There is no part of Bass fishing quite as rewarding as the art of fishing topwater lures. I call it an art, as fishermen like Charlie Campbell and Sam Griffin have spent a lifetime developing the art. Envision a small lake on a quiet morning at sunrise covered with patches of lily pads and see large bass busting the surface in pursuit of bait. This is when you grab a rod with a topwater lure tied on and get ready for the experience of a lifetime. Of course, this doesn't mean that this is the only time you can fish a topwater lure, as they will work almost anytime and under many conditions.
Topwaters are best when fished around heavy cover. Look for areas that have fallen trees, grass, bulrushes, or even an old boat dock. You will catch many fish if you become adept at throwing the lures around this type of cover with reasonable accuracy. Open water areas surrounded by submerged grass can be an excellent place to have a bass crash your lure.
There are four types of topwater lures in common use today. These include chuggers, stick baits, prop baits, and soft plastic weedless lures. Chuggers are those lures like a Storm Chug Bug and Pop-R. Probably the most famous stickbait, made famous by Charlie Campbell, is the Heddon Zara Spook. An excellent example of a soft plastic topwater would be a Scum Frog or Rat. And then the easiest of all to fish is the prop bait. The very popular Devil's Horse and "Tiny Torpedo" are straightforward to use and produce thousands of fish each year all over the world.
The most common failure among topwater fishermen is impatience. You must slow down and take your time when fishing topwater lures. Just enjoy the surroundings and cover each area thoroughly and completely.
A prop bait or larger lure will work best if a breeze blows over the water. However, a more subtle approach should be used with no wind or water movement.
If you try some topwater fishing this season, you will see that the attack of a largemouth on a topwater is more exciting than almost any other type of fishing. So take these tips and HAVE FUN.
To all, a good bite.
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