Top Water Baits 2024

Sharkbite reply :

Hey Guys

I been looking around for a good top water bait to use in the river. I has the Rapala Frog popper but lost I am thinking about trying a Hula popper. I heard these are great for night fishing Small Mouth and Large. Any ody use them I would love to hear some feeds back

SuskyDude reply :

Sharkbite-

I can't help but notice that you've been having difficulty catching smallies on the deleware, and you keep on asking WHAT kind of baits you should be using. The WHERE is far more inportant. River smallies can be very aggressive, more so, in my opinion, than their still water brothers. The WHAT usually doen't matter too much when you know WHERE to put the WHAT! I'm not saying WHAT doesn't matter, put I think its lower on the pecking order.

To answer your topwater question. I like poppers in the daytime. Anything with a shallow cup and a recessed bottom lip. I like Yo-Zuri ZZ POPs. Worked fast, with the rod tip low, they skitter across the water, spitin' and sprayin' as they go. At night, a 5/8 oz jitterbug, slowly crawled, is hard to beat.

However, you can throw these all day long till your arms fall off, but you won't catch a thing if they aren't there.

Oh yeah, hula poppers will work too, but not my favorite on the river. Too much "glug", not enough "spit". Worked with the rod tip high, they spit pretty good, but can be fussy.

Sharkbite reply :

ok Bro thanx. I seen some small bass inthe area but your rite I need to find them first. I am going to fish alot of areas that have current breaking by rocks I understand thats some of there favorite structure in the river

SuskyDude reply :

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ok Bro thanx. I seen some small bass inthe area but your rite I need to find them first. I am going to fish alot of areas that have current breaking by rocks I understand thats some of there favorite structure in the river

Now you're thinkin! Remember though, not all current breaks are created equal. For example, access to deep water is often key. How deep is deep? Deep enough that you can't see the bottom from above.

The more you get out and fish different areas, the more you'll see how the structural elements of the river affect the way the current flows. Start catching a few smallies, and you'll start to put it together.

Smallies use different current situations at different times.

There are many different current situations, all of them are dictated by structure (or in some cases cover, like a log jam, or pile of rocks).

The variables in fishing are uncountable, add the unstatic nature of a river (always changing:dropping, rising, over time holes become bars and vice versa, you get the idea) and trying to narrow it down can be a daunting task. But....

One thing you can count on is that the river always flows, water always travels the path of least resistance, the bottom of the river always dictates that path, and smallies always use the flowing water to their advantage.

Of course, how smallies use the flow to their advantage can change! But if you remember the constants above, get out there and pound the river with confidence, you'll begin to see how and why smallies use different current situations (and structure) with each different variable (be it river conditions, temp., time of year etc). The more you catch, the more the pattern will reveal itself.

Do this grasshopper, and you will be spanking smallmouths like it it's going out of style in no time. ;D Promise.

roadwarrior reply :

One of the biggest smallmouth I didn't catch

was fooled by a full-size Zara Spook! Don't

let "size" scare you away. Big fish like big meals.

Dan: reply :

Great advice, SuskyDude.

For river smallies, my favorites are spooks and prop baits. Remember that in many areas, smallmouth are more likely to hit topwaters in the daytime than largemouth. I have caught lots of smallies in small, fairly shallow rivers in the middle of a summer day.

jaystraw reply :

Black Jitterbug. Any size, but the bigger one with the two trebles is my favorite..is that the 5/8th?

Heddon Torpedo in baby bass.

I've caught my biggest smallies on both those baits and they are consistant producers. Especially at dusk. Good luck!

SuskyDude reply :

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Remember that in many areas, smallmouth are more likely to hit topwaters in the daytime than largemouth. I have caught lots of smallies in small, fairly shallow rivers in the middle of a summer day.

Couldn't agree more. My favorite search bait in the summer time, especially when the water is low, is the above mentioned popper. I focus on the fastest, nastiest chutes and riffles, the ones you wouldn't want wade in (be carfeul!) from morning until evening. Many big fish hang in these well oxygenated, "fast food conveyor belts." You gotta set your drag a little loose though. Big fish, FAST water, you get the idea.

MNGeorge reply :

Quote

Quote
Remember that in many areas, smallmouth are more likely to hit topwaters in the daytime than largemouth. I have caught lots of smallies in small, fairly shallow rivers in the middle of a summer day.

Couldn't agree more. My favorite search bait in the summer time, especially when the water is low, is the above mentioned popper. I focus on the fastest, nastiest chutes and riffles, the ones you wouldn't want wade in (be carfeul!) from morning until evening. Many big fish hang in these well oxygenated, "fast food conveyor belts." You gotta set your drag a little loose though. Big fish, FAST water, you get the idea.

Add a fast moving buzzbait to your arsenal when fishing that fast water, but be sure you're holding on to your rod because the strikes will not be tentative. We especially like a double buzzer because it will stay upright in the fast water even at the fastest retrieves and a lot of times the fastest retrieves produce the best results.

Sam reply :

Last smallie I caught was on a buzzbait off a dock in the Historic James River adjacent to my American Legion Post around 6:30 PM while I was waiting for the meeting to start in October, '07.

I threw the buzzbait into the river over some grass; let it sink to the bottom; and then ripped it to the surface. He hit it before it reached the surface.

Fun fish with a lot of fight.

Sharkbite reply :

Hey Guys do you have a link for the Jitter Bugs?

fishnaddiction reply :

heddon tiny torpedos work great heres a link to an article on using them in rivers http://www.bassintips.com/article_riversmallmouthsecrets.html

Sharkbite reply :

ok I am going to order the torpedo which color works best? What about the jitter bugs

Sharkbite reply :

Hey guys I've checked Tackle Warehouse, *** and cabellas and can't find jitter bugs I've never seen one so maybe I've missed it. Are they soft baits or what????

Alpster reply :

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Hey guys I've checked Tackle Warehouse, *** and cabellas and can't find jitter bugs I've never seen one so maybe I've missed it. Are they soft baits or what????

Here ya go.......

http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10151&catalogId=10001&langId=-1&partNumber=1694&hvarTarget=search&cmCat=SearchResults

Ronnie

Sharkbite reply :

OK thank alot bro looks great. I'll get them and the article was posted about the river bass was great

jaystraw reply :

I just caught my fist topwater fish yesterday on the Tiny Torpedo in Baby bass. It was a LM, but a good sized one.

Sharkbite reply :

Dam great catch bro was it at night what was the temp of the water there?

jaystraw reply :

I'm not sure of the water temp becasue we were in a jon boat with no electronics. I'd say around 62-65 though from how they were biting.

Topwater turned on in the early AM for a bit, and really on just after dark...8:00-8:30pm.

Sharkbite reply :

ok I am going to get some of these torpedos. How did you work it in the water

jaystraw reply :

I normally do best with a slow retrieve with some pauses. This night the fish wanted a short pull, pause a few seconds, short pull, pause a few seconds...WHAM!

Also, this fish hit it like a shark actually coming OUT of the water to get it. A lot of times they just suck it down from below. This one hit it like a tiny great white. It was so cool.

bigbill reply :

Top water action is the best!!!!!

My lures are as follows;

1. BPS topnocker

2. Bomber FAT A in redapplecraw size 05 (slow topwater they float)

3. Rebel crawfish lure in chatruse (slow topwater they float)

4. Panther martin size 06 with orange/red trailer(slow reeled)

5. Mepps inline spinners silver blade /brown trailer size 2 or 3(slow reeled)

6. Topedo's 2" size just rip and pause and repeat it exactly.

7. Joes Flies Bass size 1/4oz

Using inlines I keep my rod straight up and reel slow just enough to keep my bait on the surface. In rivers i let my inlines go over rocks into the pools were the fish are.

But in rivers here the Rebel crawfish crank is the best lure because there are crawfish shells all over the shore.(plentiful)

Sharkbite reply :

Ok great bro thank you I will do my home work and get some. This has been a great topic

Sharkbite reply :

Hey guy's I got a deal on E bay. I got 4 Tiny Torpedos at $25.00 I can't wait to get em.

zachvii reply :

I caught a smallie this last weekend that was 2lbs and it hit the torpedo on a steady retrieve. The water was only 55 degree's....Just goes to show you can catch top water fish even when the water is cold!

Aluma-Bass reply :

rapala x-rap subwalk...works great in upper james for smallies! walk the dog action just few inches under surface! killer explosions on this thing!

wisturkeyhunter reply :

I like spooks the regular sized one worked steady with a walking the dog retrieve. Also like number 11 or 13 original floater rapala cast it out let the surface calm down twitch it and real in the slack then twitch it again vary the time between twitches to find what the fish want. Devils horse and other prop baits are also good as are poppers.

Sharkbite reply :

Hey guys what is walking the dog retreival

bpm2000 reply :

Sharkbite reply :

I'll have to watch later I am at work

raystownangler reply :

i live right along a river and i had alot of good nights fishing jitterbugs but in the day i found that the zell pop and heddon tiny torpedos does the best

Sharkbite reply :

Do you live alone the Delaware I would love to find a local fishing buddy. I have just gotton The Torpedos and a Hula Popper I live in Phillipsburg NJ 5 min from the Del.

wisturkeyhunter reply :

Walk the dog is making the bait walk across the surface in a zig zag pattern. Spooks do it almost on there own with a little practice.

Shadrac reply :

Tiny Torpedoes are a favorite top water bait for nearly everything that bites- I caught a catfish one afternoon on a frog colored one.

Earlier in the thread there was a question about torpedo colors

1) Bullfrog

2) Black shore minnow (can be hard to find but shouldn't be)

3) Baby Bass

Shadrac

Davis reply :

Hey I Shark I know your asking about topwater. But my buddy Denea and I have both had 30+ smallie days on our local creek/river fishing from the bank. He had his 30+ a couple weeks ago and I had mine on Saturday in a span of 4 hours.

The ticket? 5" Gary Yamamoto Grubs. Denea was using Chartruse colored ones and I was using Green Pumpkin ones. I was rigging them texas style weightless with a 2/0 EWG hook. You can swim them or jig them back to shore.

If you can't catch smallies on them than there not there.

Top water hard baits can be good for smallies but if you want to slay them than I would stay with the plastics for now until you get the hang of it.

Another tip....a lot of my bass where being caught in less than 3 foot of water next to rocks and small ledges. A ton of smallies were on gravel beds either still spawning (suprised me) or just finished up. Hope this helps in your conquest to kick some smallie rump.

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