Selecting Topwater Lures for Summer Bass Fishing

Topwater fishing is one of the most exciting and rewarding ways to catch bass. When a bass explodes on a topwater lure, it's an unforgettable experience. During the hot summer months, topwater fishing can be especially productive especially under low light conditions.

There are many different types of topwater lures available, so it's important to choose the right one for the situation. 

Here are a few factors to consider when selecting a topwater lure for summer bass fishing:

Lure size: The size of the lure will depend on the size of the bass you're targeting. For smallmouth bass, you'll want a lure that's 2-3 inches long. For largemouth bass, you can use a lure that's 3+ inches long.

Lure action: The action of the lure is also important. Some lures, like poppers, make a lot of noise when they're retrieved. Others, like walking baits, create a more subtle disturbance on the water's surface.

Lure color: The color of the lure can also be important. In clear water, use a natural-colored lure. In dirty water, use a bright-colored lure.

Here are some of the most popular types of topwater lures for summer bass fishing:

Popper: Poppers are one of the most popular topwater lures for bass fishing. They make a loud popping sound when they're retrieved, which can attract bass from a long distance.

Walking bait: Walking baits are another great option for summer bass fishing. They create a walking action on the water's surface, which can imitate a baitfish swimming in shallow water.

Frog: Frogs are a great topwater lure for fishing in heavy vegetation. They have weedless hooks that allow you to fish them in thick weeds without getting hung up.

Buzzbait: Buzzbaits are a good choice for fishing in shallow water with a lot of cover. They create a lot of noise when they're retrieved, which can attract bass from a long distance.

Prop/Plopper baits: Prop and plopper-style baits are a good choice for fishing in open water. They have a propeller or plopper tail that creates a disturbance on the water's surface, which can attract bass from a long distance.

The folks from Sportsman’s Outfitters created an interesting video detailing the differences in topwater baits along with some of their reasons for selecting one type of topwater lure over another.

Take a few minutes to watch and see what I mean…

When to Use a Plopping-style Plug Vs a Buzzbait

Plopping-style lures like the Whopper Plopper or Berkley Choppo and buzzbaits are both topwater lures that are effective for catching bass, but they have different strengths and weaknesses.

Ploppers are a larger, more buoyant lure that creates a big splash and noise when it hits the water. It can be a good choice for fishing in calm to slightly choppy conditions in clear water, as it can attract fish from a distance.

Buzzbaits, on the other hand, have a smaller overall profile and are less buoyant lures that creates a little less disturbance but a higher pitch squealing sound when retrieved across the water. This makes it a good choice for fishing in choppier or stained water conditions when a different commotion may help trigger strikes.

In the following video, MLF/FLW bass pro Matt Stefan explains his thoughts on when to select a plopping bait versus a buzzbait when faced with different conditions while fishing...

Ultimately, the best lure to use will depend on the specific conditions you are fishing in. If you are fishing in calm water with clear visibility, ploppers can be a good choice. When fishing in choppy water or with less water clarity, however, the buzzbait may be a better option. 

Using Topwaters During the Post Spawn

The post spawn is a great time to use topwater lures to catch bass. The fish are still recovering from the spawn and are looking for easy meals. 

Topwater lures can be used to imitate a variety of prey items, such as frogs, insects, and baitfish. Beyond imitating forage, most topwater lures create different sounds and disturbances on the water's surface, ultimately drawing the attention of bass and triggering strikes from otherwise reluctant fish.

Following are several tips to help you improve your topwater fishing during the post-spawn period:

Choose the Right Lure: There are different types of topwater lures, including poppers, ploppers, buzzbaits, and walking baits. Each of these lures has a different surface action, so it's essential to choose the right one for the specific conditions you're fishing. For instance, if the water is calm, a popper or walker might be a great choice, while a buzzbait or plopper would be a great choice for choppy water.

Fish at the Right Time of Day: During the post-spawn period, bass tend to feed actively in the early morning and late afternoon. Fishing during these times can increase your odds of catching more and bigger bass. Although low light hours are often great times for topwaters, don't be afraid to try topwaters in the middle of the day; the results just might shock you.

Use the Right Technique: Different topwater lures require the use of unique retrieves associated with specific topwater types. With a walking bait, for example, you should use a slow, side-to-side retrieve to create a "walking the dog" action. With a popper, you should use short, sharp twitches to create a "popping" response as it moves across the surface.

Vary Your Retrieve: To keep the bass interested, vary your retrieve by changing the speed or pattern. As an example you can pause for a few seconds between twitches or create a "pop-pop-pause" pattern with a popper or change from a steady retrieve with a plopping bait to a stop and go pattern.

Fish over Different Water Depths. Bass will typically be found in shallow water during the early post spawn, therefore look for shallow water areas with cover, such as lily pads, docks, and laydowns. During the latter half of the post spawn, try cover around the first transitional break lines between the shallows and the bass' deeper water summering haunts.

By following these tips, you'll increase your chances of catching more bass and bigger on topwater lures during the post-spawn period. Remember, always be patient and keep experimenting until you find what works best for the waters you fish.

Fishing Poppers for Spring Bass

Fishing for spring bass with poppers is a popular technique among anglers. Poppers imitate the action of a struggling baitfish on the water's surface, attracting bass to strike.

How to Fish Poppers for Spring Bass

When it comes to fishing poppers for spring bass, there are a few tips that you can keep in mind to increase your chances of success:

Choose the right gear: Depending on the size of the popper, they can be fished on either spinning or casting gear. You’ll want to use a 6.5-7.25-ft medium or medium-heavy power, fast action rod and matching reel with 10-17-lb monofilament line that can handle the weight of your popper.

Look for active fish: Bass tend to be more active in the spring, so look for areas where they may be feeding on baitfish near the surface.

Use a slow retrieve: To make your popper look like a natural meal, use a slow and steady retrieve. Start with short, gentle pulls, and increase the speed as needed.

Vary your presentation: If you’re not getting bites, try changing up your presentation. This could mean using a different retrieve cadence, or trying a different popper color/size.

Watch for strikes: When a bass hits your popper, you’ll see a splash or hear a “pop” sound. Be prepared to set the hook after feeling the weight of the bass on your line.

Popular Popper Brands/Models

There are many different brands and models of poppers on the market. Some of the most popular brands include Rebel, Storm, and Rapala. Some of the most popular models include the Rebel Pop-R, the Storm Arashi Cover Pop, and the Rapala Skitter Pop.

Take a moment and watch as Rapala/Storm pro Seth Feider discusses his preferences for springtime popper fishing and how one particular popping bait is a pretty good walking topwater as well...

Using Walking Topwater Baits for Spring Bass

Walking-style topwater baits are one of the most exciting lures to use for spring bass fishing. These baits are designed to mimic the movement of a fleeing baitfish creating a commotion on the surface of the water that can trigger aggressive strikes from hungry or bed-guarding bass.

Start fishing a walking-style topwater bait by casting it out into an area or piece of cover you believe holds bass. These targets range from the outer edges of shallow flats in the early and late spring as bass move from/to deep water or across flats through mid-spring as bass move shallower to feed and spawn.

Working the bait

Once the bait hits the water, wait a few seconds for any ripples to dissipate, and then give the rod tip a sharp twitch. This will cause the bait to dart and zigzag across the surface of the water, imitating the erratic movements of a panicked or dying baitfish.

It's important to keep in mind that bass often strike walking-style topwater baits aggressively, so it's important to be ready for the strike. Keep your rod tip down and be prepared to set the hook quickly when you feel a bass take the bait.

Take a moment and watch as bass pro Brandon Palaniuk gives an on the water demo on where and how he uses walking topwater baits to catch spring bass...

When it comes to choosing a walking-style topwater bait, there are a variety of options available. Some popular choices include the Heddon Zara Spook, the Lucky Craft Sammy, Berkley J-Walker, and the Strike King Sexy Dawg. 

Experiment with different colors and sizes until you find the lure that works best in your local waters.

Fishing the Whopper Plopper for Spring Bass

Spring is a great time for fishing and the Whopper Plopper can be a great lure to use as both bass and prey move into the shallows to feed. 

Here are several tips for using the Whopper Plopper and similar plopper-style baits for spring bass fishing:

Choose the right size plopper and gear: It’s often important to choose the right size Whopper Plopper, when fishing for spring bass. The size of the lure should match the size of the bass forage and gear being used during your spring outing. The #60 size Whopper Plopper is usually best fished with light spinning tackle and when bass are eating small forage; the #75 & #90 sizes fished with medium power casting or spinning gear and when bass are targeting mid-sized forage; and the #110 & #130 sizes should be fished on M/H to H power casting gear when bass are on larger forage or you're targeting larger bass. As with all topwater baits, it's usually best to use either monofilament or braided line when fishing plopper-style baits.

Fishing Old School Prop Baits

Over the last several years, plopper-styple baits dominated much of the news about fishing prop style baits for bass holding on shallow cover. Despite the focus on plopper baits, many bass anglers still rely on more traditional prop baits like the Smithwick Devil's Horse, Cotton Cordell Crazy Shad or Rapala X-Prop.

Take a moment and watch as bass pro Bob Downey explains how he fishes prop baits for shallow bass...

Although Downey states he prefers working the bait with a series of quick pops or burts followed with a dead-stick period, I've had great success on a steady retrieve at times, especially around daybreak and dusk.

Check out the assortment of prop and plopper style baits available via the folks at Omnia Fishing by clicking on the following link:

Props n Plopper Baits

Are Plopping-Style Topwaters Just Summertime Baits?

Ever since the introduction of River2Sea's Whopper Plopper, the popularity of plopping style topwaters skyrocketed. 

Though nothing is more exciting than a bass exploding on a topwater, the action of plopping topwaters draws some of the most eruptive blow-ups many anglers experience elevating the thrill to new heights!

One issue many anglers have with this type of topwater is the misbelief that they are only effective during the warmest months of the year. 

Truth be told, if the bass are up in the shallows searching for something to eat, plopping topwaters like the WP or Berkley Choppo can still trigger some fantastic topwater action throughout the year.

Take a moment and listen as MLF pro Gary Klein describes how he fishes the Choppo for year-round bass catching success:

Looking to add a few plopping or prop baits to your topwater arsenal?

Check out the variety offered by the folks at Omnia Fishing by clicking on the following link:

Great Plopping & Prop Bait Selection

Surface Cranking for Bass?

Do you ever have moments when you're looking for a different power presentation around shallow or  submerged grass?

I know I have and there is one type of bait that I have never even thought of using even though it's been around for decades. 

The wakebait is one lure that can definitely "fit the bill".

And since you normally fish it on a steady or slightly erratic retrieve, it's almost like you're surface cranking for bass :)

Take a moment and listen to bass pro John Cox explain how he uses a wakebait to trigger explosive strikes as he probes the grass flats...

Ready to try the wakebait for shallow cranking?

Rig one up on your favorite rod & braided line, cast around shallow cover, start cranking and hold on!

Selecting the Right Topwater Bait

Given the plethora of topwater baits on the market today, how do you which type to select on any given day?

Noisy?

Quiet?

Prop or not?

Confused?

Take a moment and hear how the folks at Bama Bass decide which topwater to use for the conditions faced when on the water...