Top water bass fishing

[Denning12591]

I am wanting to start top water fishing but havent done it much. I have a jitterbug and a hula popper. Can I fish these any morning? What should I fish them around? Grass open water etc? If im not getting any bites should I just keep trying or try another bait. Any advice is appreciated and welcomed. Thanks

 

[Mylo53]

Re: Top water bass fishing

You can fish them in open water or around vegetation or other structure. A good technique for either of these lures is a moderate retreive, stop, pause, twitch, retreive. No right or wrong. Don't be afraid to try different techniques. I usually give a lure about 3-5 casts in any given area, if no strikes, I change lures, techniques, or locations.
I am a firm beleiver that on any given day, any lure can entice a fish to chase it. Presentation means alot to a fish. Mix it up, no action, move on. Happy catching.

 

[1980Galaxy]

Re: Top water bass fishing

i love top water in the early morning/low light conditions... but i give up on them once the sun comes up (or out) as the bites seem to go away quick

 

[Denning12591]

Re: Top water bass fishing

Thanks for the info guys Im tryin to get to the lake this weekend if work alows. I will definitely give these a try! What about a spook? I have a smaller clearish blue one? Good color and technique?

 

[Mylo53]

Re: Top water bass fishing

Zara Spook? I have just one. Only used it once, no luck. Still learning.

 

[Sander]

Re: Top water bass fishing

I have the worst luck when it comes to top water, and I give up quickly and switch to my plastics. Buzz bait is my favorite.

 

[Don Dickinson]

Re: Top water bass fishing

Most of my top water fishing has been done while musky fishing. However, a lot of it probably applys to bass as the largest bass i've ever caught came while musky fishing a top water i like fishing top waters in rough water. usually its shallow too. on very windy days, i'll normally had to the roughest, windiest shore and cast top waters in and around the weeds (both outer and inner weed lines). i've had good musky and (accidental) bass success fishing this way.

 

[solmate]

Re: Top water bass fishing

I love Hula-poppers. Fish them regularly around structure early morning or towards dusk. I cash them out, let 'em sit for a second then pop 'em a few times, let em set & repeat. I've caught my largest bass like this (9lb). Good Luck

 

[Denning12591]

Re: Top water bass fishing

Yea I like using buzz baits too. My favorite so far is the booyah with a clacker. Only caught one off it tho lol. Guess it just takes time n patience

 

[JB]

Re: Top water bass fishing

Use an original Rapala or Hula Popper with baitcasting gear, because, like Don, That is mostly a byproduct of musky fishing.

When I am seeking bass only I use a fly rod and various popping bugs. My favorite of all time is a Weber Nitwit in flourescent yellow.

 

[Denning12591]

Re: Top water bass fishing

Well I tried the jitterbug for a while this weekend and had no bites at all. I tried a slow steady retrieve. I tried fishing it around grass beds. I tried a slow retrieve with pauses. No luck. I tried a buzz bait for a little bit with no luck off that either. The fish weren't biting good at all that day n idk why. It was cool that morning and wasn't really hot that day. Fish do some weird things I guess

 

[mommicked]

Re: Top water bass fishing

Frog imitations work well too. Fished in the dark or dawn/dusk topwater baits are very productive. Dont be affraid to let poppers or any floating surface lure sit still in the water for minutes now and then or give it very soft twitches, barely moving it if you have the patience. Ive caught some very good fish pausing topwater baits forever in low light conditions.

 

[Davis 103]

Re: Top water bass fishing

I can tell you that ALL the large mouth and small mouth bass that I am taking from Cordell Hull and Dale Holloe lake in TN have been on top water plugs between 6-11 am and 4-8 pm. Fish around point off the main lake and back into the chanells or "cuts" about 1,00 yards from them main lake. I am landing 2-8 lb's daily on every outing lately.
good luck

 

[bonz_d]

Re: Top water bass fishing

The largest bass I've ever caught was on a clear lake, clear skies, mid-July about 1pm in about 2' of water. Fish was just short of 24".

Was wading a shoreline that was thick with lily pads tossing a silver #5 floating RAPALA into little holes in the pads and then just twitching it. Water exploded, fish ran about a foot and hung up in the weeds. I just waded over to it reeling as I approched and she was history! For years the locals kept telling me there where no fish in that lake. All I could do is grin at them. Also pulled a 34+" Northern from that lake which didn't have any fish.

Tight lines everyone!

 

[sschefer]

Re: Top water bass fishing

i like working a Vixen early in the morning but lately, and this is weird, I've been drifting and running lead core line down 60 ft with a medium SEP's flasher and a threaded worm. I've been nailing them big time but can't explain why that's working and nobody at the dock believes me when I tell them. I've got the fish to prove it but they all think I'm holding out on the rig.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: Top water bass fishing

Ya gotta throw a buzzbait 100 times (keep count) and you'll get a strike at about 98 or 99, then that'll give you the incentive to throw it 100 more times.

 

[Davis 103]

Re: Top water bass fishing

I am a firm belive in a medium size top water plug fishing along shre line cover and at the entrance to the small "cuts' off the mail lake. ALL my large mouth bass have been taken on a top water plug from 6am-11 am on Cordell Hull, Dale Hollow and many other TN lakes, i switch to plastics after 11 am to 4 pm and then back to to the top water plug from 4pm to sundown. I have literly caught 8-15 bass in the am times witout fail and 3-5 during the afternoon on plastics and back to the same amout of fish in the Pm times.
Good luck, I am still trying to figure out howto post pictures of these fish and the lure I am useing. if anyone has detailed instructions on how to do this i would be geatfull, I have opened a "photo bucket" account but I am still having issues trying to post pics.

 

[KDAVID1]

Re: Top water bass fishing

Tiny Torpedo, Rapala, Hula Popper, Jitter bug, buzz bait--all are good just pick the right time (early morning and evening are both good)

 

[nh5111]

Re: Top water bass fishing

I believe top water is the most exciting way to catch bass, I prefer to use a scum frog and cast parallel to the shore, especially when there is some lilies or weeds covering the surface. Slow retrieval along the surface and then hitting an opening in the weeds where the legs of the frog dangle into the water and bass can't resist, but this only works in low light conditions. Forget about trying to entice bass with top water lures once the sun is shining. The only fish I have had success with top water all day long is trout, using a dry fly. After the sun comes up, switch to a Texas rigged worm on a weight hook and bump it along the bottom, works great for those stubborn larger bass.

Good luck and tight lines.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Top water bass fishing

I'm no expert fisherman for sure.....but I will say I caught 3 huge and exciting bass the last time I was fishing and it was around dusk and I was using a white and red jitterbug