Weedless topwater

[Scoot]

I'm looking for a weedless topwater lure with a good hooking percentage. Anyone have any brilliant suggestions?

[LunkerBaitCo]

I think if we could come up with such a lure, we could make some serious money and catch a lot of 'ski's! I'd settle for a topwater that pushed aside all the floaters on Tonka and wouldn't foul up on almost every cast in some of those areas. I thought a "MUSKIE SIZE" wave walker would be just the ticket, but haven't been able to perfect that, yet. Good luck and let us know.

[porterhouse]

Scoot-

Here are a few lures you can try.

* Boogerman buzz bait.

* Bucher slopmaster buzzbait.

* Take a Topraider and remove the belly hook. Then bend your back treble hooks into a T.

When I'm fishing in really thick weed cover I like grinding big spinnerbaits like Raddogs, C.J's, and Grim Reapers.

Brian

[MuskyBug85]

i know it might mite sound hokey but i have boated fish the the biggest Mr.Twister Top Prop around wood and pads, it also runs nicely through reeds and such. the bucher slop master buzzbaits also worked on the big mats of cover up on the St.Louis river.

[Scoot]

Thanks for the ideas and info, fellas.

I bought a slopmaster buzzbait last year and was pretty unhappy with it. Enough so that I'm surprized to hear others here like 'em. Maybe I had one that didn't run great or maybe it's just differences in preferences.

I had a Mr. Twister Top Prop and ruined it before I used it- I ended up getting a bunch of oil from an oil weighted Jake on it and ruined the skirt. Unlike the Topwalkers, the Top Prop has a double-hook that faces up and away from the weeds (supposedly). Jonah (or others), did you find the Top Prop to be pretty weedless? Did you fish it over pretty sloppy stuff with success?

Thanks again,

Scoot

[Deitz Dittrich]

There are 2 Top Props, one is a bucktail that is much less weedless. they also make a weedless top prop that has a big plastic that trails it. That is VERY weedless.

Also, as Mr.Twister is a sponsor of FM, they have set up a special page just for FM members. You can get them at 20% off if interested. Click on the banner add for the bass page.

[V-12 Merlin]

Coming from an angler who has never caught a muskie before, please forgive me for my pike-ignorance. However, I've had decent luck on non-muskie lakes using big weedless frogs for northerns. I also have bass-sized Jitterbugs that have worked fairly well for northerns in the weeds. I realize that these are probably a waste of time for muskies, but wouldn't something like that work, if it was a little bigger?

[Random guy]

Scumfrog, Frogzilla, Boogermans and HiJackers are all good lilly/reed baits for topwater action. Don't forget the ol silver minnow tipped with a plastic tail skipped across the surface.

[MuskyBug85]

like Deitz said the one with plastic trailer is VERY weedless and i found it to be a real smooth working slop bait, another bait i really liked but didnt get till the end of the year last year was the Sloppy Pig by odyssey,you can fish it through every thing the only hang up is they arent produced any more but some locally owned bait shops still have some around. looks great in the water and cast like a rocket for big reed beds and messy areas like that. Jonah

[RK]

Hiya -

Kinda depends on what weeds... If it's the stringy junk weeds, nothing comes through it clean.

For rushes, or over coontail or cabbage buzzbaits are probably my favorite option. About the only ones I like are Shriver's HiJackers (built for hauling fish out of the rushes on Leech so very very durable) or some that Chris Jenson from CJ's built for me. Boogermans are fish callers but they aren't very durable at all. I really don't think much of the Slopmasters either frankly for the same reason. Top Props seem ok but I really am suspiscious of its hooking ability with a single hook and that big plastic body. Mike Ruff is apparently coming out with a buzzbait based on the Rad Dog frame, and I can't wait to see that. If it's anything like the Rad Dogs I'll be all set.

Other than that, seldom used, but one of the best weedless topwaters there is is a big old spoon with a single hook and a grub rigged texas style. Can skip it, flutter it, even walk the dog if you practice a little.

Cheers,

Rob Kimm

[fishin58]

I tried the berkely tail dancer and i had really good luck working it through really thick weeds. It looks great no matter how you use it. I just thought i would add it to the list because i had really great sucess with it.

[Benelli_Shooter]

I have great luck with Esox Enigma Deuce, Muskiemagnet Glides, 6" Beer Belly Glider, 9" Rattling Baitfish Glider: Sinker & Topwater,9" Rattling Shad Glider: Sinker & Topwater. They are all hand made baits by Muskie Fishermen