Topwaters, which ones and what retrieves? 2024
Idahosmb reply :
Hey guys. First time posting but love reading the forum. I live in Idaho and have a pond near my house with some killer small mouth fishing. No one around here has been able to show me anything though because it is a big area for trout and most people don't even know we have smb around. (So luckily I basically have an awesome smb fishery all to myself) I have been self taught from the internet and this last year had lots of success on jerkbaits, in line spinners, and crank baits. I want to get into topwaters with hopes to find some bigger bass this next year however. What will be my best topwater types, colors, brands, and what retrieves are best on them?
JWall14 reply :
Poppers (megabass) and whopper poppers are smallie killers!
But they will eat just about any topwater.
OkobojiEagle reply :
In order of my preference: walkers, poppers, torpedoes
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TnRiver46 reply :
I’ve never encountered a pond with smallmouth so this may not help much. Around here in shallow flowing rivers/rapids they like top waters to be sitting still and they hit them somewhat gently (weird, I know). A lot of guys can catch trophies drifting deer hair bugs with fly rods. They will still hit things like buzzbaits but dead of summer they apparently like bugs sitting still. In lakes I like walking baits as fast as you can walk them. Not sure why but they like it fast in still water and still in fast water
Idahosmb reply :
On 11/14/2019 at 2:38 AM, TnRiver46 said:I’ve never encountered a pond with smallmouth so this may not help much. Around here in shallow flowing rivers/rapids they like top waters to be sitting still and they hit them somewhat gently (weird, I know). A lot of guys can catch trophies drifting deer hair bugs with fly rods. They will still hit things like buzzbaits but dead of summer they apparently like bugs sitting still. In lakes I like walking baits as fast as you can walk them. Not sure why but they like it fast in still water and still in fast water
Ya well this pond is really big actually practically a small lake. So which walking baits do you prefer?
roadwarrior reply :
MegaBass PopMax, Zara Spook and Lucky Craft Sammy
TnRiver46 reply :
On 11/14/2019 at 3:36 AM, Idahosmb said:Ya well this pond is really big actually practically a small lake. So which walking baits do you prefer?
Well I don’t buy any fishing lure over ten dollars and usually none over 5 so take that into consideration. H20 express TWS is my favorite , unless I can find Zara puppy in the clearance bins for $1. Which happens at wal mart fairly often
Idahosmb reply :
On 11/14/2019 at 1:17 AM, JWall14 said:Poppers (megabass) and whopper poppers are smallie killers!
But they will eat just about any topwater.
So how do you retrieve your Whopper ploppers?
JWall14 reply :
Steady retrieve is best but some days it’s like a popper, jerk and sit.
Cam R reply :
Poppers in bone / whopper plopper in bone / heddon torpedo’s
TnRiver46 reply :
On 11/14/2019 at 6:52 AM, Idahosmb said:So how do you retrieve your Whopper ploppers?
I drag it across the top in such a way that a fish would never dream of striking it
Crestliner2008 reply :
I'd recommend a popper if you have calm conditions. Any brand will do. Pop / pause / pop will get you bit.
With a slight chop, a walking bait can bring them up from even deep drop offs. A steady walking retrieve works best for me.
If a good chop is on the water, then I'd opt for a double prop bait with jerk / stop / jerk type of retrieve.
No doubt about it, smallies love top waters. You just have to experiment with various types & retrieves.
haggard reply :
Whopper Plopper 75 or 90 by River2Sea
These are the smallest/lightest in the lineup at 9/16 oz and 1/2 oz (3 in. and 3.5 in.) respectively. Very versatile. You can swim them back with a constant retrieve, fast or slow depending on what the fish want, or use it more like a popper - give it a twitch and it makes an attractive sound. If it breaks off like mine did, it floats so you still have a chance at recovering it (I did ????)
PopMax by Megabass
Superb quality, beautifully made and painted, and they make a very pronounced "bloip" when you twitch it on the retrieve.
Rage Toad by Strike King
A sinking soft plastic, rigged with the hook coming out of the toad's back, these are great for pads and thick vegetation - drag them across the top, pause them on a pad, pull it into the water, you can swim it on the surface by keeping the rod tip up, or let it sink and swim it back under the surface. Good flapping action on the "feet." Again, very versatile.
If I had to pick one for smallies it would be the Whopper Plopper (75/90, either one).
Finessegenics reply :
I use the Berkley Choppo 90. Its basically a cheaper version of the whopper plopper and it performers great for me. Still, if you want something on the cheaper side any popper will do. My second choice after the Choppo is the Lunkerhunt Popper
Sam reply :
Buzzbaits when their is some chop on the surface.
Whopper Ploppes when the surface is smooth.
Poppers all the time.
Frogs in pads and grass and around cover.
Toads around grass and pads.
And the fish will let you know what they want.
Bluebasser86 reply :
Whopper Ploppper-slow, steady retrieve, just fast enough to get it plopping.
Walking baits-typically walk them as fast as I can for smallmouth.
Poppers (chug bug is my favorite for smallmouth)-pop, pop, pause, the bait should walk while it pops also.
Crawlers-slow, steady retrieve. (pompadour, Deps Buzzjet, and Livingston Walking Boss Part II are my favorites).
ol'crickety reply :
I have caught thousands of smallmouth on F11 Rapalas. They do seem to prefer this color or that, but that color preference changes, so i go with various colors, like orange, yellow, or the plainer ones. I let it land, wait a couple seconds, and then repeat. I do that five or six times and then simply retrieve it. On a retrieve, I'll rarely catch a fish. 80% of my fish come in the first three twitches.
TnRiver46 reply :
On 12/1/2019 at 9:00 AM, ol'crickety said:I have caught thousands of smallmouth on F11 Rapalas. They do seem to prefer this color or that, but that color preference changes, so i go with various colors, like orange, yellow, or the plainer ones. I let it land, wait a couple seconds, and then repeat. I do that five or six times and then simply retrieve it. On a retrieve, I'll rarely catch a fish. 80% of my fish come in the first three twitches.
I know one guy that fishes that exact technique almost exclusively in any water for almost any fish. Is this Gary???? Haha
NYWayfarer reply :
Good advice above.
My favorite topwater bait for Smallmouth Bass is the Whopper Plopper 90 Second place would be a Popper style bait like the PopMax or Rebel Pop R.
More than half the time the Smallies around here hit the topwater baits I throw as they hit the water so any topwater lure will work.
FryDog62 reply :
I prefer the Whopper Plopper 75 over the 90... it’s shorter but deeper than the 90 and sounds crazy but has a deeper sounding plop for its size that fish (especially smb) really like.
Also, if you can’t decide between a popper and a walking bait - try a Storm Arashi Cover Pop. It does both really well. It walks, and every 3rd or so turn it pops... pretty cool.
Summary for me is when I need to cover a lot of water I use the WP... when I am targeting a high percentage spot I throw a Cover Pop as it stays in/near the strike zone so well..
webertime reply :
No mention of a Shower Blow 105? Insane.
stratoliner92 reply :
Lucky Craft Sammy 100 has been my best topwater. Spent the last 2 Summer's in
Minnesota and they crush it. Aurora Ghost Shad is a great color in clear water.
http://www.luckycraft.com/luckycrafthome/Products/topwater/sammy100.htm
RyneB reply :
I fish 4 main topwaters for smallies.
-Plopper 90 in bone or Loon 110
-evergreen Shower Blows in 105 and 125
-Discontinued Lake Fork Magic popper
-megabass pop max and pop max jr
CHIP-MAINE reply :
lol- they all seem to work here in maine. my best one last year was still catching them when i lost it eventhough it didnt have much paint left on it. have found if the fish dont hit during the day in the summer they sometimes will go wild on topwater poppers just about dark and after.got a headlamp for this.
Scott F reply :
I don’t think that any one particular brand or exact lure will out fish every other in all conditions. Learn how to “walk the dog” and pick up a Zara Spook. Get a Rebel Pop-R popper, and a Whopper Plopper in whatever color suits you. Ive also never found any one color that always did better than another.
PourMyOwn reply :
On 12/1/2019 at 9:00 AM, ol'crickety said:I have caught thousands of smallmouth on F11 Rapalas. They do seem to prefer this color or that, but that color preference changes, so i go with various colors, like orange, yellow, or the plainer ones. I let it land, wait a couple seconds, and then repeat. I do that five or six times and then simply retrieve it. On a retrieve, I'll rarely catch a fish. 80% of my fish come in the first three twitches.
Good stuff.
Rapala F11s have been catching bass for ages, I have one tied on when they just roll on a Torpedo rather than attack it.
Michigander reply :
The standout topwater hardbait from the last two years for me has been the Yo-Zuri 3DB Series Pencil 100. It walks the dog without moving very far at all, so it's almost like a popper in that sense.
Bird reply :
Does a floating Jerk bait count as top water ?
SM harrass it here in the rivers, bone no doubt.
Sam reply :
On 11/19/2019 at 1:09 PM, Bluebasser86 said:Whopper Ploppper-slow, steady retrieve, just fast enough to get it plopping.
Walking baits-typically walk them as fast as I can for smallmouth.
Poppers (chug bug is my favorite for smallmouth)-pop, pop, pause, the bait should walk while it pops also.
Crawlers-slow, steady retrieve. (pompadour, Deps Buzzjet, and Livingston Walking Boss Part II are my favorites).
Add to Blue's post:
Buzzbaits fished fast to slow. Just cast and start reeling back.
Frogs presented with a chug-chug rhythm of your choice until the fish tell you what they want.
TBAG reply :
I have the best luck here in the creek with a WP 75 or 90 but prefer the 75. Steady retrieve
Drew03cmc reply :
Honestly, on the rivers and creeks I fish most, they just love walking baits. I can throw anything from a Zara Puppy to a Megabass Dog X Diamante and get hit. When I'm wading, my money is anything from 3.33 to 3.75" around 3/8oz. I'm partial to a couple that are tough to find anymore though. One I have 4 of, the other 5. I have thrown everything from buzzbaits to Whopper Plopper 90s and everything in between. When they don't hit topwater for me, I'm slinging a Tackle HD Hi-Def Craw, either as a finesse jig trailer or rigged solo on the Stealth HD head.
Cdn Angler reply :
On 2/9/2020 at 9:00 AM, Scott F said:I don’t think that any one particular brand or exact lure will out fish every other in all conditions. Learn how to “walk the dog” and pick up a Zara Spook. Get a Rebel Pop-R popper, and a Whopper Plopper in whatever color suits you. Ive also never found any one color that always did better than another.
Agree with this. Nearly any topwater "works" for SMB. Tailor the lure to the conditions (water clarity, chop, are fish feeding actively, water temp etc).
I've had a LOT of SMB strikes on extended pauses. Like sending a text to my wife mid retrieve type pauses. Anywhere from 1 to 30 seconds.
Tizi reply :
I like using small prop baits, like the creek chub injured minnow mostly. I also like using labino rico popper, small jitterbug, #9 rapala, and zara puppy.
Ogandrews reply :
I throw ploppers, poppers, frogs, but walking baits more than anything. Two favorite are the rapala skitter walk and the skitter v, walk has a tighter walk with a knock in it and the V has more of a rolling wider action and is a bigger profile. Both are good for different situations. Also any time I’m around grass I generally will walk a frog. Usually throw the smaller river2sea bullywa but jackal makes a great smaller frog too I’m blanking on the name of it but I can walk that one well too. Most treble hook topwaters I throw on my jerkbait rod which is a st croix 6’8” m xf mojo bass with a curado 70 with 20 lbs maxcuatro to a 8-12lbs mono leader depending on what I’m feeling. For frogs of any size I throw them on a dobyns 7’3” mag heavy Sierra with a curado k and 65lbs maxcuatro straight time the frog. Don’t be afraid of braid to a leader with topwaters, as long as your not using too heavy a rod then it will be fine.
WI_Angler1989 reply :
Whopper Plopper 75 and 90
Super spook jr
Yo-zuri poppers and pencils
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