Fishing on top?

I'm sure this is a dumb question, but . . . When is it more beneficial to
use a lure that stays close to the top of the water?

Karen C.

For me, never. I can't get bit on topwater to save my life - never!

Warren

"Karen C." wrote in message
...
I'm sure this is a dumb question, but . . . When is it more beneficial to
use a lure that stays close to the top of the water?

Karen C.

Karen,

Not a dumb question at all, because truthfully there is no hard and fast
rule for when to throw a topwater and when not to throw one.
One thing to pay attention to is water temperature. Temp is very
regional, but you want to match the activity level of the bass to the
type of top water you use. It doesn't mean if the water is 40 degrees
you can't catch them on the surface, it just means you have to match the
surface bait to the mood of the fish.
One of the most obvious situations is when you are witnessing surface
activity, such as bass smashing shad on the surface, or maybe you just
notice little dimples of shat or bluegills eating insects on the
surface. That is probably the easiest situation when making a decision
whether to fish a top water or not.
Next you have shallow areas with lanes in between say wood or weeds, you
can run a surface bait in those lanes and hit the "edge" areas that fish
use as ambush points. One thing i like to do is picture hiding spots,
be it weeds edges, shadows, or stumps, and just imagine where that fish
will be sitting in order to maximize his hunting potential.
Next you have a HUGE mat of weeds or lily pads. You just throw out a
frog (Horny toads are a favorite here, and work really good) and
retrieve it across the surface. Healthy surface weeds usually imply a
certain temperature range, and therefore give you a good opportunity to
catch fish.
Also, here in Wisconsin on Lake Michigan, the water is gin clear, and
people throw spinnerbaits over 25 to 30 feet of water and get smallmouth
bass to move vertically 15 feet to hit them. So you are not confined
to shallow water areas either.
So as you can see , there are almost always topwater opportunities.
Except for the very early spring, I always have a zara spook rigged and
on the deck.
Hope this helps.

Chris
Karen C. wrote:
I'm sure this is a dumb question, but . . . When is it more beneficial to
use a lure that stays close to the top of the water?

Karen C.

WARREN WOLK wrote:
For me, never. I can't get bit on topwater to save my life - never!

Warren

Oh man, you're missing one of the biggest thrills in bass fishing.
Toss a deer hair frog on top of a lily pad, give it a little
twitch to pull it into the water, and then watch the explosion
as old bucketmouth sucks it down in the middle of a wall of water.
And smallmouth are almost always willing to hit a popping bug
early and late in the day.

--
Ken Fortenberry

Maybe they're willing for you Ken, but I own hundreds of topwaters & have
tried them all at various times, but I can't buy a fish on any of them;
Rest-assured, nobody you know yearns for a hot topwater bite more than I.
For some strange, odd reason I just can't seem to get in the right place at
the right time, but it's not for lack of trying.

Warren

"Ken Fortenberry" wrote in message
news
WARREN WOLK wrote:
For me, never. I can't get bit on topwater to save my life - never!

Warren

Oh man, you're missing one of the biggest thrills in bass fishing.
Toss a deer hair frog on top of a lily pad, give it a little
twitch to pull it into the water, and then watch the explosion
as old bucketmouth sucks it down in the middle of a wall of water.
And smallmouth are almost always willing to hit a popping bug
early and late in the day.

--
Ken Fortenberry

Ken,

I have also taken the fly rod out on Winnebago throwing #8 Teeny Nymphs
and in the morning just hammered the smallies (up to 17"), well after
they stopped hitting my conventional equipment.
If I had the balls I would come out and throw #20 dries for them as
well, just for the heck of it. I am thinking any kind of top water fly
would be a blast!

Chris
Ken Fortenberry wrote:
WARREN WOLK wrote:
For me, never. I can't get bit on topwater to save my life - never!

Warren

Oh man, you're missing one of the biggest thrills in bass fishing.
Toss a deer hair frog on top of a lily pad, give it a little
twitch to pull it into the water, and then watch the explosion
as old bucketmouth sucks it down in the middle of a wall of water.
And smallmouth are almost always willing to hit a popping bug
early and late in the day.

I like fishing on top all day long. I love to see the lure and the
fish strike it. Generally I fish it in the morning when the lake is
fairly calm in a depth to about 15 feet. When I get a strike usually
it's just after the lure hits the water. Sometimes the bait doesn't
even move and the fish hit it. I have found that the I catch most of
the fish is when I can land the lure beside the log, dock or brush,
just sit it there and twitch it slightly. After the wind starts
blowing around more and there is more of a chop on the water I will
start to head below the surface. I heard Angelo Viola's radio show
interview with the 2 guys that won the CFN tournament in Barrie Ontario
for 100,000 dollars they used top water during the day in about 20 feet
of water to win. White Buzz baits, chuggers and jerk baits are awesome
don't' give up on them.

Depending on how hard the wind is blowing, but when there is a light
chop on the water, a buzzbait is deadly!
Muskoka Fisherman wrote:
I like fishing on top all day long. I love to see the lure and the
fish strike it. Generally I fish it in the morning when the lake is
fairly calm in a depth to about 15 feet. When I get a strike usually
it's just after the lure hits the water. Sometimes the bait doesn't
even move and the fish hit it. I have found that the I catch most of
the fish is when I can land the lure beside the log, dock or brush,
just sit it there and twitch it slightly. After the wind starts
blowing around more and there is more of a chop on the water I will
start to head below the surface. I heard Angelo Viola's radio show
interview with the 2 guys that won the CFN tournament in Barrie Ontario
for 100,000 dollars they used top water during the day in about 20 feet
of water to win. White Buzz baits, chuggers and jerk baits are awesome
don't' give up on them.

"WARREN WOLK" wrote in message
news:AzdQg.29$Fh.4@trnddc07...
Maybe they're willing for you Ken, but I own hundreds of topwaters & have
tried them all at various times, but I can't buy a fish on any of them;
Rest-assured, nobody you know yearns for a hot topwater bite more than I.
For some strange, odd reason I just can't seem to get in the right place
at the right time, but it's not for lack of trying.

Warren

Warren,

If you are ever out west in the summer time I'll take you out and we will
find some topwater fish. I got a good summer evening spot, and several
summer morning spots that have varying degrees of activity.

For shear numbers of bass my two best bites in the last couple years have
been on topwater and drop shot rigs respectively. My biggest fish have come
from wacky rigging senkos and flipping heavy cover.


--
Bob La Londe
Fishing Arizona & The Colorado River
Fishing Forums & Contests
http://www.YumaBassMan.com




--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

Karen C. wrote:
I'm sure this is a dumb question, but . . . When is it more beneficial to
use a lure that stays close to the top of the water?

Karen C.


I was fishing with my brother on the bank of Theewaterskloof dam one
evening in Autumn. I'd had a good afternoon having out-fished him 2 to 1
.. My job done, I thought I could take a load off and a planted myself on
a large boulder that was almost fully submerged in about 15 feet of
water. My big toe was tracing tiny wakes on the surface of the water and
the sunset over the mountains was awing me with a truly magnificent
display of vivid pastel hues. There was even a flight of waterfowl
winging lazily through the heavens if I recall correctly.


Now my rod was lying next to me and was rigged with a chrome Zara spook
that was just on the surface of the dam. I had been enjoying all this
along with Conlan's mounting frustration at being comprehensively
whipped by his younger brother when there was a loud commotion about 3
inches from my submerged big toe. Being one of those days in which I
could do no wrong on the water, I grabbed the rod before it was pulled
in and somehow managed to land the beautiful 3lb largemouth.

In short I love surface lures.