What is it about Topwaters?
I remember going to the lake, or local fishing pond and the first thing I tied on my line was a topwater. It may have been a PopR or a Zara Spook, but a topwater was always the first thing that hit the pond. Why don’t we do the same thing in the bay? Now when anglers go to artificial baits its usually soft plastics or mullet imitations. Why aren’t topwaters the go to bait? They catch fish! Are they new to most of us? Why do we hesitate? The abundance of topwater lures for saltwater has grown enormously over the last few years. There are walkers, chuggers, poppers, baits with propellers, you name it. There’s a new one every week. Why so many? Do they all catch fish? You better believe topwaters can catch fish. Top Dogs, She Dogs, Spooks, Skitterwalks, etc. They come in every available size, shape and color. Which one is right for you?
One of the things that cause confusion about topwater baits is when to use them. This is a struggle to the new angler that’s just getting started fishing with topwaters. Topwater baits can be used anytime and just about any place. I’ve seen them catch fish in 1’ of water and 10’ of water, when wading, or from a boat. It just doesn’t matter. When the fish are active, they’ll hit on top just like they will on bottom or suspended. A sure sign of when to throw a topwater bait is when the trout are busting bait on the top. Any time you can find rafting mullet or schools of shad you can throw a topwater. If there is any type of bait activity in the area, chunk a topwater out there, you may be surprised.
There are as many color choices for topwater baits as there are shoes in a woman’s closet (well almost). What are some indications that dictate color? The common choice for color is; use dark colored baits in dirty water or dark conditions and use bright colored baits in clear water and bright conditions. This is just a paradigm; you should experiment on your own. I’ve found that Bone is a good color for just about any conditions. If the sun is high, I add a touch of silver to the mix. Look around for the bait in the area and try to match the color of the bait. This is sure to get you on the right track.
Sound is an important part that the topwater bait adds to the mix. Some baits will wake the dead when you chunk them and some barely make a peep. If the water is dirty, you want to make some noise! If the water is deep, break out the drums. In shallow water you may want to tone down your presentation a bit. Nothing will scare a fish off faster than a gunshot topwater thrown on top of her nose. Adjust the size of your bait base on the conditions around you. If the mullet are around, chunk a larger bait. If it’s small shad, you may want to downsize a bit. Use your judgement, think like a fish!
One of the most important parts of topwater fishing is presentation. Just as the old saying goes; “When in Rome, do as the Romans,” you should do the same with your bait. If you’re throwing into a group of rafting mullet, walk that dog! You want that bait to look like a wounded fish just trying to fit in. A trout will notice it as easy prey. If there are shad in the area, work that bait fast. Just let it sit there and twitch the end of your rod as fast as you can. Shad are nervous fish and you want your bait to look nervous too. Make that sucker do the twist. Sometimes the bait will be ballyhoo or ribbonfish. When these are around, slash that topwater through the water and swim it slowly. It’s almost certain to drive a trout crazy. Don’t stick with one retrieve, change it up and when you catch that first one, remember that retrieve. More than likely they’ll be another in your creel.
Throwing topwaters can be a great experience. The major problem is confidence. Most anglers will throw a topwater for 30 to 45 minutes and then give up. I was the same way. If I didn’t have a blow up in 30 minutes or so, that was the end of that and I tied on an assassin. Things have changed. I’ve been fishing with several guides this past year that throw topwater baits exclusively. One trip we threw topwaters from 5:30 am. until 8:30 pm. My arm felt like a wet noodle by the end of the day, but when he asked us to come back in the morning, we jumped at the chance. Don’t give up! Keep chunking them and gain that confidence. Make a plan to go out and just throw topwaters. You’ll find that the blow-ups can be just as exciting as landing a fish. I had several blow ups that sent my bait 2’ and 3’ out of the water. All you can do is say wow! Get out and enjoy the topwater experience when you can.
See you on the bay,
Mike