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How To Catch Topwater Bass From Dawn To Dusk

How To Catch Topwater Bass From Dawn To Dusk

The sight of a big topwater bass exploding on a surface plug is enough to send chills down the spines of even the most cold-blooded of bassers. That excitement is what keeps us coming back, and it’s also the reason why some form of topwater fishing is such a popular technique with anglers across the country.Despite being a favorite, you’d be surprised at how many anglers consider topwaters a time-and-place presentation. That’s a big mistake; topwaters can be effective from sunup to sundown, and they are also a great way to trigger big bites.Here are the keys to all-day topwater success.

Early Morning

Early morning’s the time when most anglers already throw topwater. The low-light, calm conditions make for prime time topwater bass success. Try working a chugger around docks, seawalls, or wind a buzzbait along bank grasses and laydowns. On highland reservoirs, you can’t beat a spook, fluke, or wakebait worked over main-lake points.

Midday

Although high sun and pleasure boat traffic make most anglers shy away from throwing topwater during the midday period, you can still catch them on top – particularly big ones. Overlooked midday patterns are throwing a hollow-bodied frog over matted vegetation, working a popper along shade lines of docks, and fishing pencil poppers or big spooks over suspended bass feeding on baitfish. Although you may not generate as many strikes on topwater during the heat of the day, the ones you do will more than likely be good ones.

Evening

Another prototypical topwater bass time, the setting sun is a great time to target schooling fish feeding on shad that have pushed up to the surface. For that reason, walking a spook, or working a prop bait or fluke over known schooling holes is particularly effective in the evenings. On river systems, try to throw slow moving prop baits or even jitterbugs to emulate late emerging insects.

Updated April 16th, 2019 at 5:14 AM CT