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Posts: 147
Location: Northern New Jersey | I did a search without much success in finding an answer so I thought I would pose the question, when do you throw a walk the dog bait? Spring time? Summer? |
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Posts: 364
Location: Central Wisconsin | Are you talking surface walk the dog or just in general? I had success last season early summer to early fall on hellhounds. Otherwise i don't throw surface walk the dog. |
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Posts: 147
Location: Northern New Jersey | Surface, topwater. As opposed to a glider. |
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Posts: 1084
Location: Aurora | The oldtimers subscribed to the theory of throwing topwaters at the first sign of baby ducks and stopping once water temps were below 50 degrees. I don't advise subscribing to this old theory and instead throw them whenever favourable situations arise (i.e. they don't land and skitter across the ice). |
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Posts: 1405
Location: Detroit River | I mainly throw them when the water temps are between 60* & 70* because that's when I have the most action on them. |
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Location: Eastern Ontario | Never ....I always figured any fish that would come up for a topwater would take a suick a foot under the surface with a much better hook up percentage. Most of my casting is done in the slop with either a suick or a short arm spinnerbait. Outside the weedline I'm a troller. |
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Posts: 1169
Location: New Hope MN | Not often. IMO, it has to meet all of these conditions:
Had hot follows/eaters on a glider
shallow structure with cover too thick for glider
slight chop -flat calm. I have no confidence with surface baits and waves. I think they miss the bait too easily.
Water temps 62-79.9
Never after dark. |
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Posts: 865
| From Spring to Late Summer on Weagle Type Topwaters At Dawn And my favorite at Dusk...., I just Replace hooks with Razor sharp Larger Hooks |
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Posts: 75
| I like trowing them, so when the skies are overcast and there is not to much shop, ik cast them.
Prefer them over subsurface walk the dog because most other anglers are using those.
When the shop is to much i rather go to a propbait or subsurface glider.
When i get follows and no takes, i go subsurface to.
Maybee not the highest rate of solid hookups, but the takes are awesome.
My pb was taken on a WTD topwater, that also colours my glasses a bit |
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Posts: 32889
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Any time all season long. If you are not using them all the way from opener to ice up, you are missing a key fish catching tool in the arsenal. |
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Posts: 580
| I have a love/hate relationship with WTD topwaters. Generally, it's a bait that is pretty far down in my bait progression and I tend to use only as a "last resort", when other bait styles just aren't generating strikes. Fact is, hooking percentages are comparatively poorer with topwater baits in general, and percentages decline further the more erratic the topwater bait is. But with that said, a WTD topwater can really seem to "call up" fish better than other baits, in certain circumstances. I've witnessed plenty of occasions, on LOTW especially, where a WTD topwater seems to be the only bait that a fish will actually hit. The bigger, slower-moving, heavier baits (e.g., weagle, water moccasin, etc) hook up better than the smaller, lighter ones (e.g., jackpot, top dawg, small viper, etc.)...but I still seem to get a lot of "blow ups" without hook-ups either way...unfortunately, sometimes the faster "popping" back and forth of smaller WTD bait seems to be key. (Unfortunate, because fish miss these smaller WTD baits an awful lot, it seems).
As mentioned, WTD's can be effective spring through fall. Slow it down and accentuate the pauses in colder water, and also in low-light conditions, while maximizing the "pop" or "swoosh". Can be a great technique for "showing" fish on any calm evening, regardless of time-of-year.
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Posts: 1037
| They are better for me in colder water situations, or post cold front situations. Something about that action can get 'em to go with nothing else will.
But here's my rule of thumb. If fish are following gliders, I'll put one on.
If fish are chasing bucktails, then I'll use a prop style topwater.
And not all walk the dog topwaters are equal. Jeff Hanson turned me onto a new one this year and it has been quite good to me. |
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Posts: 994
Location: Minnesota: where it's tough to be a sportsfan! | I will check a topwater WTD bite just about everytime I hit the water during MN Muskie season. There are times when they will do more than just catch fish for you. I've seen some pretty negative fish track in and give their location away on a WTD. When they do get on it...I always go out and buy another one just cause there's nothing like it! We did get into fishing these in the dark for a few years just to hear the strikes. Seen grown men drop to their chairs in amazement & scared to death. Makes the knees weak! Had one guy end up with a rusty zipper & yellow tennis shoes!
I guess I would say I like them. |
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Location: Contrarian Island | they work any time of year.. I tend to throw them more in the spring w water temps going up into the 62-70 range...once they hit 70 I have better luck on top w inline topwaters like topraiders/choppers... don't think they won't work in colder temps in spring they do.. some guys have had really good luck w a weagle worked slow right from opener ... I think I've missed some opportunities in late fall w them... if you have some fish located that won't move or hit much else sometimes a big 10" weagle etc gets them to go... I've seen a few times when they would literally not hit anything else except a zig zag topwatr... never a bad time to throw them really tho water temps under 60 I do think they they get less effective.. but it looks like a dying fish... muskies like easy meals! |
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Posts: 147
Location: Northern New Jersey | Awesome info guys. This is exactly what I wanted to hear. I was on the edge of whether or not I should buy one, now I am definitely adding one or two to the arsenal. |
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Posts: 371
Location: Dixon, IL | I caught 48 inch on Giant Jackpot in early October! |
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Posts: 29
| I caught my personal best on a viper in 53 degree water in October. give them a chance an fish them during classic topwater peak times early morning, late evening. |
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Posts: 243
Location: South Central Wisconsin | I use them in high percentage areas when I'm having a hard time moving fish. Sometimes just slowing down can put a great end to an otherwise slow day. |
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Posts: 2017
| it would take me less time to explain when I don't throw them, they are an excellent choice most days...I rarely throw them with water temps under 48 anymore, tried too many times with limited results, other than that.. I'll throw spring , summer and fall with good results. |
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Posts: 146
Location: Alsip, IL | I have a lot of jackpots and I love throwing them in June. Generally in the morning and again in the evening and only in minimal chop. It is a great search bait. I see a lot of fish while throwing them but as stated before if I land 20% of the fish I see I am very happy. Its also a good throw back lure. Raise a fish on a tail or crank and the toss the jackpot at em. I've stuck a few like that. |
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Posts: 129
Location: North Metro - Twin Cities | With the exception of a few weeks each early fall when the fish really seem to prefer prop baits, a WTD topwater is almost always in the water during fish catching situations. As for hooking percentage on these lures, you can increase your hookups with better hooks, lures that ride a little lower and experience. As for time of the year, opening day until ice up. CM |
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Posts: 1168
| I don't get the idea that the water is "too cold" to throw this type of surface bait or any type of surface bait. I've done a ton of trapping for muskrats and right until lakes freeze over it was very common to see pike and muskies take down smaller muskrats that were swimming on the surface.
My preference isn't a true WTD surface bait but instead I'll use a Hellhound as a surface bait. You can keep them very high in the water column and sure, they won't truly float on top but you can work them in a way where they ride right in the surface layer of water. Incredible search lure with versatility where you can let them run a little deeper and then bring them back up to the surface. Exceptional for working over pockets in thick weeds...letting them drop a little into those pockets and back up again to get over weeds. Plus the create a ridiculous amount of commotion that many of your more common WTD surface baits don't. |
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Location: Contrarian Island | Ulbian, I agree, fish can and will hit any bait style/type/size any time of year, there are no rules.... but.... there are also times when certain baits just aren't the most consistent or productive., plain and simple.. while you may catch a fish here and there on top in late fall before ice up...there are simply baits that on avg will produce more hits per hour in the water and that is why we are out there, hits! sorta like how some guys think slow is the key in late fall cold temps but at times I've seen speed being the trigger, simply put muskies don't read magazines or internet boards. |
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