|
|
| When do you fish topwaters the most, time of year, time of day etc?.
What is your favorite topwater?
What is your favorite way of presenting a topwater, casting or trolling?
What would you like to see in a topwater bait? | |
| | |
| Jason,
Great questions. I am a topwater fanatic. There is nothing better than seeing a monster musky come up behind your bait and inhale it.
For me, I generally start fishing topwaters in May when the water temps reach the low 60's. I play it by ear and let the conditions dictate when to use it. Fishing three out of the boat really helps you find when the topwater bite is going. Someone can always be experimenting. I prefer the extremely early morning and late evening bite. The transition of light period really seems to be the best for topwater action. On classic musky days though, hang on! Incoming fronts, changes in the weather can light them up. Low clouds, drissly and warm with a slight wind seems to be the best daytime bite (at least consistently).
My favorite topwater is any topwater. I like to use them all. Topraider, Tallywacker, Lelure Thumper, Lelure Globe, Ty Sennett Special, Lelure Creeper, Lelure Fetch 'N Catch, Hawg Wobbler (regular and Magnum), Danc'n Raider, Giant Jackpot. The top producer last year by far was the Topraider and that has continued so far this year. A key to successful topwater fishing is to use the cast back technique. There are a lot of splashes or misses that occur. Cast back to the spot with something different. Example - on the Chippewa Flowage I was casting a Tallywacker and had a nice fish blow up on it but missed. I casted back to the spot with a Hawg Wobbler and the fish ate it (47" release).
My favorite presentation is by far casting. I have seen some unbelievable fish come after baits and push huge wakes that made me shake! The excitement of a fish smashing a surface bait next to the boat is second only to that same fish smashing a surface bait at boatside at night! Warning - bring an extra set of shorts.............
I would like to see more topwater baits with spreaders on them (i.e. wire coming off of the bait so the hooks can be attached away from the bait). I have put spreaders on a few of my baits that don't have them and it helps, especially at night. Short hitters get caught on the spreaders - allowing you to catch more fish. I realize that only certain types of baits will still function with spreaders on them. They work great on creepers and globes. | |
| | |
| I love fishing topwaters, use them a lot, but have never had any action on one at all. I've fished them in every condition, probably given them more water time than most lures I use, but nothing. I"m about to say that they just don't work for me. Also, when night fishing, what lure would u suggest. I"m talking about night fishing under this moon phase, ultra clear skies, and stained water. Topwater? I'm willing to give it a try. | |
| | |
| Jason
Great, surface baits are my favorite. As most of you know I do most of my fishing in Kentucky where surface temps are at least a couple of months ahead of the northern mid west (SORRY). Over the past 3 years I have had success with surface lures as early as March when water temps range from 45 to 50 degrees, in fact I had a client take a muskie this year in 44 degrees on a TopRaider. Generally speaking I will hold off on using topwaters consistently till the water reaches 70 in the spring at that point I will go with them early and late, possibly all day under extreme low light conditions I will have at least one angler throwing them. In my most resent trip to Wisconsin and Minnesota during June I was very successful with TopRaiders all day during low light conditions with temps ranging from 58 to 68 degrees. In Kentucky when shad move up shallow after daylight hours shorten in late summer topwaters are very effective but it takes buzzbaits at that time, water temps around 78 to 80 degrees. Then my most productive topwater time is when temps fall below 72 degrees and peaks between 58 to 68 degrees (October and November here in Ky). Also anytime just after extremely heavy rains I will go with a surface lure. One thing I would like to mention is don’t take color for granted when using topwaters, I use topwaters a lot with hundreds of clients each year. I have switched successful and unsuccessful colors back and forth between anglers and I believe that most of the time color makes more difference than sound when judging the same lure type.
FAVORITE TOPWATERS
TopRaiders, T-N-T Triklops, Grim Reaper #1300 & Wildcat, Top Walkers
Have not done much trolling with topwaters
As for buzzbaits I like 2 things
1) Quick starts 2)
2) Water movement
3) Sound
As for hard bodied baits a couple of must haves
1) Sound & Vibration
2) Variable speeds
| |
| |
|
Topwaters, a Pro's question