Top Water

[Bass Magnet]

When Should i start using top water bait

[Phil Lilley]

When the water temp reaches about 60+ about mid May.

[Top Dog]

I'm relatively new to Table Rock, but last year I started throwing top water in early to mid April, and by mid May I already boated at least 25 - 30 top water spots off deep channel bends. The super spook landed most my fish including 2 doubles, but the pop R, and sammy continued to bring in 3 -5 lb spots all the way through the summer. I can't seem to get enough top water most the time, so when I got tired of losing my baits in the trees or snagged in the rocks I'd go right back to my spook. I found I would catch fish well throughout the day not just in the first morning hours. Of course let the fish tell you when they want to feed on top. Always keep a top water rod rigged up and handy, cause I can't tell you how many fish I caught chasing bait while I was dragging a caroling rig or finesse worm on the bottom. If you see the chase going down, plop your spook anywhere near the scene and you'll catch that big boy.

[SKMO]

I'm relatively new to Table Rock, but last year I started throwing top water in early to mid April, and by mid May I already boated at least 25 - 30 top water spots off deep channel bends. The super spook landed most my fish including 2 doubles, but the pop R, and sammy continued to bring in 3 -5 lb spots all the way through the summer. I can't seem to get enough top water most the time, so when I got tired of losing my baits in the trees or snagged in the rocks I'd go right back to my spook. I found I would catch fish well throughout the day not just in the first morning hours. Of course let the fish tell you when they want to feed on top. Always keep a top water rod rigged up and handy, cause I can't tell you how many fish I caught chasing bait while I was dragging a caroling rig or finesse worm on the bottom. If you see the chase going down, plop your spook anywhere near the scene and you'll catch that big boy.

In my experience decent topwater bite can start as early as early april, but it does not seem to work that way every year. There have been times that the sunrise to 8am bite on topwater has been very dependable during mid-April spawn. A very good TR fisherman showed me how to do this a few years ago, targeting isolated wood on large open gravel flats. I'm talking open flats with logs or treetops every hundred feet or more, not standing timber. When it is good early season it seems like every piece of wood in 4-8' of water has a bass parked at the base waiting for a topwater.

Also in my experience and my opinion the best, most dependable topwater bite (at least on the west half of TR) is post spawn, whole month of May to mid-June. Get out before sunrise and park at the mouth of a spawning cove, preferably a gravelly flat with a roll off to deep water. You should experience 45 minutes to 2 hours of very good if not tremendous topwater action, but it can shut off quick on clear days when the sun hits the water. Expect to catch LM, spots, and white bass all mixed together. In late May when the threadfin make their spawning runs on the shoreline and all the planets line up 2 guys can boat 50 fish in a morning. Granted the majority will be short fish but tons of fun nonetheless. (PS largest topwater LM I ever caught was at high noon. Was running down the lake May 19 and saw whites blowing up on a well known hump. Blew in and cut the motor and caught the fish of the day while my partner boated a couple whites).

Doesn't matter what conventional wisdom says, if you fell like throwing it do so on and off during the day, mixing it up with your other presentations. May not catch great numbers but a great way to meet up with a toad.

[Bass Magnet]

What kind of top watwer lure would you reccomend

[SKMO]

What kind of top watwer lure would you reccomend

When searching for fish w/topwater I use "walk the dog" type hard baits like a Spook or Sammy 90% of the time, popper type baits like Spittin Image or Pop-R the rest.

When they are busting shad on top they will usually hit anything you throw in front of them. Either of the above works great. Also Fluke type plastics work well when they are surfacing and you do not have to contend with trebel hooks which can be a plus at times.