Topwater Bite

[bigredbirdfan]

I don't fish TR all that much. I have been reading posts here all year and the only reference to a topwater bite was by Bill Babler a month or so ago and it was a real brief window at daybreak. Has there been any topwater bite since then?

[Whack'emGood]

BRBF-

There should be TONS more topwater talk than what you have found. There are a few guys that fish topwater alot-- and are good fisherman. Their names, specifically, escape me... Sorry I can't help with more specific info... Look for their posts. They are there somewhere. Nobody has been posting good results lately on topwater though.

Whack'em

--- rps, SKMO, Crappie5 are a few that have reported on Topwater and are good fishermen... look for their posts.

[bigredbirdfan]

BRBF-

There should be TONS more topwater talk than what you have found. There are a few guys that fish topwater alot-- and are good fisherman. Their names, specifically, escape me... Sorry I can't help with more specific info... Look for their posts. They are there somewhere. Nobody has been posting good results lately on topwater though.

Whack'em

--- rps, SKMO, Crappie5 are a few that have reported on Topwater and are good fishermen... look for their posts.

Thanks Whack'em

[Crappie5]

BigBird, the top water bite just is not there right now. Right as the sun breaks the horizon in the morning there is a small bite if you are in the right place at the right time. Yesterday morning I caught one 10" LM and one 12 " K on the red fin and that was it. Now We have been catching a few on a buzz bait just right before dark in the bushes. We actually had 2 keeper Lm Sunday evening up the white river on a black buzz bait out of some bushes on a point. Mostly jigs and Drop Shotting is catching all my fish right now. I'm getting ready to start whizzing the spoon though.

[skeeterp]

BigBird, the top water bite just is not there right now. Right as the sun breaks the horizon in the morning there is a small bite if you are in the right place at the right time. Yesterday morning I caught one 10" LM and one 12 " K on the red fin and that was it. Now We have been catching a few on a buzz bait just right before dark in the bushes. We actually had 2 keeper Lm Sunday evening up the white river on a black buzz bait out of some bushes on a point. Mostly jigs and Drop Shotting is catching all my fish right now. I'm getting ready to start whizzing the spoon though.

NitroNick ( fishes outts a Nitro ) and I put in at Eagle Rock at 6:30 a.m. on Saturday and we went directly to the bank across from Eagle Rock and caught 5 on Chug Bug, the fog was rolling in so we headed towards Owls Creek, we stopped at the bend before Owls Creek and caught 4 or 5 more on that bank and they started schooling out in the middle, we chased schoolies until about 11:00, we had 42 fish total all on topwater accept for 2 on a grub that I threw at the schoolies. We then went to Roaring River and caught 8 more to round out 50. 48 TW fish and 2 on grub. We left at 11:30 because it started raining and I had to be home by 1. I did the same thing 2 weeks ago with my 13 year old son, same places, we caught about 15, he missed several, so did I, he is just learning how to throw Topwater. We only had one keeper LM, 1 keeper spot, 1 nice smallmouth and all the rest were spots from 8-14 inches....lotsa fun.

[skeeterp]

NitroNick ( fishes outts a Nitro ) and I put in at Eagle Rock at 6:30 a.m. on Saturday and we went directly to the bank across from Eagle Rock and caught 5 on Chug Bug, the fog was rolling in so we headed towards Owls Creek, we stopped at the bend before Owls Creek and caught 4 or 5 more on that bank and they started schooling out in the middle, we chased schoolies until about 11:00, we had 42 fish total all on topwater accept for 2 on a grub that I threw at the schoolies. We then went to Roaring River and caught 8 more to round out 50. 48 TW fish and 2 on grub. We left at 11:30 because it started raining and I had to be home by 1. I did the same thing 2 weeks ago with my 13 year old son, same places, we caught about 15, he missed several, so did I, he is just learning how to throw Topwater. We only had one keeper LM, 1 keeper spot, 1 nice smallmouth and all the rest were spots from 8-14 inches....lotsa fun.

also forgot to mention, many of the fish we caught spit up about 5-6 small 1-2inch bait fish, but one of the fish nitronick caught spit up a huge crawdad on the deck. attached is a pic of it, you cant tell but the crawdad was bright orange, good to know if you're jig fishing.

[techo]

Holy Cow SkeeterP. I am guessing you fish out of a Skeeter? Me too! That is some good fishing. The ones we caught Sunday were spittin up orange crawdads too. Of course our trailers went that color too! I had fish busting the surface all around me in the evening, but I couldn't get them to chase or hit the red fin or any other top water bait. Top water is my favorite, but haven't had as much luck this year as past years. Even the spring was not good top water for us.

[Don House]

Guy's I had a hard time finding surfacing fish around the DAM both ways West toward K/C and South towards Arkansas Line this year. There are some spots in the back of the main lake creeks that have fish surfacing on those same small bait fish 1 - 2 inch at best. Now the fish up here stopped spitting up crawfish, just bait fish now.

When I find those fish breaking and they won't hit the normal topwater baits, there is one thing that I do, Down size your bait to a 3 inch baby chug bug in chrome with blue back, shad silver or Frog color. Put on Medium spinning rod and reel with 10 pound test and have fun! Alot of little fish but some nice ones mixed in.. One Problem if no clouds get out early on the water and get that window at first light or even last light besides that nothing. Cloudy days look for breaking fish cast to them small jerks and pops, another pattern on cloudy days when there is nothing breaking in the big water then move into creek arms looking for laydowns in the water run the same bait right by and hang on.

It's just about time for these guys to really school up now and once we get them schooled I think the topwater everyone has been looking will come to life in the main lake creeks, don' t forget to try the flukes and other soft jerkbaits, you can get them smaller they work well in a large school of fish.

Table Rock is getting ready to roll into fall and great Spinnerbait, Spoon, Drop Shot, Football Jig, it really gets me fired up, love this time of year.

Good Fishing Everyone

Don

[bigredbirdfan]

Thanks all.

[rps]

BRBF:

Whackem was nice to mention me as a topwater fisherman. He was even kinder to say I know something. He is right that topwater is my preference. I always have one or more on my rods. Having said that, I am sad to report this has not been the best topwater year on TR. It has been a good fishing year, just not a good topwater year.

In past years, for me, September has been the start of chug bug (or pop-r, or spittin image) time. I start with a throw, let the rings die, begin a medium quick moving retrieve, one long pause in the middle of the target water, then a moving retrieve to the boat. That hasn't turned on for me, yet, this year.

In the last two weeks, I have found a few topwater fish in the back of large creeks chasing very small baitfish. Two weeks ago I caught half a dozen or so small fish on a chugbug. Last Sunday I had six fish on a small black Booyah buzz bait with two counter-rotating blades. One fish was a good keeper. The rest were small.

If and when I find a good bite on top, I will share.