All I really want is to catch some topwater bass

[breeves2245]

I'm a simple man. I like chunking tiny/baby torpedoes, crazy shad, poppers, spooks, buzz baits, etc for top water bass. I've tried to adapt to these highland lakes around here but the fact of the matter is I just don't care much for using my electronics to determine if the fish are holding in 15 or 30 FOW. Figure out how long I need to let the Ned rig drop before retrieving. I just want to ease out at first light, throw my preferred assortment for three to four hours and get back to the house. 

Just retired so I got the time now. Think I'll concentrate on heading to south Arkansas, maybe East Texas. But for the times I want to just stay local, where on Beaver is my best choice for top water? I usually launch at Prairie Creek and hit Bear/Deer island. Had some success the last few years but figure there are better areas. 

Any advice is appreciated. 

 

 

[Quillback]

That's a hard one to answer as it has been my experience that every year I seem to find a TW bite in different areas than in the past.  I like to launch out of Indian creek early in the AM and go looking for it.  Helps to have a calm morning so that you can spot them from a long ways away.  I'm usually looking for stripers, but sometimes the black bass will be around the stripers.  

Loch Lomond and Windsor usually have a good TW bite in late summer into the fall.  It only lasts for a couple of hours early in the AM.  The fish are cagey, finesse top waters usually work the best, but lately I just throw Keitechs at them.  It was really good on Lomond last September.

 

[bferg]

I ALWAYS have a top water tied on.  Mainly a Storm Arashi top Walker but a few others...  The main difference in these lakes vs. what I fished in the past is where I find the topwater fish.  I am used to fishing topwater shallow- and while that is certainly an option at time- my best topwater action at these lakes come on long tapering main lake points.  And I have seen insane frenzies there.  There are a few points I can almost always count on finding topwater fish in the morning and late in the evening.  I have fished the prairie creek area a lot- when it is good it is really good but I usually struggle there.  My most consistent topwater bites have been near the dam area- indian creek and the state park.  

At the end of the day the fish on this lake, especially mid and lower lake, feed on roaming schools of shad.  Find the places they can ambush shad and you will most likely find a topwater bite....

[breeves2245]

Thanks for the feedback, much appreciated. If I change up and start heading to Indian Creek, you think Quillback will be ok with me fishing his creek?

[bferg]

On 4/27/2020 at 11:44 AM, breeves2245 said:

Thanks for the feedback, much appreciated. If I change up and start heading to Indian Creek, you think Quillback will be ok with me fishing his creek?

ha!  Actually, even though I have never met him in person, he has been very helpful to me on this forum...  

[snagged in outlet 3]

39 minutes ago, poiuny said:

What kind of dresses or women pants are wear on this site and suggest something that suits on there.

Don't drink and post...😀    

[Gavin]

Go to a river & fish for smallmouth...They LOVE topwater in the summer time!

 

 

[tjm]

4 hours ago, snagged in outlet 3 said:

Don't drink and post...😀    

look at poiuny's other posts, there seems to be  trend, the first post was on thread from 2012 and a similar link so ... do bots drink?

[rps]

@breeves2245 I have rarely fished Beaver, but I fished the next lake down stream for 17 years.

First step, be on the water before the sun rises.

Step two, watch more than you fish. Look for baitfish nipping the surface, oil slicks, dead fish pieces, gulls, and unexpected daytime surface massacres. These are important for things later, not the moment. Remember where each one occurred and the season and the weather at the time.

The buzz bait is a great tool, but really addresses a different pattern. The whopper plopper is great too, but it also is a throw and reel lure. They work and produce, but it seems to me they only find the hungry and totally surprised.

The rest of the time, the top water world belongs to fins, poppers , and walkers.

Bill Babbler has written many times of fins, where, and when. I gave up on finding fins, but the Berkley jointed Surge Shad gets you most of the way there. Search his redfin posts and learn 90% of what you need to know.

I understand your affection for torpedoes. I learned to fish seriously in Canada with my Father and we fished torpedoes and Mepps. That does not mean they work the best here in NE Oklahoma and NW Arkansas. Instead, I suggest you narrow your choices to two basics. Spooks and poppers that you can walk.

Take a chrome spooks and put good hooks on them. If you can, add a light feather to the tail. Buy the Sixth Sense Splash Back. The spook is for straight walking. Cast, twitch once to move the nose to the side, then again to change, then start the pattern.

With the walking popper, start the same,  continue the patient pattern for a bit, then stop and plop one or two times before you start again.

Look for flats with an edge that drops into a channel, flats bisected by a small creek or old road, bluff ends, and pockets in longer shorelines.

Good luck.

[EzFishN]

Top water in my opinion works best when water temp starts 58F - 70F. After that it's only the super aggressive fish. I haven't had any luck on whopper ploppers, fairly certain they scare the fish. Seems like a muddy/color water specifically. 

Use big spooks for top watter, or poppers. If you must be on Beaver (terrible bass lake in my opinion), find the flooded timber areas of Indian Creek, Rambo, Big Clifty, Rocky Branch brush around islands, Mont Ne, if you need to be on the main water. When working main lake, second points, coves, I find it best to work on calm or slightly windy days, I usually let my boat drift around this timber being quiet as possible. Spooks allow you to have a long presentation time. It's super slow fishing. 

Otherwise, go straight up War Eagle arm of the creek, best large mouth fishing in my opinion. Flats, Creeks, Timber, Shad, Colored Water, Oxygen, Plants! 

Grand Lake is close by, 50 min to Pryor, OK. Good ol muddy water fishing, tie on a white buzz bait go have fun like you are fishing farm ponds. Have a good lake map / gps, watch for giant stumps. Stay in channel when traveling. 

Tight lines!