What Should Be My Next Top Water Lure? 2024
Brett's_daddy reply :
Okay, I have decided that my favorite bass fishing technique is top water and have focused on trying to assemble a decent collection that will cover most instances within that technique. For loud, splashy lures I have River2sea Whopper Plopper's in the 90/130 sizes and I have a couple of Jackall Pompadours (the bigger size), for noisy walking lures I have a couple of River2sea Bubble Walker 80's on order, for more subtle walking lures I have a couple of Lucky Craft Sammy 100's. My question is this...if you could get only a couple more lures to round out this collection would you get...
A.) another set of more subtle walking lures like the Duo Realis Pencil 110
B.) a slightly noisier walking bait like the Lucky Craft Gunfish 115
C.) another noisy walking lure like the Evergreen Shower Blows 105/125?
I know, decisions, decisions...of course I'd LOVE to get ALL of them but unfortunately my budget is maxing out along with the wife's patience...lol. Any helpful opinions would be appreciated!!!
EvanT123 reply :
Try a prop bait like a smith wick devils horse.
Sam reply :
Cavitron buzzbaits.
Maico1 reply :
Megabass Pop Max and Grand Siglett.....Deps Buzzjet Jr.
IndianaFinesse reply :
I would highly recommend getting a hollow belly frog to round out your topwater selection. They are extremely versatile, so many people think they are just for heavy surface vegetation but they are just as effective (or more) in open water. They also skip very well, even better than a jig making them great dock skipping lures when the fish retreat to far under docks to hit with the rest of your topwater selection. Although you usually can't see them strike a frog when it's skipped underneath a dock, you can still hear them explode on the surface.
Jaderose reply :
Lot of money in that OP. What's wrong some good ol' Spooks and Pop'r's? Throw in a Jitterbug or 2 and I'm a happy topwater man.
"hamma" reply :
Not to be disrecpectful, but,...
The popular topwaters are: Propbaits, walkers, poppers, and frogs. You seem to have several of one type, and a couple of another. But have yet to round out the rest of the scene. I know confidence is huge, but to not cover your bases is just bad baseball to me.
(forgive me if a whopper plopper is a popper, this old fart has never seen one)
To not have a rebel pop-r or 5,.. is just a blaintant form of bass angling sacriledge in my opinion. lol,.... poppers are probably the number one topwater in my eyes. I dont think I could go fishing without at least a few with different colored bellies. To think of the early morning rippled surface bass you've been missing out on? OMG. Yeah a walker,or prop may work under those conditions, but a popper kills there.
And dont you ever fish weeds? a hollow bodied frog is staple, many years ago I didnt like the "snag proof frog" hookup/catch ratio,...and used a johnsons weedless spoon and a white grub trailer for emerged weeds. But these days?,... there are new and improved frogs that hookup just fine. And seeing as its summertime and a "warm" one at that. Pigs lie in wait under those super thick lilypads, and frogs are the ticket.
If I were you? I'd look into rounding out the topwater scene, as the options you've left on the table, are some of the best offered. period.
Brett's_daddy reply :
The Bubble Walker is a walking/popping type lure. I may add another popper type in the future (actually heard that the KVD Splash is really good as well as the Jackall SK Grande Pop). I do have a hollow bodied frog...a Boo-Yah Pad Crasher...but it's not the best out there and I'm sure that a Spro Dean Rojas Bronzeye 65 OR King Daddy would be MUCH better. How about any of the options I listed...are any of those necessary additions at this point?
r3825 reply :
Absolutely nothing wrong with a pad crasher.
1201vilbig reply :
1/4 oz Yellow Magic Popper - I've worn the paint off of my Bone colored one & probably changed the hooks five times - still catches fish.
BassObsessed reply :
Buzzbaits, Frogs ( many different types), poppers, wakebaits.
Yeajray231 reply :
You can spend 20+ on the fancy "name brand " poppers . But I truly believe the magic comes from YOUR hands. Another vote for the rebel pop r.
I got my PB on a rapala skitter pop. Mid day in the summer. Only cost me about 7 bucks.
So for what it costs for one of the 'high end' lures , you can have 3 different sizes and colors. You're gonna have the people that swear by them , but I bet you whoever your idol is; can catch a hog on a much cheaper popper .
CybrSlydr reply :
I have a Rapala X-Rap Pop - haven't caught anything with it yet, but it performs quite well on the water. Makes plenty of noise, bubbles, etc.
scaleface reply :
I'm going to suggest a Bomber Long A Minnow .. My favorite post spawn top water .
Torn Thumb reply :
I would at least get one Super Spook. A blast to use and they're usually $7-8.I don't know much about the JDM stuff mentioned in the original post other than what I've read here. Couldn't hurt for you to try it.
Jaderose reply :
On 8/28/2016 at 10:08 PM, Brett's_daddy said:I do have a hollow bodied frog...a Boo-Yah Pad Crasher...but it's not the best out there and I'm sure that a Spro Dean Rojas Bronzeye 65 OR King Daddy would be MUCH better.
Ok...wait a minute.....Let me start by saying that only you know what you can afford to spend on fishing gear. If you can afford "The Best" and that is what you want.....go for it. BUT!! ........with that said....bass don't see price tags. Pad Crashers are GREAT frogs and I (and a whole bunch of other folks) throw them all the time. My favorite frog is the Scumfrog Trophy Series. I can afford other frogs but I CATCH A LOT OF FISH with these. I can find them for 4.99 every day of the week. I don't fish cheap. My terminal tackle is the best I can afford. I buy quality lines. and so should you. But spending top dollar on lures will NOT make you a better fisherman. I would love to have a box of Roman Made Swimbaits but that would just be silly. Get some Pop'r's. Get some Jitterbugs for first or last light. Get some Hula Poppers. Throw them. Learn how to work them. There is a REASON they have been around forever. They catch fish and have for a LOOOOOONG time. Everything...and I mean EVERYTHING is a ripoff of a Hula Popper, A jitter bug, a Pop'r , a spook, A Devil Horse, or a Cavitron Buzzbait. My .02.
Off my soapbox.
WRB reply :
Wake bait like a Srpo or MS rat.
Pop-R type like a Splash-It.
Hollow body frog.
Tom
primetime reply :
You should have imo the following types of lures, I am not a brand name guy but some lures have different features and actions that other lures do not replicate.
1-Popper, small, medium best for bass fishing, Sometimes you need that tiny small Popper, a Balsa wood popper like the Skitter pop is necessary imo because no other lure I have used sounds identical to a bluegill. It has a different shape than all the others, the Berkley Frenzy was good buy hard to find now. All Poppers are good, make sure one has a dressed treble hook, that matters some days.
2-Walking lures that are silent, One Knocker, standard rattling. Sound matters, then a Pencil Popper style walking lure like a Chug Bug, Gunfish, Chugn Spook, which then brings to the chugger series of lures with deeper cups. The Rebel Popper is so good because they make 4 sizes, Have all the colors you need, Pradco website offers all the G-Finish lures and I buy inexpensive and expensive lures based on color and if they can do something that is unique.
3- Buzzbaits style lures, Whopper Plopper, but to me, I would never fish topwater without a Torpedo, Bagley's Bang O lure Prop, Rapala X Rap Prop or Devils Horse, then you need a lure that can walk fast like the Rebel T-10 or Ima Skimmer.
4- Wake baits, and Floating Jerkbaits. If you don't have a Floating Rapala and a Jointed Rapala, that is malpractice, they are both balsa lures that are the #1 lure sold in the world for years for a reason. You will never regret that purchase and as a Minnow bait/Rip bait freak, I have yet to find a lure that can do what the Rapala Minnow does except maybe the Older Bang O lures, but size #11 is standard, Bomber Long A 14, 15, Rattling Floating Rogue for stained water, suspend dots help suspend, wake, make them more weedless.
5- Clear water, you need a small clear walking bait imo, clear Zara Spook in the small size. It helps to hit the store to see the sounds, you don't want all your walking lures to be one knockers or loud rattling.
Pick the brands you like since confidence matters, make sure you understand why a lure has light "Cheap looking" hooks on them. You can buy $20 Poppers that have hooks that will bend that are top qualiity, but many of the JDM lures are designed for Japanese lakes where fishing pressure is high, so they go light line, smaller lures alot of the time. People complain about Rebel Hooks which are cheap hooks depending on the model and year made, but if you are throwing a small Rapala or Rebel Popper on 30lb braid, you need to make sure you have your drag set properly. I am sure we have all made that mistake.
If you google, best topwater lures for Bass fishing, You will find articles on the categories and theories, at the end of the day you only need a few, but I would rather start my collection with a lure in all categories, sizes, than have duplicates of $15 lures if that makes sense. The Duo 64 Popper is fantastic, but some days when you here Bluegills popping, I can't think of a lure that I would pull out of my box other than a Skitter Pop, They make small ones and huge ones. Balsa rides high, over weeds, you can get a balsa lure over submerged weeds where most throw frogs.
My last lure.....Kind of my secret bait...The AC Shiner which is hand carved and you can get lucky and find them or $10 or less, New they can be really expensive but on light line, Hard to beat it now matter how you throw it.
Hope that helps. Keep in mind. Only a few OEM's or Factories make Hardbaits, so you start to see why all the lures on the market look similar however they have different colors, hooks, and internals. I used to love the Devil's horse until I switched to the X-Rap Prop which has a few tweaks the Bernie Shultz designed, and those Tweaks work, I have not used the DH in years except for the smaller version. Some days prop baits can outfish any other lure. Torpedo is great, just add split rings. I recently had a day where the Tiny Torpedo was all they would touch, I tried throwing the LC G Splash, An Imakatsu lure that ended up in my box, but the size of the tiny torpedo was the key, color didn't matter, but they would not hit anything longer or fatter. Does not always happen that way, but when it does, $5 small lures come in handy.
primetime reply :
Subtle walking lures would be a Silent no rattles inside.....Silent Spook, I know the older ones do not have any rattles, neither do a few other models, but often Silent will outfish any lure with rattles. I would also not want a pencil walking lure for subtle, but that is just my opinion. A good Silent but productive walking lure is a Red Fin Minnow. Some guy on TV was winning some tournament chucking the 5" Version and it wobbles so wide you can just walk it or wake it, you can modify a Red Fin to do just about anything. Best part is it also comes in 4" or Rippling version which suspends or floats, put short shanks on it, and you only need a few inches of water to use it. If Lakes have Thread fin shad, big shiners, that is my first choice for a hardbait, and wake baits don't always work , but you will know when is the right time fairly quickly.
Lots of guys in Florida throw the big Cordell Pencil Popper which is used more than people would ever know. The Cordell Pencil is big but thin, and when looking for a big bite, hard to beat that as a big topwater. 135 is big.
Dave A reply :
Black Jitterbug or Black buzzbait are my 2 favorite topwater baits followed by Heddon's Spook.
Raul reply :
Megabass Gatta X should be your next top water.
Molay1292 reply :
No top water collection is complete without some form of a Spook. My favorite is the Spook Jr. in Bone White. Inexpensive and very effective.
Don't feel like you have to be in a hurry to purchase everything at once, the fish will be here and so will the baits.
MikeWright reply :
Well they have the Sexy Dawg Jr and regular from SK, IMO the Jr is the perfect size...then there's the Spook and Spook Jr from Heddon, the first bass I caught on top water was with a Rebel Popr. <--Awesome bait. So many colors and sizes to choose from. And if you want a more expensive one than the Rebel Popr you can try the Shibuke Popper from GYM. Than we have the hollow bodied frogs...and you said you had the Boo Yah Pad Crasher? That's an excellent choice, but I like the mini version. Even the soft plastic frogs from Ribbit and SK are pretty good. The options are endless...I say practice the different types of top waters before you pour a bunch of money into it.
But what do I know, I'm stuck on jigs at the moment!!! 
Jaw1 reply :
Don't forget a cheap Zara puppy small but effective and if you can find one get(the one) by paycheck baits. It looks funny but is a fish catching machine but I think it's been discontinued for some reason.
PourMyOwn reply :
Heddon Baby Torpedo is my favorite smallmouth topwater.
Hog Basser reply :
Seriously man, if you're budget is maxing out like you said in the original post, take these guys' advice about very productive and much less expensive lures. I've fished Pop-R's and Spooks with great success my whole life. I've tried a few of the more expensive and unique lures like the WP, but when it comes to the staples of topwater, it's Rebel Pop-R's, Heddon Zara Spooks, and hollow-body frogs. I use the Pad Crashers all the time and they work great! Fish don't care how much you spent and it won't make you a better fisherman to have the best stuff. Spend that money on good line and terminal tackle. One thing I've learned about fishing is, be prepared to lose lures - it hurts much less if you didn't spend $20 on the ones you lose.
primetime reply :
On 8/29/2016 at 11:21 PM, Jaw1 said:Don't forget a cheap Zara puppy small but effective and if you can find one get(the one) by paycheck baits. It looks funny but is a fish catching machine but I think it's been discontinued for some reason.
Good call on the Zara Puppy. I need to start using that lure again, I kind of forgot about the smallest one which I used to use often.
I used to throw a clear zarra Puppy whenever I was fishing clear water or in saltwater. I never thought clear colored lures were good until I watched a friend of mine catch fish after fish on a clear chug bug one day, and now I try to buy clear lures in every category.
I read somewhere that fish can't guage the size of a clear lure which is why it works so well and it is also natural like say a school of glass minnows or fry on the surface which makes sense. If I see shad have a yellow tint, or chart tint, sometimes pink, I will take a spike It pen and just dye the lure which lasts but you can wash it off. You can also paint it black really quick or any color, kind of a nice benefit to clear lures although I never use clear cranks etc. Maybe I should try.
I like some of the small walking baits out there, everyone seems to only talk 100mm Size and larger when Smaller baits can give off just as much action/Sound. Yo-zuri/Duel used to make the Arms series and they had a small pencil popper that is the same size as a Zarra Puppy called the "Walkin' Dog" which has a cupped mouth, thin but can be loud if you want it to be. They also cast a mile with the long cast system Yo-zuri uses. I use that most of the time and go Super Spook Jr size alot. Black head/Chart body is a great stained water choice.
Topwater lures and size makes a big difference imo. One of the only types of lures where I have noticed a difference in shapes, sizes, and color. If I am fishing topwater, I always like to have a Jr. and standard size bait. I never see anyone using small walking baits for Bass, the trend is the big one Knockers.
PourMyOwn reply :
I've had good luck over the years taking paint off of plastic lures with nail polish remover(acetone). Very clear water where I live.
Onvacation reply :
Buzz baits aren't usually budget busters and as others have stated, to me, it is one bait you should probably explore. I get lazy tossing the Whooper Plopper and amazing myself with how well I can walk my Sexy Dawg (trust me, I'm a legend in my own mind), but buzz bait hits are awesome especially when you are working that bait just fast enough to keep it on the water.
I really put frogs in a whole different category since I use a different rod and under different conditions, but those Pad Crashers will do the trick so don't underestimate them.
On a side note, I just switch my top water rod from a 7'3" MHF to a 6'9" MHXF I had. I feel as if I have much more control over the bait.
Yeajray231 reply :
Ha-ha. @Onvacation Trust me in my own mind I'm a legend. Good stuff.
bigbill reply :
Any floating CRANKBAIT can be used topwater. In a 1-2-3 pause presentation. Over submerged weeds too.
Spooks, spooks with props, top props, floating worms, inline spinners, spinnerbaits, Joesflys.
Shop tag sales, flea markets, look for lures.
detroit1 reply :
I can't help but see you sitting there on the back deck, with your 2- 370's open, taking 45 minutes trying to figure out which walker to use. Meanwhile, I've put down my spook and caught 2 on a popper, and now the surface bite is gone , I hope this is not the case.
Robert Riley reply :
Whopper Plopper, Double Whopper Plopper, Savage Duck, Whopper Plopper.
Whopper Plopper.
bagofdonuts reply :
Get a couple buzz baits(black and white), learn how to tweek them to make them run slow v fast. There's a reason they are well known as a big fish bait.
Brett's_daddy reply :
On 9/2/2016 at 3:26 PM, Robert Riley said:Whopper Plopper, Double Whopper Plopper, Savage Duck, Whopper Plopper.
Whopper Plopper.
Yup, have some of these already...Bone and Loon in the 130 and Perch and Blue Blood in the 90. They're awesome!!!
On 9/2/2016 at 9:47 PM, bagofdonuts said:Get a couple buzz baits(black and white), learn how to tweek them to make them run slow v fast. There's a reason they are well known as a big fish bait.
I have a black/blue colored and a white/chartreuse colored Booyah buzz bait. They are being used on a spinning setup and I've had a hard time keeping them on top of the water, not sure if my reel just isn't fast enough (6.2:1 gear ratio) or maybe I'm holding my rod wrong? Whichever is the case they seem to run just under the surface of the water but not on top where they should be.
J Francho reply :
Spinning reels generally take up more line per turn than a baitcaster. That said, I throw buzzbaits on a casting rig, and the reel I use is a relatively slow reel, around 24 IPT. A buzzbait runs just sub surface, with only the blade breaking the surface.
Ratherbfishing reply :
I didn't see any prop baits in your list. Gotta get yourself a devil's horse or a tiny torpedo (or several of each).
Brett's_daddy reply :
On 9/3/2016 at 2:10 AM, Ratherbfishing said:I didn't see any prop baits in your list. Gotta get yourself a devil's horse or a tiny torpedo (or several of each).
wouldn't a whopper plopper and a pompadour be considered prop baits? I mean they both have pieces on them that spin like a prop.
Ratherbfishing reply :
On 9/3/2016 at 2:14 AM, Brett's_daddy said:
I didn't see any prop baits in your list. Gotta get yourself a devil's horse or a baby torpedo (or several of each).
On 9/3/2016 at 2:14 AM, Brett's_daddy said:wouldn't a whopper plopper and a pompadour be considered prop baits? I mean they both have pieces on them that spin like a prop.
It is a prop bait... but only kinda sorta. A torpedo, for instance, has a much different "action" than a Whopper Plopper. Both have their place but google the Heddon Torpedo and you'll see what I mean.
bagofdonuts reply :
The problem with spinning tackle for buzz baits isn't the retrieve speed its that it throws slack with the cast. The slack causes the buzz bait to sink initially making it hard to get it back on top. You want the buzz bait on top from the moment it hits the water. You'll get most of your hits in the first few feet, so if your buzz bait isn't working in the first few feet you've missed the game.
Outdoor Zack reply :
Heddeon torpedo in whatever size you want, they will eat any of them. Or one of the rebel topwaters like the pop n' frog, frog r, or pop r.
Like others have said, you can get several different colors or varieties of the 'common man lures' for the price of a single whopper plopper, pompadour, or other 'high end' topwater. The jitterbug , pop r, heddon torpedo, and others are classics for a reason.
Brett's_daddy reply :
On 9/3/2016 at 2:10 AM, Ratherbfishing said:
I didn't see any prop baits in your list. Gotta get yourself a devil's horse or a tiny torpedo (or several of each).
I took your advice here and just picked up a couple of Baby Torpedo's, one in Black Shore Minnow and the other white with red head. I was wavering between the Tiny and the Baby and opted for the bigger lure but am second guessing myself now as when i go to YouTube to watch videos of these almost everything is about the Tiny and not the Baby...did i make the wrong choice in sizes?
Fun4Me reply :
I throw Buzz Baits on a 7 to 1 casting combo and find it much easier than when I was using it on spinning gear. The Buzz bait is also my number one producer of large Bass since about mid summer.
Ratherbfishing reply :
On 9/7/2016 at 1:51 AM, Brett's_daddy said:I took your advice here and just picked up a couple of Baby Torpedo's, one in Black Shore Minnow and the other white with red head. I was wavering between the Tiny and the Baby and opted for the bigger lure but am second guessing myself now as when i go to YouTube to watch videos of these almost everything is about the Tiny and not the Baby...did i make the wrong choice in sizes?
There is no wrong choice-particularly since the size difference is so miniscule. You will be happy with the baby torp, too.
I wouldn't worry excessively about making the wrong choice-unless you went for some monstrous musky-size bait.
RHuff reply :
That stick bait that came in Lucky Tacklebox a few months ago has been killing it for me! It's the Boyd Duckett design walk the dog popper. That thing zigzagging with the occasional pop and gurgle has produced some killer blowups for me lately.
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