Inline topwater

[Ranckenstuff]

When throwing tops, would you advise keeping the rod tip up, with the leader out of the water during the retrieve,

or

Do you keep the rod low, making the leader be under water.

[Cooter]

I wouldn't worry about the leader. In general I'd say low so you're in position for a hookset. Most topwaters are gonna run better with a low rod tip anyways.

[HugoBox]

Recently I was at Thorne's talking to them about retreives for various lures and a very experienced musky guy shared with my that he likes to raise and lower the tip throughout the retrieve to vary the sound and speed. Something that I sort of did by changing cranking speed but his was makes a bit more sense.

[50inchpig]

I usually do keep my rodtip up around 10 o'clock. It helps me not set the hook too quickly and puts me in a good position to crank down and get a good hookset when one eats.

I also fish alot of milfoil and inside edges with topwater to keeping my rodtip up helps me steer around weedclumps and avoid weeds on the leader. At night, it helps me track my bait better too. I also get a better plop out of my main bait when the leader isn't dragging it down.

I guess it also depends on rod length, with the longer rods I've been using the last two years keeping it up works better for me, although sometime you hit casting angles where you might want to keep it down.

[Ranckenstuff]

I usually do keep my rodtip up around 10 o'clock. It helps me not set the hook too quickly and puts me in a good position to crank down and get a good hookset when one eats.

I also fish alot of milfoil and inside edges with topwater to keeping my rodtip up helps me steer around weedclumps and avoid weeds on the leader. At night, it helps me track my bait better too. I also get a better plop out of my main bait when the leader isn't dragging it down.

I guess it also depends on rod length, with the longer rods I've been using the last two years keeping it up works better for me, although sometime you hit casting angles where you might want to keep it down.

This is what I've noticed as well.

[MUSKY18]

Here is a little trick that I teach people......point the end of your rod tip at the lure as you reel it in. Thus, in the beginning of the retrieve, it will be up in the air a bit, and throughout the retrieve, it gradually gets closer to the water, finishing up at the top of the water, which enables you to go right into your eight/zero. You can steer around weeds, etc and will always have the rod in a position to drive the steel home.

[b1gf1sh1]

depends on the bait for me. some bounce up front, some ride smooth, some zig zag, some bounce in back, some have doo dads that need to ride at the surface, some below. some have tails that get help from the prop to breath, let it ride wrong and the tail runs straight. go to fast it won't breath. so...

Quote:

When throwing tops, would you advise

what baits are you talking about?

[10,000 Casts]

To start the retrieve I don't pay attention to my rod tip. But when it gets closer to the boat, it is pointed down so I am ready to go into a smooth oval. The point where you first turn the bait by the boat is the most important part of the retrieve imo and if your not ready for it, it can mean a missed fish that you didn't see until the last second or never saw at all.

All baits are a little different but if the bait doesn't run because my rod tip is a certain way, I switch to a different bait.

I like flourocarbon leaders for prop baits so I don't have to worry where my leader is.