Top water lures

[splashhopper]

I had a blast with that buzzfrog that someone mentioned here a few days ago...

 

So now, I wanna buy a few different types...

I was given an old tackle box of lures a few weeks ago that has some hoola poppers( black and a white one) and jitterbugs( green and a yellow) in em..( lady was throwing em out at a house that my friend was doing a junk removal at.

 

I tried the Jitter bugs(green) to no avail so far.

 

Haven't tried the Hula Popper yet.

 

Questions please:

 

1) Which top water baits do you all use?

 

2) What type of fish are you targeting with them?

 

3) Why do you use them for those particular fish?

 

 

Thanks...

 

Splashhopper

 

 

PS.... I discovered that top water fishing and float fishing have something in common for a guy like me.

 

No ADDHD happening in the anticipation of a strike! lol

[muddler]

I've just about just about all the top water lures out there. My favourite open water surface lures are, Chug Bugs (even the Dollar store knock off - just change the hooks), Poppers (any type), jitterbuggs.

For weeddy watter I like weedles Rats, and plastic frogs, Moss Boss and a big 10-12 inch plastic worm rigged weedless. Buzz baits are great for fishing weeds too.

 

I make my own Jumbo pork frogs and fish these on weed mats with a a weedless 2/0 hook. If there is a small opening in the weed mat I'll let the frog slowly sink out of sight. watch the line for any twich on the line. I do the same this with large plastic worms (sinking not floating). The floating worms rigged weedles (10-12 inches) look like a snake and can be stopped in the middle of a weed patch, often with explosive results.

 

I use top water lures when the water is calm (mostly early morning and evening). A heavy chop doesn't work for me.

 

I try ever retieve . I usually start witha a slow stop and go stop and go twitch. If tha doesn't get result the I speed up the retrieve. Buzz baits have a continuous retrive or they sink. Lures tha float, I will cast out and let all the ripple disappear before I move the lure.

 

I use 30 lb braided line as it floats also. Always wait that couple of seconds after a strike to 'feel' the fish before setting the hook.

 

Make SURE that your hooks are stcky sharp.

 

muddler

[BillM]

Greatest topwater lure ever, Zara Spook

 

I catch everything on them, pike, bass even muskie.. simple to use, very weedless for what it is, drives fish insane.

[Jer]

I'm a Pop'R man mostly. I've tried all sorts of different poppers over the years and always come back to the Pop'R. It comes in a variety of shapes, sizes and colours. All of them work.

 

Another good topwater bait to try is the Tiny Torpedo. Zip it accross in short pulls or simply retrieve constant like a buzzbait (or any combination).

 

I've also got a Spro-frog like the one in your other post and like it a lot for the heavy cover. You can chuck it anywhere, a bit tougher to get a hook-up, but any bait on top of the slop will get missed more than not.

 

Enjoy your new topwater addiction. you'll find you're throwing topwater even when you shouldn't be, it's such a blast. Be wary of pike & musky, you'll probably lose a few baits if they're around. I usually get more musky strikes when topwater bassin' then when I throw the big musky baits.

[timmeh]

Enjoy your new topwater addiction. you'll find you're throwing topwater even when you shouldn't be, it's such a blast.

 

 

So true, hit one fish and you don't want to throw anything else.

[kennyman]

Storm chug bug. Try it. You'll like it. Why ? Because fish eat it up. They go nuts for the gurgle/pop/rattle it makes when you put slack in your line and give it a quick jerk , give it a second or two and pop it again. A quick note .......... when you first cast it, let it sit there for at least five seconds,longer is better, after that a sharp tug, glurp ... and let it sit again. I get most of my hits within the first few pops. Another thing, this is the hardest part, wait a second after the fish hits to set the hook. I've missed a few by instantly reacting. It's hard not to, but you'll hook more fish if yo can just hang on that extra little bit. Heres a pic. Looks like a frog I guess. Works on bass,pike ............ heck I've even caught walleye on it. The hooks they come with are thin and sharp so keep'em that way and watch out when your unhooking them or you'll be on the end of the lure too (been there,done that, got the t-shirt). Lastly have fun, there's nothing better than perfectly calm water just about sunset, everything is silent except the glurp of the topwater, and then BANG, hang on !!!

[splashhopper]

went out tonight at a local pond just down the street from me...

 

two swipes... nothing tugged the line...no worries....

 

I am going back out in the am before work... my wife is gone at 5 am.. and I will be gone at 5:05 am

 

keep the tips coming guys... i am writing down the lures too.. .still have a $50.00 gift certificate to burn up. from Fathers day.

 

splashhopper

[ciceri]

I like my rapala skitter pop, motzuo has a nice popper as well. And rubber weedless frogs and mice work magic.

[barracuda]

Lucky Craft Sammy 85 in open water, Spro Bronzeye Popping Frog in cover, and the odd popper when more sound is needed. All twitched sporadically with some pauses in between.

[EC1]

Storm chug bug. Try it. You'll like it. Why ? Because fish eat it up. They go nuts for the gurgle/pop/rattle it makes when you put slack in your line and give it a quick jerk , give it a second or two and pop it again.

 

YES X100! The storm chug bug just caught me about 30 fish in the last couple of days! Get gold with orange and a black top!

They are also probably the best value at under 5 bucks for the topwater.

 

I also hear a lot about these Zara Spooks, and the xrap subwalk probably would be a really good choice!

[Musky or Specks]

Well no one is talking about throwing topwaters to real fish so I'm a big fan of the Jackpot and the Doc. Two walk the dog style of baits for musky fishing. If you think top water action is addicting for baitfish wait till you have a 50" plus musky blow up on a topwater. I use them frequently not just in hopes of catching a fish but also to get fish to show themselves so I can come back later and fish them with a different bait. Heres the bait working

 

 

3:35 mark on below video

 

Edited June 30, 2009 by Musky or Specks

[Woodsman]

Scum Frog for bass & pike around weeds and lily pads. Found the black with yellow skirt the most productive colour for me.

 

Rick

[Chugger]

Another vote for the Chug Bug...

[LucG]

I'm surprised that one of the best topwater lures I have ever used is not listed in a single post above.

 

It's called the Crazy Crawler made by Heddon.

 

 

They come in three different colours and in two sizes. Its hinged wing like fins open up against the water giving the lure a right to left wobble effect. At the same time making a very attractive bloop bloop bloop bloop noise.

 

I've caught everything from small panfish, to large northerns on this lure, but I mainly use it for its extreme effectivness on bass.

 

This lure works best when the water is extremely calm.

 

Has anyone else out there used this phenomenal lure??????

[Roy]

I've been using them for more than 50 years. Here's everything you want to know about them.

 

http://www.crazycrawler.jp/tackle/lure/cc/cce.html

[LucG]

I've been using them for more than 50 years. Here's everything you want to know about them.

 

http://www.crazycrawler.jp/tackle/lure/cc/cce.html

 

Very Cool! I had no idea they were so old, and that there were so many colour variations.

 

I've got to get my hand on more, especially that chipmunk model.

[Rattletrap2]

I'm partial to the Pop'R for Bass myself! All of the poppers, chuggers, and such will work, but I keep going back to ol' faithful!!

There is nothing like bringing mule Smallies up out of 15 to 20 fow to smash a popper!

 

I also like to toss a black/blue skirted buzzbait over weed beds. At night, or in very low light, be sure to give black coloured baits a shot. They silhouette against the night sky and are easier for the Bass to hone in on.

 

In all cases with topwater baits, a good approach is to cast the bait out as far as you can from the boat, let the circles dissipate, and then start a varied retrieve of twitches, pauses, and erratic movements to simulate a wounded prey. I find they smash it on the pause a lot of the time!! Sometimes ripping as buzzbait over weeds can produce good results. You get a reaction or anger type of strike.

 

Enjoy!

[BillM]

I threw a bullfrog coloured one of these bad boys lastnight for a couple of hours. No luck.

 

[suds]

Original floating rapala, 4" long, perch coloured...

 

Try it, you will like it!

 

 

cheers

[IGotWorms]

My votes:

 

Chug Bug #1

Zara Spook #2

Jitterbug a close #3

Top Prop #4 (Great for finding fish, but horrible for getting a hookset).

 

Given what swims in the body of water I fish most often, I wash the chug bug more during the summer than any other lure. By FAR.

[Rich]

I think I throw buzzbaits more than I throw any other lure. Occasionally a spook or a popper get tied on my line, but very rarely.

 

If I'm fishing shallow, I know I can slam bass on a buzzbait.

 

Everyone has their preferences. I used to really like Jitterbugs too.

[fish-miester]

#1 kavatron Buzzbait

#2 Chug bug popper

#3 Spook

#4 soft plastic frog (horny toad)

#5 matzou spit'n sputter popper

[splashhopper]

welll... I had the day off work ..

went in to Canadian Tire for some of those Matzuo HALF PRICE lures this morning...

 

I grabbed four of their top water lures...

 

here is a pic of my VERY FIRST "top-water" (landed) bass.... yeah,,,, i know its small.. but dang...

learning to let them take it down is tough stuff lol

 

Then about "two strikes later" on a different lure, I got this one>>

 

 

 

So, I walked around the pond and started tossing the new Matzuo again, seeing if I could raise any fish in a section I normally wouldn't even try to fish before I got these lures and got this >>

 

When I pulled him up on the deck, it did a death roll and spat the hook( see the line its mouth)

 

I kept on fishing the other side of the pond, over some lillie pads and weeds.... had a blast in them.... I couldn;t ever fish those areas before(no boat .. YET..lol)...

 

I got into two huge bass and they just pulled straight into the weeds....

knarled me up and spat the hooks...

I guess I am gonna have to go to stronger line than the 10lb test I am using now ???

 

Thanks for the support on this thread guys...

 

I am officialy hooked on Top-water fishing...

 

I sure hope this doesn;t mess me up for rainbow trout "float fishing" tacticts

 

Splashhopper

Edited July 1, 2009 by splashhopper

[Burning Babies]

Congrats. A word of advice; loose the snap swivel. Those baits aren't designed to work with a big piece of hardware hanging off their eye. The frog will also pick up more gunk without a direct connection. Most guys I see who fish topwater a lot don't even use split rings, just a direct knot to the eye.

 

And for frog fishing, yup, way heavier. I use 30 lb Spiderwire. Some use 50 lb.

Edited July 1, 2009 by Burning Babies

[splashhopper]

Congrats. A word of advice; loose the snap swivel. Those baits aren't designed to work with a big piece of hardware hanging off their eye. The frog will also pick up more gunk without a direct connection. Most guys I see who fish topwater a lot don't even use split rings, just a direct knot to the eye.

 

Interesting you mentioned losing the snap swivel...

I was wondering if the action of the lure would be different without it..

 

Will give it a try tomorrow... I am going back to that pond for some more "practice" before my buddy and I head up north this weekend with his canoe for another shot at some bigger fish..