Pretty Good Day On The Rock.. Could've Been Better

[Ozark Outdoorsman]

Hey guys hit the water at about 6:45 this morning, and fished a jig for a while on a secondary point and a main lake point.. nothing doing. Drop shotted a couple of different main lake spots.. again nothing doing. Then we picked up and moved towards the back of a wind blown creek arm and it was game on. I pulled in and hit a few docks with a drop shot that I have had success on lately.. nothing but I was noticing a bunch of top water action behind me in the creek channel. I tied on my brand new Sammy 115 and 2nd cast a solid keeper lmb smashed it and halfway back to the boat a battle in sued and another solid keeper tried taking the Sammy out of the hooked fishes mouth. Ended up hooking both of em and got them to the boat and there was 4 other keepers trailing the hooked 2. Went to reach for my next and they both turned and broke 8 lb magnathin like it was no problem.. I was heart broken to see 2 solid fish with my Sammy hooked to each other swim away. Unfortunately they will probably be hooked up untill they tire out and die. Tied a spook on to try to get back into the top water and they wouldn't touch it. Went to spoon and sat the boat in the creek channel and caught 4 more keepers and couple shots. I seen someone land 2 on one crank bait earlier this year and I was very disappointed to see my double swim away. All in all just another great day on TR.

[Champ188]

Wouldn't worry about them dying. With each other to pull against, they were most likely separated within minutes, maybe seconds.

Just a suggestion, but no need to throw topwaters on 8-pound line. Actually, a topwater will perform better on bigger monofilament line such as 15-pound Trilene Big Game. I like to use both a split ring (most quality topwaters come with one) and a smallish snap to get maximum action from the lure.

[CaptainJoe]

I agree with Champ, you do not use 8# test on topwater. I use 15# Spiderwire Invisa-Braid on all of my topwater. It floats and the no stretch lets you move the bait with ease and feel all the action.

[abkeenan]

Champ and Capt Joe are steering you right. I myself use 17# trilene XL mono for my topwater. No reason to use small diameter since they are coming up to smash the bait and its more or less a reaction/feeding type bite. Like Champ said the high float of the higher test mono will make the topwater run better. Those fish probably that were stuck came apart or you would have seen them come back up flaoting to the surface struggling to get that sammy out within a few minutes from them breaking your line.

-Brett

[junkman]

I went last night with the boy to a farm pond. Was actually the first time this year that top water was really working. caught several with one about 5 lbs. Was the first top water bass the boy ever caught. Now he is hooked. And yes when fishing those top water plugs the larger lb line is very favorable. Especially when fishing around weed structure which I seen to do. Bummer on your loss.

[Guest Buck Creek Mike]

I am by no means a master, but I like to use lighter line (8-10lb test)with topwater in order to cast it as far as I can. I have never had a problem breaking off (knock on wood), but i might sing a different tune if I did break off some good ones. I got into the lighter line at Stockton one year when it was gin clear so I could really heave it out there and not have the fish be aware of the boat, I also use a lighter action rod too and set the drag accordingly, just have to fight them a little longer. Then again I have never had two keepers at the same time on it either.

[Ozark Outdoorsman]

I like to use the lightest line I can get away with, but I am going to go to 10 or 12 lb test on that particular rod as I also like to throw lipless baits, and jerk baits on it. I knew right away when I started throwing the TW that the line that was on that reel wasn't fit for a top water. Didn't have a spool with me at the time. I am glad to hear that the Bass should make it, they never did float anywhere in the area as I fished it for another hour or so after I caught them. That whole school of fish was eating the spoon pretty nicely in the creek channel of this particular arm.

[Champ188]

Betcha anything both those fish are fine and someone will probably find them a nice Sammy in the next day or two. LOL. Buck Creek Mike, I grew up in Hot Springs with Mark Davis and he would do like you sometimes when chasing open-water schooling fish and opt for the light line route. He'd take a long, limber spinning rod with 6-pound mono spooled onto a big ol' Zebco Cardinal 4 (you oldtimers like me will remember those old green Cardinals, they were great reels in their day). Mark would tie a Boy Howdy, Devil's Horse or other good-sized topwater on that spinning rod and he could throw the darn thing nearly outta sight to schooling fish. Whoever was in the boat with him was just out of luck because none of the rest of us had a set-up like that.

[Guest Buck Creek Mike]

CHamp, that's kind of my logic on the deal. If I was to go to a fram pond or be fishing a topwater near vegetation or stickups it would be different stroy. I also use a 7'-6" med-light action spinning rod that is forgiving on the hooksets so that you don't rip it away from them, and you just kind of arch the rod until you feel pressure and hopefully the hooks are set at that point (also allows you to cast a country mile). Mark Davis, now that's a guy I don't mind being told I did something that he does!

[magicwormman]

I'm with Captain Joe. I love to throw topwater on braid. It floats and you can throw it a mile. If you have your drag set light, you wont rip it out of their mouth, and can still horse them out of trees if necessary. One of my tricks is a eight foot Loomis, with a large spinning reel, spooled with 10 lb power pro. This line diameter is equal to 2 lb mono. I also use this line for my dropshot, tied to a ball bearing swivel. Than I use 8 lb fluorocarbon to my hook and weight.