On becoming a topwater purist

[avid]

My departure from the work world due to health concerns has one excellent side benefit.  It has enabled to fish, albeit from the bank, as often as i like.    

which brings me to the subject of this post.  

I love topwaters. No surprise there.  After all, don't we all?

but I'm getting to the point where I would rather fish for bass with topwaters and not catch them than to catch them on anything else.

Notice I said "getting to the point"  Because I am not such a dedicated topwaterphile that I can cast for hours and go fishless without trying something else.  But when I do switch off, if I don't get bit in short order then it's back to the topwaters.   I have been having good luck recently with two old favorites.  The storm chug bug and the heddon super spook jr.  

Is it the time of year?  Is it the fact that it is unseasonably cool for April in florida?  Or is it, as I prefer to believe, that I have developed a determination and confidence level in my topwaters so that I'm catching more fish with more consistency than ever before?

I dunno.

but I would rather catch fish on a topwater than anything else.

And, I would rather not catch fish on a topwater than anything else.

Anybody out there throwing nothing but topwaters no matter what?

[zaraspook_dylan2]

My departure from the work world due to health concerns has one excellent side benefit. It has enabled to fish, albeit from the bank, as often as i like.

which brings me to the subject of this post.

I love topwaters. No surprise there. After all, don't we all?

but I'm getting to the point where I would rather fish for bass with topwaters and not catch them than to catch them on anything else.

Notice I said "getting to the point" Because I am not such a dedicated topwaterphile that I can cast for hours and go fishless without trying something else. But when I do switch off, if I don't get bit in short order then it's back to the topwaters. I have been having good luck recently with two old favorites. The storm chug bug and the heddon super spook jr.

Is it the time of year? Is it the fact that it is unseasonably cool for April in florida? Or is it, as I prefer to believe, that I have developed a determination and confidence level in my topwaters so that I'm catching more fish with more consistency than ever before?

I dunno.

but I would rather catch fish on a topwater than anything else.

And, I would rather not catch fish on a topwater than anything else.

Anybody out there throwing nothing but topwaters no matter what?

as much as we all like to fish top water, there is a time and place, and sometimes there isnt a time or place to use them

[Big Tom]

I hear ya.  

During the summer I love catching em on a top water in the mornings.  But after that bite is over, all I have to look forward to are 95+ degree temps. and extremely slow fishing.  

When this happens I would almost rather catch them on a top water and go home then burn up and only catch a couple.  

Maybe when I get better at fishing deep I will change my mind.

[Btech]

Top water is fun but i think so is Jigs and bottom fishin - I mean its great to watch your catch gulp up your Spinner or popper etc. But Remember its the Catch yer after right? So switch to what they want, it will make your topwater catches more " Special " I guess?

[Muddy]

Not exclusively, but every trip especially when to sun goes down. Ghotti nailed it when he said; Top water Frogging is the most fun a man can have with his clothes on!!!!!!

My favorite way to fish , right up with jigging and trick stiks, 90 % of my time is spent with these 3 methods 8-)

[NCbassproAK]

I think top water fishing for bass is all about addiction, I mean common who throws out their favorite top water lure and gets a huge bite or "bam" and doesn't get excited its great to see those bass hit a lure with much explosion, who doesn't get excited?

[Marty]

Anybody out there throwing nothing but topwaters no matter what?

I don't go that far, but I do fish topwaters a disproportionate amount of the time. That's because I like them, and because some places I fish are weed-choked and, most important, they're very effective!!

I have a huge amount of confidence in them and you'll find me using them any time the water's warm enough, say approximately 55°.

[aarogb]

    I guess you could call discipline or whatever you would like to call it.  But I only use topwaters when the situation calls for it.  I have even had some years when I haven't pulled a certain topwater out of my tacklebox just because the situation never called for it.

[Bassin_Fin@tic]

I agree 100% Avid. I already have several fish over 5lbs this year on topwaters,you guessed it chug bug and super spook jr,also several on the regular size torpedo.The spro pop frog has served me very well in the short time I have had it too.

IT IS that time of year around here.I too am not sure if the particular weather paterns we have had lately is making it better or that I too am just gaining all that extra confidence.I am even throwing them during mid day heat, which normally is unlike me,and having success.Yep I too would rather catch one,especially if it is over 3 lbs,on a topwater than ten on worms.

Everyone likes the audio and visual of of good topwater smack or when they just leave a swirl and your plug just dissapears into a black hole.The most satisfying part of the experience to me however is knowing that I chose that particular lure and used whatever method or rythym to pizz that fish off and make it strike.I love to get that rythym going and just knowing that I am irritating the hell out of one to make it hit.Topwaters don't catch fish by themselves.It is entirely up to the angler.Where you throw it and how you work it.It is a lesson in patience,and I am not known to be the most patient person.

Hope you feel better soon man.It's a bummer.At least you're still puttin' the steel to a few of them though

[Fishing Rhino]

Top water is fun but i think so is Jigs and bottom fishin - I mean its great to watch your catch gulp up your Spinner or popper etc. But Remember its the Catch yer after right? So switch to what they want, it will make your topwater catches more " Special " I guess?

I'll second the jig thing.

I just started using jigs in the middle of March, and they produced when nothing else would.

With a topwater, you can watch it work.  With a jig, you feel it as it works the bottom (swim jigs aside.  I've got some of those to try as well.).  One is visual, the other tactile.

I've got a lot to learn about jiggin, but I'm comfortable with what I've done so far.  Learning to distinguish between a "strike" and a hang is challenging, but I'm learning.

[avid]

This talk about jigs reminds me of when I was learning to use them.  I loved it.  I used all  kinds of jigs and trailers almost exclusively.  It kinda makes me think that maybe I'm going through a phase or something.   I have had other periods where I threw almost one lure exclusively.   Senko's in particular come to mind.  didn't throw anything else for the longest time when I first got turned on to those bad boys.  

As I recall more, I had periods with spinnerbaits too.  But right now it's topwater plugs, and I'm loving it.

[Paul Roberts]

LOVE the idea. I like challenging limitations and topwater only sounds like a great one.

[FD.]

I know what you mean, Avid.  I always have a buzz frog of some type tied on and probably throw them 70% of the time.  This is my favorite time of year.  Throw a frog in the pads and wait for the violent strikes to start.

[Big Mike in Fl]

I think its a florida thing guys, we have the benefit of being able to fish topwater 11 1/2 months out of the year, some times better than others, but I find it hard to believe anyone in florida wouldn't throw some kind of topwater at some point during the day.

I'm not much of a chug bug fan, but boy do I love my spook jr's!

[Bankbeater]

Last year I started fishing topwaters with frogs and jitterbugs.  Now I can't wait until it warms up a little more to start throwing them again.

[CFFF 1.5]

I throw topwater all year long and will throw it at 11:30 in the morning and still catch fish on it even during the summer. There is a guy down here known as Top Water Charlie that will only fish topwater all day and win some major local tx's

[senile1]

This talk about jigs reminds me of when I was learning to use them. I loved it. I used all kinds of jigs and trailers almost exclusively. It kinda makes me think that maybe I'm going through a phase or something. I have had other periods where I threw almost one lure exclusively. Senko's in particular come to mind. didn't throw anything else for the longest time when I first got turned on to those bad boys.

As I recall more, I had periods with spinnerbaits too. But right now it's topwater plugs, and I'm loving it.

It could be a phase as you suggest, Don.  I think I go through phases where certain lures just seem to be the ticket for a period of time.  I know I never get tired of fishing a Spook though.  If they're biting topwater, I'm going to throw one.

[fishinfiend]

I definitely understand how you feel. I too suffer from topwater obsession.

[South FLA]

I think its a florida thing guys, we have the benefit of being able to fish topwater 11 1/2 months out of the year, some times better than others, but I find it hard to believe anyone in florida wouldn't throw some kind of topwater at some point during the day.

I'm not much of a chug bug fan, but boy do I love my spook jr's!

Bingo! You can almost fish topwater here all day every day.  Nothing like a top water bite. My current favorites are Spro's pop'n frog almost to a fault I throw that thing, when I should be cranking or spinnerbating, or Senko-ing, but boy does it catch the berthas!

[SoFlaBassAddict]

I love me some topwater fishing.  Theres nothing cooler than watching a bass absolutely wreck a frog skipping across some weeds or a line of pads.  It's d**n near as cool as when all of a sudden the frog gets vacuumed underwater with almost no splash.  Good times.

I actually just picked up a new pack of frogs earlier, go figure...