Top water Lures

[Down to Earth]

What would be a good topwater lure to start out with? I've had some good success working floating rapalas, but would like to add one maybe two more. Also what color pattern would you recommend?

Andy

[sightfisher]

A floating Rapala has to be my favorite all time bait. I don't know if I'd consider it a topwater bait though, unless fished with a lot of pauses and 'wounded' jerks. A lot will depend on location and time of year. For fishing on weeds in shallows probably a scum frog. One thing when fishing frogs on top off cover often times a steady retrieve works best. If your retrieve is a jerk-pause bass can have a dificult time locating the bait when paused. They rely on the vibration of the bait as it moves, with a steady retrieve they can follow their 'prey', and thus less short strikes. I do want to try Zoom Horny Toad's and Sizmic Toads this year as a slop bait and see how they compare to eachother. Senkos are not considered topwater, but are effective dragging over scum and weeds and letting drop down in the openings. As far as open surface water, especially mid to late summer, I like anything that can be fished with a walk-the-dog retrieve, like a Spook. And of course poppers on a fly rod. Has anyone tried or had luck trying to walk the dog with a Scum Frog?

[Deitz Dittrich]

Sightfisher.. Welcome To FishingMinnesota.com Great post!

As for a good topwater, I too would agree that the floating rapala is not really a top water, as it is designed to dive when retrieved, however, it can be worked as a topwater. A couple of other great topwater bait.

I love Pop-R Type baits or chug baits..

they can be awesome..

Buzzbaits are great fish catchers as well.

And as mentioned walk the dog type baits can really be awesome, they can be a trick to learn how to work, but once you get it, its awesome!

Prop baits are a lot of fun too...

Color on most topwaters is moot! most of the time fish can only see an outline of the bait. I usually fish a color that is easy for me to see.. that way I know when a fish has missed it or if it has it.

[squeedunk]

The floating rapala is by far my most effective early season bait twitched on the top. A few others I use are skitterpops, jitterbugs, and a Manns 1-Minus retrieved very slowly on the surface. I have most success keeping it slow. Long pauses with the poppers and slow, steady retrieves for the others.

[Granny]

sightfisher,

Welcome to FM!

Alot of the lure selection depends on many different factors. If you do go with the scum frog and your fishing in lilly pads I would not use the steady retrieve. I would hop it from pad to pad and a long long pause in open areas within the pads. Just a little twitch will trigger a strike in these open areas. If its more of a grassy area or reeds, a steady retrieve will probably work better. Buzzbaits can be a fun top water lure as Deitz mentioned. You can cover a lot of water and they are fairly weedless. From my experience, don't go too big. I wasn't catching many fish off of a buzz unitl I down sized to a medium or small.

Later,

Granny

[andy j]

I am with Deitz on the Zara Spook. If you are looking for big bass this is a great big bass lure if you use the bigger size. Work it early and late or overcast and hold on!

[grip-em+rip-em]

I hate to give up my secret lure, but my go to bait is called a moss boss. They have two sizes and many colors. I like the smaller size in dark green, with yellow and black spots on it. You really have to work this bait but it will go through the slop and catches a ton of fish. In shallow water, watch for the V coming hard and fast at your lure, dont set the hook to early, let em suck it in and hammer em. Cant wait for open water!!!!

[poutpro]

I have always enjoyed the old hoola popper and jitterbug when fishing topwater. The jitterbug is very easy, as you can simply slowly and steadily retrieve not having to add any jerks. They have always woroked pretty good for me. If I could only have one color, I would take the old fashioned red and white.

[kato811]

deitz do you ever use the wounded spook? if you do how an when do you use it?

[Lost]

I've actually done my best topwater with a scum frog with the popper head on it. Great for the pads.

[8-Ball]

A Rapala Skitter Pop-the one that has a red head and a bright yellow body. I have caught more bass and crappie ( yes, crappie)- not targeting the crappie, but they slam this lure on top for some reason.. on this than anything else. Only problem- I can't find this color selection anywhere this Spring, hope it was not discontinued. As also mentioned, a good old fashioned Jitterbug is a good choice, also..8-Ball.

[sami0115]

not much compares to a buzzbait.. i like the Terminator brand. i have also had great success with a Nip-a-Deedee. i think it is made by Heddon. it is a thick bodied, red and white prop. bait. i also love the scum frog.

[Deitz Dittrich]

Kato-I have not used one of them. Thats not to say its not a great fish catcher, just that I have not used one.

I would think it would work like any other topwater. Use it in low light situations, morning and evening, or cloudy. Calm water probably would suit it best as well. I would fish it more like a pop-r type bait than a buzz bait.

[squeedunk]

Hey 8-Ball, I picked up one of those skitterpops in a bagain bin full of them 2 years ago. It sure looked like they were trying to get rid of them so they might be discontinued.

In my first post I thought the question was about topwaters to start the season off with not to start a collection off with...Ooops. I have to add Northland Buzzbaits and Zara Spooks to my list. I also like Jawbreaker Spoons and Moss Bosses in the pads.

[grip-em+rip-em]

when you guys use scum frogs do you add extra weight to them?

[Deitz Dittrich]

I use scum frogs a lot during the summer months... Most often I use the popn scum frog as mentioned earlier in the post... I usually change the hooks to a higher quality hook, but do not add weight to them.. I often will add a rattle to them however.

[Granny]

Deitz,

What brand of hook do you usually put on your frogs?

[Deitz Dittrich]

Granny- I still get the double hooks.. I have a bunch of I believe 5/0 Mustads that I bought of hsolist a few years ago.. got 100 pack pretty cheep.. I have also used Owner.. they make a double hook and stamina sells them.

[FishinBill]

Anyone try that Booyah buss bait that's like 18 inches long? It is an interesting design and wondered if that really works

[sami0115]

i have never tried it, but Bill Dance really likes it. but i would guess he could make anything work.

[river rat316]

I would think it would work I tie a feathered trailer to torpedos when the fish are short striking and not coming all the way to get it and I usually get slammed, havent found a good way to attach it though and I lose alot of fish this way, from broken line...... after thinking about it is this set up even legal? with a feather trailer tyed below the torpedo?

[Deitz Dittrich]

River Rat- As I read the regs for minnesota, I believe what you are doing is illegal. I would e-mail the MN DNR... I myself e-mailed them last year about putting a jig as the weight of a drop shot rig and they e-mailed me back saying that no that would be illegal.. HOWEVER, you could make it legal by removing the rear trebble hook and attaching your tied treb tothe bait using a steel leader material. By using the steel material and not mono you make it legal I believe.. and the distance has to be less than 3" i believe also.

[Kevin Turner]

Booyaa long arm does work...but I can't say it works any better than the basic buzzer. I threw the long arm last season till I just plain wore it out. KT

[poutpro]

yeah i would agree that it is the same as a normals buzzbait. im sure that bill dance likes it so much because they give him money to say so.

[Down to Earth]

Thanks everyone for the feedback. I guess I always thought of the floating rapala as a surface bait as about 99% of the bass I've caught on them are on the initial few twitches I make after I cast it out and let it settle a bit.

I did make it over to Cabela's today and picked up some of the suggestions you guys gave me.I started out with just a few. Here is what I got: a Jitterbug, Hula Popper, Zara Spook, and a Zara Puppy.