Topwaters in Tournaments

Some of the recent big fisha round here have come on topwater. I usually
throw topwater from launch until they stop hiting topwater in the mornings.
I have done two things that have drastically improved my hook ups and
putting them int he boat on topwater. I switched over to Excalibor rotating
hooks on almost all of my topwater baits, and I switched to a medium light
rod. When they lunge the rod gives instead of the fish lips.

--
** FREE Fishing Lures
** Weekly drawing
** Public Fishing and Boating Forums
** www.YumaBassMan.com


"go-bassn" wrote in message
...
Do you guys throw topwater lures in tournaments? I try my darndest to
avoid
them, and only do it when I'm convinced nothing else will work. Nothing
frustrates me more during competition than seeing a fish try to eat my
lure
& missing, or worse yet "dropping" a fish. My feeling is that the
encounter/boated fish ratio is just far too weak with topwater baits.

Your feelings?

--
Warren

http://www.warrenwolk.com
Http://www.tri-statebassmasters.com
2004 NJ B.A.S.S. Federation State Champions

"go-bassn" wrote in message
...
Do you guys throw topwater lures in tournaments? I try my darndest to
avoid them, and only do it when I'm convinced nothing else will work.
Nothing frustrates me more during competition than seeing a fish try to
eat my lure & missing, or worse yet "dropping" a fish. My feeling is that
the encounter/boated fish ratio is just far too weak with topwater baits.

Your feelings?


One of my single greatest tournament wins came throwing a Pop-R in a
tourney. 10 keepers between my partner and I - no lost fish. Over 20lbs,
in Indiana no less... Second place was 13lbs, third was 2lbs. Guess no one
else was throwing topwater...

I would do it again, if the fish were on a topwater bite... I have never
noticed a significant drop in boated fish because of topwaters. You just
gotta try and keep em from jumping!
--
Andrew Kidd
http://www.amiasoft.com/ - Software for the rest of us!
http://www.rofb.net/ - ROFB Newsgroup Home

Topwaters in Tournaments

Group: rec.outdoors.fishing.bass Date: Sat, Nov 6, 2004, 11:46pm (CST+1)
From: (go-bassn)
Do you guys throw topwater lures in tournaments? I try my darndest to
avoid them, and only do it when I'm convinced nothing else will work.
Nothing frustrates me more during competition than seeing a fish try to
eat my lure & missing, or worse yet "dropping" a fish. My feeling is
that the encounter/boated fish ratio is just far too weak with topwater
baits.
Your feelings?
--
Warren
========
Warren, sometimes a pre-fish will indicate a top water strategy, and
that could give you the fish you need. I believe it's all about finding
what you are confident will put fish on the scale at weigh-in that day.
I think top water is a necessary part of your arsenal, but I also know
that the top water bite is often a more short term thing...so a
secondary strategy is a necessity also. I could accept losing a few with
the top water to get a limit in the well...then go try for the bigger
bite after that. jmo
John

On Sat, 6 Nov 2004 23:46:20 -0500, "go-bassn"
sent into the ether:

Do you guys throw topwater lures in tournaments? I try my darndest to avoid
them, and only do it when I'm convinced nothing else will work. Nothing
frustrates me more during competition than seeing a fish try to eat my lure
& missing, or worse yet "dropping" a fish. My feeling is that the
encounter/boated fish ratio is just far too weak with topwater baits.

Your feelings?
MMM...I have been known to throw a large buzz bait in the late after
noon and just before dusk in tournies. The lakes I threw them on were
well known to me and I found it to be very effective once I started to
hold my rod almost vertical and ignore the bait as I retrieved it. Of
course the surface conditions had to be right for the water I was on
at the time too. I taught one of my secretarys sons to use a buzz
bait this summer. It was fun watching him miss fish after fish. I
let him lose fish until he asked me what he was doing wrong. After
all he is a know it all 18 year old :} Once he understood he should
not look at the bait or do anything until the fish had hooked itself
he began to boat fish. He held the rod almost straight up and was
having a blast catching Bass. I did have to sharpen his hook for him
and I showed him how to put on a grub or twin tail and trailer hook if
he was missing fish.

After I had overcome my tendency to set the hook too soon I really
love to watch Bass grab a large buzz bait!!! I do lose the odd fish
now and then and attribute it to small Bass going after the bait.

As far as other top waters go I very seldom use any of them. The
reason for that is as you stated, I also lost too many fish with short
strikes. The exception to that is on top of weeds/brush/grass/pads
and such.

This summer I found Flukes for the first time and have had success
with them on the top in various situations.

Remove the x for e-mail reply
www.outdoorfrontiers.com

"go-bassn" wrote in message
...
Do you guys throw topwater lures in tournaments? I try my darndest to
avoid them, and only do it when I'm convinced nothing else will work.
Nothing frustrates me more during competition than seeing a fish try to
eat my lure & missing, or worse yet "dropping" a fish. My feeling is that
the encounter/boated fish ratio is just far too weak with topwater baits.

Your feelings?

--
Warren

http://www.warrenwolk.com
Http://www.tri-statebassmasters.com
2004 NJ B.A.S.S. Federation State Champions



I'll use buzzbaits/rats when necessary. Other than that, for largemouth
I'll go with a surgically sharpened Rapala F-11G (their original balsa
stickbait) worked at, or very near the top in the early spring period.

Wether I'm in a tourney or not I allways have a topwater ready on at
least one rod. Which one depends on the lake I'm fishing. I do agree
that the hook-up rate is a little less, but there are some big fish that
I've caught on top.

Some of the recent big fisha round here have come on topwater. I usually
throw topwater from launch until they stop hiting topwater in the mornings.
I have done two things that have drastically improved my hook ups and
putting them int he boat on topwater. I switched over to Excalibor rotating
hooks on almost all of my topwater baits, and I switched to a medium light
rod. When they lunge the rod gives instead of the fish lips.

--
** FREE Fishing Lures
** Weekly drawing
** Public Fishing and Boating Forums
** www.YumaBassMan.com


"go-bassn" wrote in message
...
Do you guys throw topwater lures in tournaments? I try my darndest to
avoid
them, and only do it when I'm convinced nothing else will work. Nothing
frustrates me more during competition than seeing a fish try to eat my
lure
& missing, or worse yet "dropping" a fish. My feeling is that the
encounter/boated fish ratio is just far too weak with topwater baits.

Your feelings?

--
Warren

http://www.warrenwolk.com
Http://www.tri-statebassmasters.com
2004 NJ B.A.S.S. Federation State Champions

"go-bassn" wrote in message
...
Do you guys throw topwater lures in tournaments? I try my darndest to
avoid them, and only do it when I'm convinced nothing else will work.
Nothing frustrates me more during competition than seeing a fish try to
eat my lure & missing, or worse yet "dropping" a fish. My feeling is that
the encounter/boated fish ratio is just far too weak with topwater baits.

Your feelings?


One of my single greatest tournament wins came throwing a Pop-R in a
tourney. 10 keepers between my partner and I - no lost fish. Over 20lbs,
in Indiana no less... Second place was 13lbs, third was 2lbs. Guess no one
else was throwing topwater...

I would do it again, if the fish were on a topwater bite... I have never
noticed a significant drop in boated fish because of topwaters. You just
gotta try and keep em from jumping!
--
Andrew Kidd
http://www.amiasoft.com/ - Software for the rest of us!
http://www.rofb.net/ - ROFB Newsgroup Home

Topwaters in Tournaments

Group: rec.outdoors.fishing.bass Date: Sat, Nov 6, 2004, 11:46pm (CST+1)
From: (go-bassn)
Do you guys throw topwater lures in tournaments? I try my darndest to
avoid them, and only do it when I'm convinced nothing else will work.
Nothing frustrates me more during competition than seeing a fish try to
eat my lure & missing, or worse yet "dropping" a fish. My feeling is
that the encounter/boated fish ratio is just far too weak with topwater
baits.
Your feelings?
--
Warren
========
Warren, sometimes a pre-fish will indicate a top water strategy, and
that could give you the fish you need. I believe it's all about finding
what you are confident will put fish on the scale at weigh-in that day.
I think top water is a necessary part of your arsenal, but I also know
that the top water bite is often a more short term thing...so a
secondary strategy is a necessity also. I could accept losing a few with
the top water to get a limit in the well...then go try for the bigger
bite after that. jmo
John

On Sat, 6 Nov 2004 23:46:20 -0500, "go-bassn"
sent into the ether:

Do you guys throw topwater lures in tournaments? I try my darndest to avoid
them, and only do it when I'm convinced nothing else will work. Nothing
frustrates me more during competition than seeing a fish try to eat my lure
& missing, or worse yet "dropping" a fish. My feeling is that the
encounter/boated fish ratio is just far too weak with topwater baits.

Your feelings?
MMM...I have been known to throw a large buzz bait in the late after
noon and just before dusk in tournies. The lakes I threw them on were
well known to me and I found it to be very effective once I started to
hold my rod almost vertical and ignore the bait as I retrieved it. Of
course the surface conditions had to be right for the water I was on
at the time too. I taught one of my secretarys sons to use a buzz
bait this summer. It was fun watching him miss fish after fish. I
let him lose fish until he asked me what he was doing wrong. After
all he is a know it all 18 year old :} Once he understood he should
not look at the bait or do anything until the fish had hooked itself
he began to boat fish. He held the rod almost straight up and was
having a blast catching Bass. I did have to sharpen his hook for him
and I showed him how to put on a grub or twin tail and trailer hook if
he was missing fish.

After I had overcome my tendency to set the hook too soon I really
love to watch Bass grab a large buzz bait!!! I do lose the odd fish
now and then and attribute it to small Bass going after the bait.

As far as other top waters go I very seldom use any of them. The
reason for that is as you stated, I also lost too many fish with short
strikes. The exception to that is on top of weeds/brush/grass/pads
and such.

This summer I found Flukes for the first time and have had success
with them on the top in various situations.

Remove the x for e-mail reply
www.outdoorfrontiers.com