I have been fishing for over 20 years. I will fish for anything that happens to be biting, whether it's Crappie, Pike, Muskies or Catfish. If you have ever hauled in a big, fat, Iowa Flathead you know the rush it gives you. Your heart rate increases, your breathing gets faster, little rivulets of sweat appear on your brow and your hands shake. It's a rush you will never forget. But there is another style of catching fish that will make all those feelings seem like a walk in the park.
Largemouth Bass like to eat. Whether they eat from hunger or are enticed into striking through their natural predatory response, we need to be able to identify their feeding patterns to figure out when to use topwater baits. Fortunately, for us as anglers, the feeding patterns of Largemouth Bass are pretty easy to figure out and stay pretty consistent from late spring through late fall. Topwater fishing revolves around the presence of baitfish. When there is floating aquatic vegetation and baitfish in the area, you are likely to catch Bass on topwater baits. As spring progresses and aquatic vegetation begins to flourish, baitfish will move into the shallows because of the safety offered by the vegetation and the fact that shallow water will warm faster than deeper water. For these reasons, we can expect to find Largemouth Bass in the same areas. As a rule, you should find Largemouth Bass in shallows that contain floating vegetation early in the morning and again in late afternoon. During the days of summer, these times may become even more important because Bass will often leave the shallows in search of cooler water during the peak heat of the day.
Now, since we have an idea of when and where to use topwater baits, lets examine some of the equipment I would recommend to get the fish out of the cover and into the boat. Fishing the topwater bait around floating vegetation dictates the use of some pretty heavy equipment. Often times when you hook a fish, you will be reeling it in along with a few pounds of Lily Pads, Hydrilla, twigs, etc... It takes stout equipment to ensure you are able to get the fish to the boat. There are two rods I would recommend for fishing topwater lures. First would be a 6'6 medium action and the other a 7' medium/heavy action rod. When fishing a lure like a Heddon Zara Spook, you need to be able to work the lure in a side to side motion, known as "walking the dog". I find that the medium action rods imparts the necessary speed at the rod tip to work this type of lure, yet provides backbone for a solid hookset. When fishing in extremely heavy cover with lures such as Scum Frogs or the Rapala Skitterpop, a 7' medium heavy rod is a necessity. The length of the rod will allow for precise placement of the lure into the pockets of the cover. This rod will also have good backbone to haul the fish out of the slop. There are several very good rod manufacturers in today's marketplace. I prefer to fish with the Ugly Stik series by Shakespeare. Their durable construction and moderate price make them a good value. Let’s talk about reels. I fish exclusively with Abu Garcia baitcasting equipment but I firmly believe reels are really angler’s choice. In a topwater situation, if you find you can cast spinning reels with more accuracy than a baitcasting rig, go for it. As far as line is concerned, it's a great time to use an ultra-braid such as Spider Wire Stealth or Fire Line. The strength, very low stretch and high abrasion resistance makes this line a perfect match. A minimum of 20lb test is needed. Ultra braids will also cut through the vegetation making it easier to get the fish out of the cover. Just a note here about spooling up your ultra braid line on baitcasting reels. Use several yards of monofilament as a backer on the spool before loading the ultra braid. This will allow the ultra braid line to "bite" into the monofilament and prevent backlashes. To join the two types of line together, the blood knot will work just fine.
Ok, we know when and where to fish and the right kind of rod, reel and line to use, but what type of lure should you use? There are literally hundreds of topwater lures on the market and each one will probably catch fish. I will discuss a couple of my favorites and let you experiment with the rest. By far, my favorite topwater bait is the Scum Frog (www.scumfrog.com). This is a soft plastic bait made to resemble either a frog or a mouse. You can find them in a variety of colors and some are modeled in a popper style. I prefer the original Scum Frog in white or sunburst color. Since this lure is weed less, you don't have to be afraid to throw this bait into the heaviest cover. The bait will pull right through weeds and skip over lily pads which drive Bass wild. They are also easy to use as a skip-bait to reach under docks and tree falls. Here are a couple tips when fishing the Scum Frog. First, give it a little squeeze every 3 or 4 casts to drain out the water and assure it remains as weed less as possible. Second, and most important, when the fish strikes resist the urge to immediately set the hook. If you don't wait a couple seconds you will pull the bait from the fishes mouth every time. See the strike...wait a couple seconds...reel up slack till you feel the weight of the fish...then make a solid hook set. Another favorite topwater bait is the Heddon Zara Spook. I like to use this lure when fishing over vegetation that is just short of emerging from the water. As I stated earlier, use a side to side retrieve and incorporate pauses. Be ready for the strike to come anytime during the retrieve. Bass will often strike this lure as it sits still during a pause in the retrieve. One more lure not usually thought of as a true topwater lure but one that will still catch fish when used on top, is the spinner bait. Sometimes when Bass are sluggish, a spinnerbait can be run quickly just under the surface of the water. This is known as "burbling". The added noise of the spinnerbait blades near the surface can be just enough to excite the fish into striking.
Fishing topwater lures will be some of the most exciting Bass fishing you will find. Because of the sheer thrill of catching Bass on topwater baits, it can be a fantastic way to introduce a child to fishing! So, grab your topwater lures, head out to the lake, and I will see you on the water!
