Dat one topwater

[guideman]

Whats the matter Matt, don't you want to share with the rest of us?

There are any number of good topwater baits on the market, some are for very calm conditions and other work better with a chop.

Jackpots are on of my favorites but you will miss fish on them. I also like the Topraider, tallywacker, hogwobbler and the creeper.

The hog wobbler and the creepers are at their best in low light or in very calm
conditions. Work them S_L_O_W.....!!!

Believers can also be worked on or just below the surface and can be effective in very choppy water.

Thunderheads from Slam'er work well in all situations, dark/calm, bright/windy they will catch fish.

The key element in fishing a topwater is speed, most anglers just work them to fast, so SLOW IT DOWN!!!!!!

Have fun with your new hobbie and just remember if you hook half the fish you see and land half the fish you hook you are a pretty good topwater angler.

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Ace guide service.
Beautiful Lake Vermilion.
aceguideservice.com
[email protected]

[Steve Foss]

Also, with surface lures it's a good idea to focus on dark solid-colored baits like black, blue and purple.

All you're looking for from the color in a surface lure is a silhoutte, and the lighter the lure, the more it blends into the sky from below, so dark is better. Also, it's not likely fish can make out lure pattern from below with the lure backlit like that, so there's no need to buy fancy patterns, which basically are designged to catch our pocketbooks, not fish.

In fact, I've bought surface bass lures for years on the cheap on clearance, and just spray paint them black, so I don't have to pass up lures on the clearance table I'd otherwise buy if they were the right color, you see.

My sorry array of musky lures (about 12 of them) are all subsurface, too, so I'll be looking at adding two or three surface lures this season, now that I'll be living right next to prime musky water.

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"Worry less, fish more."
Steve Foss
[email protected]

[Pig_sticka]

i am lookin at doing alot of muskie fishing this year, and have the bucktails.
but what topwater is the best, at 15-20 bucks a bait i dont have the money to buy the rack. i heard black was a good color, anything else i should be looking at?
i figured jackpot was a good one, i have a really old bobbie bait(still in original package) but figured i would save it cuz it is from my grandpa.

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my lady says im crazy for fishing every day...i tell her that is the price to pay for a good guy

[David Swenson]

A Top Raider by Bucher Tackle is a good buy. It is a prop bait that is indestructible (will last you a long time). As mentioned by others dark colors are best.

David Swenson
http://muskieguide.homestead.com/

[Pig_sticka]

should i just be sticking with the bucktails?
or is it worth it to use a topwater

[Steve Foss]

A topwater's another tool in the box. Plus, to have a musky/big pike bust a topwater is one of the greatest thrills in fishing.

[CMWINTER]

I would stick by money into plastics (tubes and grubs) before topwaters.

[widetrack]

If you are only going to buy one topwater bait, buy the topraider in black.

I have one that has over 25 muskies to its credit... They are darn near indestructible.

[Guest]

ditto widetrack

[Pig_sticka]

i just got a topraider, couldn't find black but did get a black with a few orange spots.
one of the dealers tried to sell me a top prop type of lure, which really lookied like a peice of dump. i figured i would go with you guys on here and stick with the topraider.
what weather condition is the best for this bait?

[TomWehler]

Fun to see EVERYONE going to BLACK.
This will give me an edge and I'm always looking for an edge.
Spray paint is cheap and the fish don't really care if there are dots or bars or eyes or smiles and fins painted on these lures at night.
LOL
They like Closing in on color during light hours I feel and react to sound more than flash at night.
Knowing how to tune your Musky tools is the very most important weapon you have.
Regaurdless of what you throw.
Knowing what to throw, WHEN is pretty important also.
Having fun is what this is all about and knowing these simple things will really have more fish making a wake behind what ever you throw.
Top water are imatations of Ducks, Muskrats, Loons, Snakes, Minks, Birds, Gulls, Frogs and all that lives on or near the waters edge...
Black is good cause it is a highly visable color when look'en up even at night.
But if you go under water and look up from a fishes point of view, you will see some amazing things.
As far as Topraiders go, Great lure, most of the time.
We have them ALL and they all get chewed.
Some during the day others at night.
Some in Cooler temps at slower speeds other during HOT nights, real slow and easy, others work in the high wind and other love the flat clam creepy nights, Wham there gone.
Reaction bite mostly to the sound and wake they make.
These fish are up looking to EAT, not just follow, so hold on and Hook some FACE!

Topradiers are some what NEW as far as a top water lure goes.
Different techniques call for different lures or maybe your just tired of this $20 bait taking up space and you want to use it or loose it?
LOL
Hogwoblers
Tallywacker
Jutterbugs
Jackpots
TopDwags
Topwalker
Awaker
Skywalker
Creepers
Flaptails
Teasertails
and all them others work very, very well in different situations.
Black might be best most of the time, but I like an Edge and know how to find it.
Best Top water last year for me was a 10" RED Believer!
NINE fish over 46"
Believe it, or NOT!

T.

PS>
Sorry for the ramblings, but I had nothing better to do.

[guideman]

Hey Tom,
I'm with you on those believers, I use them alot on the big V, I don't have a red one, I guess I need some paint.
Two of my largest fish came on a little known bait called a locamotive from the Slam'er topwater bait company.

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Terry "Ace" Sjoberg
Ace guide service.
aceguideservice.com
218-753-2612
[email protected]

[TomWehler]

Hi Ace,
I'm with you, ALL Slam'er Products ROCK!
Tuff also.
Homer J. Knows where the paint cans are.
He works cheap also.

T.

[AWH]

Good choice on the Top Raider, Pig_sticka. I happen to be partial to that bait. I throw top water quite a bit, and it's pretty much always a Top Raider. It just happens to be what I've got confidence in up top, not that the other baits out there aren't good as well.

There are very few conditions that you can't use a Top Raider in. From calm to some pretty good rollers, it can be very effective. There's no more enjoyable way to catch a musky than on a surface bait.

I have found the Top Raider to be a big fish bait for me. It has accounted for only 4.5% of my total musky catches. But 3 of my top 5 fish have been caught on this bait.

AWH

[Scoot]

Fellas,

I took heed in your suggestions to get a top raider in all black. I also couldn't find one that was ALL BLACK. One pattern was called black bird- this was 95% black with orange spots. Another pattern was baby loon-this was mostly black with a couple of other colors. Am I missing it? Do they actually sell it in ALL black? Does it matter- will the blackbird pattern be just fine?
Scoot

[Guest]

I never seen an all black one. The blackbird will work just fine. Lots of follows and misses, until I slowed it down. Slow is the way to go!

If you want all black, get some black paint, or keep a black sharpie and color it.

[This message has been edited by Robert (edited 03-20-2003).]

[guideman]

Hi All,
Speed is the key to working a topwater bait, most anglers simply work them to fast.
As for their effectiveness, my clients and I boated a total of 78 muskies last season. Almost half of them came on a topwater or sub-surface bait.

The right location and presentation are
far more important, than what color you throw.....As long as it's black!

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Terry "Ace" Sjoberg
Ace guide service.
aceguideservice.com
218-753-2612
[email protected]

[Scoot]

Regarding the topraider- how slow is slow? Give me an idea of how slow you're retrieving them. Also, just a straight retrieve with this bait, I assume? No stop-go action or walk-the-dog-type action?
Scoot

[Guest]

I retrive with a steady PLOP-PLOP-PLOP...
Just enough to get the blade to spin and create the PLOP sound. After a few casts, then I may give to an extra quick spin, then slow it down. I try to get the bait to follow along a shorline or dock, much like a duck swimming peacfully along the shoreline, until...

Basically, I'm trying to mimic a duck. Have fun this year!

[widetrack]

The one I was refering to, is black/orange dots. (topraider)

If you really have a fish zeroed in on location, a creeper, or hog wobbler will get hit often.

A 10inch jointed beleiver also makes for a very interesting topwater presentation.

[Pig_sticka]

so the topraider is just supposed to be reeled in straight?

[Guest]

Not necessarily a straight line retrieve. I've learned here from Guiedeman, Musky Tom, David, and Dick Pearson and his book; be aware your surroundings, you'll learn a great deal.

Watch the ducks for instance. Always meandering along the shoreline, around dock, lifts, boats. Someties stopping, maybe to enjoy the scenery. Rearely find them out in open water, unless in a fearful hurry. Take note, what frightened them? Boat, loon, or somthing unseen? Jaws!

Some fall behind the brood, typical of juvenile delinquents, showing some possible behavioral problems. Ma still meandering along, stopping soetimes. Looks back at the delinquents. They scurry quickly forward to catch up. Good thing, docks or lifts are not safe at times. Great place for a muskie to ambush a misbehaving duckling. Ma always knows best.

I try to think of the bait as a duck slowly ambling along. Maybe throw in a quick sputter, then slow again. Twist the lure around ashoreline.

[Pig_sticka]

I didn't think muskies preyed on ducks so much. maybe i should head out and grab a few baby ducks and toss em off the dock with a few hooks rigged to it

[Guest]

I honestly think everyone should just use bucktails and plastic baits Personally I try to use top water most of the time. If there are two people in the boat I like to see one person with the topwater. I fish them at a medium speed that way you can always speed up if you get a chaser. I think topwaters are WAAYYYY addicting. Black is good but look at bright colors during the day too. Orange and White work well.
My fav's:
Jackpot
Teasertail
Creeper(after dark )Try to find one with metal wings

[guideman]

Creepers are one of my favorites for a low light or calm water presentation.
The best one on the market, is made by Slam'er Topwater company, right here in northern Minnesota.
They call it the "Creeping Tom" a great looking bait, that really catches fish.

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Terry "Ace" Sjoberg
Ace guide service.
aceguideservice.com
218-753-2612
[email protected]