"go To" Topwater Lure 2024
nrowles reply :
Assuming fishing conditions so all are equal, which is your "Go To"?
Jitterbug seems to work pretty well for me.
ABW reply :
Spook or a frog!
roadwarrior reply :
PopMax
HardcoreBassin reply :
I absolutely LOVE fishing a Zara Spook. There is nothing like seeing a fish explode on a spook.
Slipknot_Fan666 reply :
I like listening to buzzbaits, but I never catch anything on them. The popper normally gets the job done for me.
aavery2 reply :
LC Gunfish in American Shad, or Aurora Black
roadwarrior reply :
On 8/7/2014 at 4:38 AM, aavery2 said:LC Gunfish in American Shad, or Aurora Black
Dang...I purchased this lure two years ago and have never had a strike...I guess it's time to pop the cherry and fish the lure!
aavery2 reply :
On 8/7/2014 at 5:16 AM, roadwarrior said:Dang...I purchased this lure two years ago and have never had a strike...I guess it's time to pop the cherry and fish the lure!
Fantastic bait when there is a top water bite, I prefer them to the spook.
Jar11591 reply :
2.5" Storm ChugBug!
Driftb reply :
Lake fishing, I usually have a buzzbait tied on one rod and it stays there pretty much all season. If the weeds are too heavy or emergent for that, I like a Spro Popping frog. BPS Slim Dog in open water. In the river, I carry and will try (if the fish are looking up) Heddon Spittin Image, Baby Torpedo, Sebile Bonga Minnow, BPS Slim Dog, Storm Chug Bug. I probably carry about 50 other topwater lures that have been favorites at one time or another.
Fish have been feeding on whitefly lately, and when that is happening, the fly rod is the way to go. I like to fish a Yellow Gartside gurgler this time of year, and there are many days I can school a spin fisherman with a fly rod.
papajoe222 reply :
I could state that I've caught more quality smallie a on a SuperSpook than any other top water, but that would be misleading. A Spook is the ONLY top water I catch them on. BTW, it's also the only one they catch me on. My last outing netted four SM over 3lb. and two hooks in my hand
Driftb reply :
Maybe I should spend more time throwing a big lure. There have been years I only threw a long topwaterand although numbers are slightly lower, the top end usually goes up. I usually try what is going to get the most attention from the most fish. When topwater gets bit, I hand it to one of my guests. Funny thing about lure size, though, is that some of my best days for average size have been with a 3" long fly. Last year I had 3 19" fish on one trip, with the fly, among lots of other good fish, during the course of a day that I also rowed 8 miles.
Delaware Valley Tackle reply :
A Pop-R type bait is my go to more out of habit than anything else. I have to remember to throw a spook for smallies.
On 8/7/2014 at 8:48 PM, Driftb said:Lake fishing, I usually have a buzzbait tied on one rod and it stays there pretty much all season. If the weeds are too heavy or emergent for that, I like a Spro Popping frog. BPS Slim Dog in open water. In the river, I carry and will try (if the fish are looking up) Heddon Spittin Image, Baby Torpedo, Sebile Bonga Minnow, BPS Slim Dog, Storm Chug Bug. I probably carry about 50 other topwater lures that have been favorites at one time or another.
Fish have been feeding on whitefly lately, and when that is happening, the fly rod is the way to go. I like to fish a Yellow Gartside gurgler this time of year, and there are many days I can school a spin fisherman with a fly rod.
We have a whitefly hatch here on the West Canada Creek. Drives the trout crazy for sure and draws fishermen from all over. I fished the Delaware up near you a lot when I lived in Milford. Nice water.
fishballer06 reply :
Impossible for me to pick just one. I love fishing spooks and skitter pops. I've been killing the smallmouth on torpedo's. And I love using a jitterbug after dark.
boogie reply :
Hey papajoe222, what is your rod, reel n line set up for fishing smallies n the spooks ?
thx
iabass8 reply :
I catch more smallmouth in popper baits but catch bigger smallies on a buzzbait
fishguy613 reply :
River2Sea Rover, Sammys, Bonnies, Gunfish, Duo Pencil, spooks
OntarioFishingGuy reply :
Tie between an old frog coloured skitter pop with all the paint torn off and a black jitterbug.
iceintheveins reply :
Popper in a lake, buzzbait in a river.
A-Jay reply :
Last season it was a Duo Realis Pencil -
This years it's been the Yellow Magic Japanese Popper
I think it might actually be a little magic too .. . . .
A-Jay
OkobojiEagle reply :
"Assuming that all weather conditions are equal" doesn't help me answer... I choose different baits based on different weather conditions.
BTW... LC Gunfish 95 and Frenzy poppers are great lake baits!
oe
bowhunter63 reply :
If i had to pick one a Pop r
Lund Explorer reply :
Poppers, Prop Baits, or Spooks - Size and action is dependent on what they're feeding on and how much action they'll respond to.
Any serious topwater angler is going to have quick access to all three. They're also going to have a spinnerbait and soft plastic follow-up lure handy as well.
Josh Smith reply :
Spook or Hula Popper if I want to fish slowly. Buzzbait or Jitterbug for faster retrieves and/or after dark.
ol'crickety reply :
F13 orange Rapala.
BigSkyBasser reply :
I love frogging and poppers, but you can't beat walking a spook in the north west.
ColdSVT reply :
Good god...i dont know. I love em all!
I do tend to throw a sammy or vixen more than the other
MichBassMan reply :
On 9/6/2014 at 2:05 PM, bowhunter63 said:If i had to pick one a Pop r
x2
Sam reply :
It depends.
Spring a Cavitron works.
Summer a popper type like a Pop-R or a RICO along with a Zara Spook and the Cavitron, frog and toad.
Fall when the bait fish are their largest a larger topwater like a Chug-Bug, Sammy's along with the Cavitron, frog and toad plus fishing the popper baits slow.
Winter when the water is cold a slow moving Cavitron, frog or a toad.
Of course, the type of topwaters selected will be based on the cover, structure, depth of the water, water temperature, wind, weather conditions, water clarity, amount of pads and grass, wood, a lake, river or pond and most of all - the forage the bass are eating and their size and color.
So my list may be great for eastern Virginia waters while another guy's list will be super for their geographical location.
The bass will tell you what they want and how it is to be presented. This is the fun of bass fishing. Outsmarting those little green monsters.
Turkey sandwich reply :
Spooks and skitter pops have given me a lot of numbers and quality over the years. On top, I've found it's not worth worrying about size as much as find what type of presentation they're chasing and even color. I've oddly enough caught plenty of 8-12 in bass on spooks half their size. The thing is, once you get the hits from the topwater, you've found the fish and you can throw plastics, spinnerbaits, etc behind it and get hits from whatever is schooling or hanging to the cover.
BasshunterJGH reply :
Definitely spooks! Buzzbaits and frogs are some of my favorites as well.
Bluebasser86 reply :
Bone colored Super Spook jr hands down.
Bassun reply :
For smallies, it's hard for me to go away from them Tiny Torpedos if the top water bite is really on. But, I'll also use a broken back rapala and leave it on top for about 30 seconds and get great topwater action too. Sometimes cranking it a few turns then letting it floatback up gets it hammered when it surfaces. (Redeyes seem to really love this action too)
Brock Grigsby67 reply :
I always have luck with spook jrs, then pop-rs, and last ribbits
Weld's Largemouth reply :
scum frog bigfoot
Bluebasser86 reply :
On 11/13/2014 at 9:14 AM, Weld said:scum frog bigfoot
For smallmouth? I know some guys that have caught smallies on toads and a few on frogs, never heard anybody targeting them with frogs though. I bet that's a hoot.
Weld's Largemouth reply :
On 11/13/2014 at 4:19 PM, Bluebasser86 said:For smallmouth? I know some guys that have caught smallies on toads and a few on frogs, never heard anybody targeting them with frogs though. I bet that's a hoot.
Opps didnt see this was smallmouth.. my mistake.. I meant for largemouth... Silly me
Bluebasser86 reply :
On 11/13/2014 at 7:36 PM, Weld said:Opps didnt see this was smallmouth.. my mistake.. I meant for largemouth... Silly me
Dang, I was hoping you had some technique to share with the class to catch smallies on frogs 
Weld's Largemouth reply :
On 11/13/2014 at 8:47 PM, Bluebasser86 said:Dang, I was hoping you had some technique to share with the class to catch smallies on frogs
i've never caught a smallie, but i see no reason why they wouldn't take a frog.
MIbassin reply :
In my favorite lake it is VERY common to catch smallmouth on frogs, my grandpa right before he passed away caught a 5 pound pig on one last year. I have also caught many on frogs!
jitterbug127 reply :
Username might give it away. Really like a spook or frog too. Just switched my frog set up. It is great
HoosierHawgs reply :
The stick bait is the bait of choice for me due to it's versatility. I can make long cast, but I can also cast it accurately on a shorter rod. Just by changing the cadence of my retrieve I am also able to give the fish a different look. You can pull schoolers up from deep water, or fish it around shallow grass. It also represents many different things smallmouth eat, from shad and other baitfish to snakes.
fisherrw reply :
Definently a spook
scaleface reply :
Lunker Lure . Catching smallies on a Buzz bait is as fun as it gets. Try using five inch grubs with a large hook for weight , buzz it and watch out.
TyTheAngler reply :
BUZZBAIT I just recently got into using buzzbaits but now I always have it rigged up. My favorite is the Buzz Plug made by Arbogast.in Frog White belly or Perch. It represents a frog or bait fish perfectly while still displacing water.
adam32 reply :
Buzzbait for sure.
Crestliner2008 reply :
Have had great success over the last 1/2 dozen years, with this inexpensive popper/walk-the-dog plug: It's called a "Pop-R" and is the easiest walk-the-dog top water I've ever used. Versatile too....you just slow down and pop it. Do not know how many LM & SM have fell victim to this bad boy!
fishinMichigan52 reply :
Just reel a jitter bug pause than small twitch than reel but popers work
EvanT123 reply :
On 1/10/2015 at 1:11 AM, Crestliner2008 said:
Is that a Jr. model?
cyclops2 reply :
Not a true top water. Reb & Rap floaters. Close enough.
scaleface reply :
On 1/12/2015 at 11:25 PM, cyclops2 said:Not a true top water. Reb & Rap floaters. Close enough.
I consider them topwaters .
Crestliner2008 reply :
On 1/12/2015 at 10:06 AM, EvanT123 said:Is that a Jr. model?
I believe it is, but I couldn't swear to it. It's not the largest size, I know that much. I fish it on a light action 7' spinning rod with 6# Fireline and a 3' section of mono. Great fun! Especially when you tie into a 3 or 4 lb. largemouth. 
CoreyRK1969 reply :
Depends on the conditions, but usually nothing beats a firetiger rapala skitter pop. Second choice is a buzz bait, but you have to find one with a flexible hook. The bass can't get leverage to throw it.
EvanT123 reply :
On 1/13/2015 at 12:35 AM, Crestliner2008 said:I believe it is, but I couldn't swear to it. It's not the largest size, I know that much. I fish it on a light action 7' spinning rod with 6# Fireline and a 3' section of mono. Great fun! Especially when you tie into a 3 or 4 lb. largemouth.
Thanks I will look into them. The juniors go for about 3x more on the auction site.
Chris186 reply :
My #1 go to top water is a Devils Horse. I have caught more fish on that d**n lure than I have all of my other lures put together, baby brush hog being the exception. I remember one time I was fishing in Maine, it was pouring rain and the wind was blowing like 15-20mph. I must have caught at least 30 smallies on that Devils Horse that day, it was incredible.
Weld's Largemouth reply :
On 1/14/2015 at 12:56 AM, EvanT123 said:Thanks I will look into them. The juniors go for about 3x more on the auction site.
$6 on BPS
http://www.basspro.com/Heddon-Popn-Image-Jr-/product/42536/
Evan_Musky reply :
On 8/7/2014 at 5:44 AM, Jar11591 said:2.5" Storm ChugBug!
Evan_Musky reply :
I like the storm chug bug it is a good mix of a popper and a spook best colors are shad imitators find rocky shores and you'll have a big sow in the boat.
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