As temperatures increase, bass move towards cooler zones of the lake by retreating deeper channels or hugging submerged brush, and this is when skilled anglers find success using topwater lures.
Variations in retrieve speed are one way to provoke reactions from bass. Twitching your rod tip creates irregular action similar to wounded prey and may prompt strikes from bass.
Choosing the Best Topwater Lure
Most anglers would agree that one of the most exciting experiences while fishing is seeing a topwater lure skitter across the surface and be hit by an explosive strike from a fish – however, understanding which lure selection and presentation techniques work is also vital for success.
Selecting the ideal topwater lure depends on a range of factors, such as current conditions, lure size and shape, the environment and time of day when targeting predatory fish, as well as which topwater lures are available with different actions that fish find more alluring than others. Thankfully, there is an assortment of topwater lures on the market which offer something suitable.
Walking-style topwater lures like the popper or Heddon Lucky 13 are great lures to throw all summer long in clear waters, particularly around schooling fish. For subtler action try short fat topwaters with twin propellors or lipless models; both can sashay back and forth across the surface while triggering fish with gentle pops of your rod tip.
Chuggers and poppers can be effective lures to cast around boulders, logs and openings in weed beds. On rough days when waves or wind make detection more challenging for bass to detect lures on the surface. Each lure contains rattles to generate noise that cause fish to strike at them.
Buzzbaits like the Rat-L-Trap or Super Rat are another favorite among bass anglers. To use one effectively, keep it high in the water and use fast twitching motion to work it with it – this causes its darting and wiggling surface action before returning quickly back to its starting point.
Timing Dawn or Dusk Action Periods
Bass are less active during high light conditions and rely more on ambush tactics when feeding, making low light periods like dawn and dusk ideal times to fish topwater. Anglers usually find the best action around full moon times; however, an angler’s window of opportunity could extend well past August.
Temperature can play an essential part in topwater fishing success; hot days can push bass offshore where cooler waters provide more comfort. Water temperature also has an impactful role to play when it comes to clarity: clearer waters allow bass to see lures more readily while murky or stained waters often require louder lures for visibility.
When fishing topwater lures for bass, look for dense vegetation where cover provides cool and stable oxygen while food sources are nearby. These areas also make excellent ambush points since bass may seek shelter beneath thick mats of vegetation or shaded docks to wait out passing prey before ambushing it themselves.
Check for bass activity between 5:30 and 8:30 a.m. during this low-light period; they have had all night to rest up and warm to their optimal feeding temperature, providing ample opportunity to find hungry bass!
At dusk, it is wise to target areas from 30 minutes before sunset until approximately one hour after dark. At this time of day, bass have been feeding all day in shallows before heading home for the evening – an ideal opportunity for targeting grass cover with plastic worms like Cotton Cordell C10 Redfin which can be fished at virtually any speed.
Reading Structure and Weedline Hot Spots
Bass will often move deeper into weed lines during the dog days of summer to ambush prey more effectively and hunt more efficiently while still enjoying warmer water temperatures. To locate these areas, look for key changes that set certain sections apart from others: these could include changes in direction (curve or sand patch), drop off depth changes or increases, proximity to deep water bodies or different structures like brush piles or manmade points.
Not only should you search for key changes, but also consider areas with moving water. Bass are known to take shelter along current edges and this time of year that may mean fishing headwaters of reservoirs or even tidal rivers. Look out for old creek channels, main lake wing dams or mouths of tributaries where moving water exists.
When targeting these hot spots, try to be quiet on your boat and make long casts to avoid startling the fish. Keep lures within bass sightlines so they are able to spot it coming up, and ensure they can easily retrieve it; whether using straight-running or walking poppers. When it comes to using frog-style baits dragging through matted vegetation can also work effectively as long as short strokes are used so as not to alarm fish with its presence – this technique works great both smallmouth and largemouth bass species who possess enough muscle power to slam topwater baits with no loss in terms of catchability! This technique works just as effectively when targeting largemouth bass who have more than enough ability to slam topwater lures than expected by their smaller stature!
Mastering Popping and Twitching Retrieves
Topwater lures’ appeal lies in their ability to cause visual and auditory disturbances on the water’s surface, drawing both visual and audial attention from fish alike. Their cacophonous noise appeals to aggressive bass while their chaos draws in reluctant ones too; to make your topwater bait work for you best, learn different popping and twitching retrieves that suit the conditions in your lake.
Popping is a simple technique involving short, erratic rod tip twitches that produce popping sounds and splashes, followed by brief pauses between each twitch so the ripples dissipate. This action simulates injured prey’s unpredictable movements to produce multiple strikes from bass that have congregated on submerged wood or rocks. Popping can be particularly effective at producing results when bass are concentrated together on such locations.
Jerking is a more aggressive form of retrieve that involves longer rod strokes that pull the bait downward or to one side of the angler, using more subtle finesse techniques with worm-like soft plastic lures or stick baits. Due to their slender shape and higher hangup potential, however, fishing jerk baits on light lines for optimal action and less chance of tangling is recommended.
Floating jerkbaits combine the benefits of topwater action, fish-finding abilities of buzzbaits and the weedless properties of worms into one bait. Work these baits steadily across matted grass tops and stop the retrieve at each small opening to allow the bait to drop into pockets below. If your lake contains dense grass cover, consider switching out your popper or chugger’s treble hook for one with only one single weedless hook to reduce hang-ups.
Understanding Bass Activity Shifts Under Heat
Water temperature plays a critical role in how active and where bass fisherman behave during summer heat waves. High temperatures deplete oxygen in shallow areas, prompting bass to seek cooler deeper waters where oxygen-rich waters await them. Clear lakes tend to feature thermoclines of around 25-30 feet deep where bass congregate during midday heat waves – they may huddle on submerged ledges, drop-offs, weed edges or river channels or creek channel mouths before heading deeper to cooler waters for shelter during midday heat waves.
Attractors of bass in these waters include clearer waters that enable them to locate your bait more quickly, giving the bass an easier time hitting its target. Fishing along weedlines, flats or around docks that filter silt is an excellent way to locate these bass hiding out during summer heat waves.
Topwater lures like poppers and frogs will produce some explosive surface action during these periods as bass search for baitfish in this region. In the late afternoon or evening hours, catch bass retreating to deep weed lines, submerged humps or shaded docks along tidal rivers to escape heat while waiting to ambush prey.
Retrieving weightless worms or finesse Texas-rigged stick worms will often produce reaction bites in these conditions. Spinnerbaits or chatterbaits may also work well depending on conditions; just ensure there is enough line on your rod to handle bigger steely fighters! Having the appropriate tackle could mean landing or losing these trophy bass!
