast is best,but if you know there going to be there feeding I would tie on a Sammy 100,a spinnerbait,and a senko.

Just walk the dog with the Sammy,try waking the spinner then killing it,and use the senko like a jerk bait.A buzzbait would be a good choice as well.

[Sal329]

As with spinner baits what size? Color? Blade color? Blade type? The water this time of year is stained. Thanks

[Sal329]

It has been windy last few days I went out. Last night though when the wind calmed down a lil bit I seen some fishing commin up top. Witht he sun just about gone I threw out a Pop R and I caught my one and only fish of the day with it. It wasnt the big topwater explosion I was looking for but it definaly was a good time now if there could have been a few more  

[mudcatwilly]

I would cast a spinner at low trajectory (skip it lightly).  Be careful if you are going to use a snap swivel on a spinnerbait though.  Sometimes the snap swivel slides down the wire and fouls the lure.  This can cause you to get snagged because when you reel it in, the hook is no longer protected by the wire.  Try to match the color of the spinner with the color of bait fish that you are seeing.  I like to burn it, pause, burn it, pause and then swing for the fences.

[Sal329]

I have never seen a crawfish in the lake, the fish it sems bass here eat are baby bass, bluegill and what I think are minnows. They are a dark gray to black color and very small.