There is nothing like the excitement of the strike a topwater can generate. Topwater fishing is the only way in which a fisherman can witness the entire fish catching process from the strike to landing the fish. For one split second the fish has entered our world and if the angler can show some patience and resist the urge to set the hook without feeling the fish first there will be one for the livewell.

For the serious fisherman topwater usage has to be more than just casual. It has to be used more than just early morning or late in the day. Topwater fishing has to have a tactical approach just like any other lure we use. You have to understand its strengths and weaknesses. By this I mean bass fisherman tend to think we’re talking about cloudy days with little to no chop on the water. Most rule out those surface baits under bright, clear skies.

Lets talk about the different types of topwaters and the preferred usage for each. Stickbaits are more suited for those clear, bright days in the postspawn. Bass have moved from the spawning areas and are relating to key structures. Under these conditions when you need to call the fish to your bait use the stickbait. This is the lure that gave us the term, "walk to dog." With its side-to-side action achieved by pointing your rod tip toward the water and to the side, then with a rhythmic cadence twitch the rod tip and turn the reel handle half a turn. With each twitch turn the bait moves from left to right. Work it over and near cover pausing occasionally for a couple of seconds. Bass following the lure will often hit when it stops or just after it starts moving again. Stickbaits have a reputation for generating violent strikes from bass; they don’t just want to eat it they want to destroy it.

Buzzbaits are more suited in stained waters when bass need a little help to locate the lure. The disturbance caused by the prop of the buzzbait can give this help. These lures feature one or two large buzzer blades that rotate when the lure is retrieved on the surface, creating a loud sputtering noise. Buzzbaits aren’t totally weedless but can be fished over and around structure where as the others will get hung up. Buzzbaits are great around shallow cover like stumps, laydowns, bushes and grassbeds. Buzzbaits are considered by most big fish lures. I like to throw buzzbaits on a 6’6" or 7’ rod with a fast retrieve reel, on 14 to 17 lb. test. If I’m in weedbeds, I’ll use 50 to 65 lb. braided line.

Poppers are very good to use when you need to stay in the strike zone longer. These baits can be cast out and left alone for a long period of time. Most of the poppers today have a feather tail which have some movement all its own. Use these baits in grassbeds with holes or pockets in them. Work the bait over the top of one of these holes and let it sit, then give it a quick jerk without reeling in any line. This will give the lure the action without moving it from the strike zone. Use a 6’6" medium action rod with 14 to 17 lb. test.

Chugger can be used much in the same way as poppers, but really shine when bass are in an aggressive mood and are worked fairly quickly over submerged grassbeds or shallow flats. These lure are a favorite of mine in fall fishing for schooling bass on main lake points. I use the same rod and line as the poppers.

Frogs and rats are as exciting as the buzzbait, with one big difference. These baits can be used in the heaviest of cover, like lily pads, milfoil, hydrilla or those dense mats that have bass hiding from the sun on those hot summer days.

Make long casts into the thickest stuff you can find and work the frog or rat right out to the edge of the cover you’re fishing and hold on. These are great search baits in lily pads; once you find them you can slow down with a jig. I use a 7’ rod; fast retrieve reel, and 50 to 65 lb. test braid for these masters of the scum.

Soft jerkbaits are lures that are so versatile there is a place for this lure under every circumstance. So when all else fails tie one on and see what happens. I like a white soft jerkbait in the springtime when the bass are getting ready to spawn. You can work it close to the surface with a steady retrieve or dead stick it on the bed. This is also a very weedless lure that should be used in all weedbeds. I use a 6’ 6" medium action rod with 14 to 17 lb. test.

These are a couple of my all time favorites and the times in which I use them. Don’t overlook the topwater bait; not only is it exciting, it will also produce a limit under the right conditions and whatever you do don’t limit yourself to early and late in the day. I have taken some big fish at high noon on all of these lures.