from : American Bass Staff
There’s nothing quite as thrilling in the world of bass fishing as seeing a largemouth bass explode from the water in a dramatic assault on a topwater lure. Not only is this method visually exciting, but it’s also incredibly effective when executed correctly. This article will provide a guide to get you started with the basics on how to fish topwater lures to increase your success rate when targeting largemouth bass. Each section will provide a link to find a few proven and ABA recommended lures.
Understanding Topwater Lures
Topwater lures are designed to mimic the movements of prey at the water’s surface, like injured fish or unsuspecting frogs. Popular options include poppers, buzzbaits, walking baits, and frog lures. Each lure requires a different retrieval method to effectively imitate the action of real-life prey.
Choosing the Right Conditions
The best times to use topwater lures are early morning, late afternoon, or night when bass are most active. They’re most effective in warm, calm weather, and clear water conditions. Bass often lurk in shadowy areas near structures like lily pads, docks, or fallen trees. This being said, midday topwater can produce your biggest bass of the day. If it feels right, don’t let the time of day stop you from picking up that topwater rig! Understanding their feeding habits and habitat is critical for successful topwater fishing.
Poppers
Poppers have a concave or flat face that, when twitched, creates a ‘pop’ sound and splash.
This action mimics an injured baitfish. Cast your popper near potential hiding spots, then let it sit until the ripples dissipate. After that, give it a sharp twitch to make a popping sound and splash.
Repeat this with pauses in between. The strike often comes during these moments of stillness.
Another action can produce a side-to-side action that can evoke ferocious strikes!
Recommended Popper Baits:
Buzzbaits
Buzzbaits create a buzzing sound and disturb the water surface, which can lure bass from a considerable distance. These are particularly effective in low light conditions. Cast past your target area and retrieve the lure at a steady pace so it skims the surface, making a consistent buzzing sound. Some buzzbait designs incorporate noise produced by the blade striking the shank of the bait. Other designs produce a greater bubble trail. To start, be sure to buy a quality built bait that will track true (retrieve straight) and is durable to stand up to the crushing strikes of the bass. OR…you can buy the Ima US Right Turn Buzz Buzzbait that features a precisely tuned heavy wire construction that veers off center slightly to the right, this design allows anglers to get closer to targets and high percentage areas more efficiently than with a traditional straight running buzzbait. This is especially useful if cover or wind is making it difficult to cast directly past your target.
Buzzbaits can also be rigged with your favorite swimbaits. This was a pro technique that was kept quiet for a long time. This one is rigged with an Original Optimum swimbait.
Recommended Buzzbaits:
Ambitious Buzz 4” Arm ……………….. Ambitious Buzz 6” Arm
Walking Baits
Do not look at this bait as only a shallow water bait. Walking Baits can call bass up from the depths. Walking Baits have produced some of the richest paydays in bass fishing history.
Walking baits like the Little Stick require a little more skill but are highly effective. They’re designed to walk back and forth across the surface in a ‘walk-the-dog’ action when retrieved correctly. To achieve this, use a rhythmic, twitching motion on your rod while reeling in slack line.
Recommended Walking Baits:
Ima Little Stik 135 Walking Bait
Deps Brachiostik Topwater Walking Bait
Frog Lures
Frog lures are perfect for fishing in heavy cover areas. Their weedless design allows them to be cast onto lily pads or near submerged trees without getting snagged. To attract bass, twitch the rod to make the frog jump across the water’s surface, mimicking a real frog.
The traditional frog bait has featured rubber strands for a tail. In recent years, frog lure designers have made many modifications to this bait type. New body designs produce a “walking” action, “popper” style designs provide more surface commotion, new trailer materials and blades have all been incorporated to make this incredible class of lures even more irresistible to big bass!
Recommendations: There are a lot of traditional frog lures on the market. Here are a couple of baits that offer a little more than the standard frog:
Deps Basirisky Soft Belly Frog
Optimum Furbit Hollow Body Popping Frog 3”
