Not too many things fire up an angler more than seeing a fish destroy a topwater lure! Whether it be a buzz bait, walking bait, frog, or other topwater lure, seeing that sudden splash or GULP on the surface makes for an exciting day on the water.
For this article we're going to cover three lures that are top performers when it comes to catching bass on the surface. Check out the below sections for some tips and tricks to help you see some topwater action this year!
#1 Walking Baits
In most topwater fishing circumstances, it's tough to beat a walking bait. Often called a "spook", walking baits are those that zigzag back and forth on the surface during the retrieve.
This is accomplished by lightly twitching your rod to produce an erratic swaying motion of the lure. The only time you're actually reeling is to retrieve slack line in between each twitch of the rod.
Understanding how much slack line you need during the retrieve is the trick to properly fishing walking baits. You'll know that you're doing it right when you see your lure zig-zagging across the surface.
TIP: In most cases you can steadily retrieve walking baits back and get the fish to bite. If you go a while without getting any bites, try and pause the lure for 3-5 seconds in between every 5-10 twitches of the rod tip. This may be all it takes to trigger a reaction strike from lethargic bass.
See below for the walking baits that we have tied on our topwater setups...
Strike King KVD Sexy Dawg: https://amzn.to/3Lp693j
Strike King KVD Sexy Dawg Jr.: https://amzn.to/3NhcijI
#2 Buzzbaits
These lures make for easy topwater fishing thanks to how easy it is to fish them.
Cast them out, reel them in. It's that simple!
One important thing to remember when fishing a buzzbait is to begin your retrieve as soon as the lure hits the water.
Buzzbaits by nature sink. By beginning your retrieve the very instant the lure hits the water you will be able to keep the lure on top of the surface and buzzing right away which is needed for the bait to function properly.
TIP: There is a small collar behind the blade of a buzzbait. One way to add some additional noise to your lure is to take a pair of pliers and slightly squeeze the collar. This will give the lure a unique squeaking sound on the retrieve.
Look no further than BOOYAH buzzbaits (https://amzn.to/3sAB4TJ) for more topwater strikes
#3 Frogs
There are two basic types of topwater frogs that we'll cover as well as an overview of how to fish them.
Soft plastic frogs
These lures are typically Texas-rigged with a wide gap offset hook and fished on a steady retrieve. These lures are great options when fishing grassy areas or places with rocks and timber protruding out of the water creating obstacles for your lure to bounce off of or go around.
Most of these lures are equipped with paddle tail legs so its important to keep the lure moving to produce the best sound and action. Play around with speeds and random twitching of the lure to figure out what gets the fish to bite.
Soft plastic frog gear...
Gamakatsu 25 Pack EWG Offset Worm Hook (1/0): https://amzn.to/3MlUOm9
Stanley SRF-218 Original Ribbit Frog Fishing Lure (5 Count): https://amzn.to/3ldWfXV
Hollow body frogs
These are the ultimate weedless topwater fishing lure and can also be casted a long, long ways. Hollow body frogs are great for fishing hard to reach areas that would cause you to get hung up when fishing other baits.
These lures work great around thick topwater vegetation such as grass and lily pads.
Your retrieve can vary but do you best to allow your wrist and rod movement to work the lure as opposed to too much reeling. Try and only use your reel to retrieve slack line.
TIP: When fishing around lily pads, do your best to actually hop the frog up on the lily pad. If a bass is close by this may be all it needs to be tricked in to thinking your lure is the real thing! Give it a few seconds then drag the frog off the lily pad and be ready to set the hook!
Stock your frog tackle box with these two go-to lures from BOOYAH...
BOOYAH Pad Crasher Topwater Bass Fishing Hollow Body Frog: https://amzn.to/3Lk31pq
BOOYAH Poppin' Pad Crasher Topwater Bass Fishing Hollow Body Frog: https://amzn.to/3wigR7u
Happy fishing y'all!
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