When the weather heats up and the bass get active most anglers are only thinking about one thing. What topwater bait should I use to catch bass today? I personally have a favorite and the reason for it is the environment I am in. That answer is FROGS!
I live around bodies of water that have a lot of grass and lily pads. This is a perfect place for many amphibians. Therefore, frogs are the top choice of many people. I even saw a YouTube channel of a local angler catching a bass not, but ½ from my house with a rat lure. Now… I want to buy a rat lure and try it!
best top water baits for bass
Whatever topwater bait you choose to use just remember to use it effectively. Learn the ways to present the lure and how to hook the bass once it does. If you do this you will be having a ton of fun through the warm weather months.
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Topwater Bass Fishing
Fishing with lures on top of the water can be one of the most fun parts of fishing. If you ask anybody what their favorite fishing type is, you will get the answer to topwater fishing. Now, why is topwater fishing so fun? The reason is the fact that you can see the bass leave the water to eat your bait. It may suck it up like a whirlpool or complete jump out the water and allow you to see your future trophy bass.
I have caught bass on topwater baits, but not as many as I would have liked. Liked many young guys in the sport I bought all the cool lures with no regard for how to use them or if they were actually effective. Don’t make this mistake. Fishing celebrities may make lures look cool on TV, but it is more important to see how they are using them. That is why I like to watch Bill Dance Outdoors because he goes through all the details. Then he catches 5lb-10lb bass one after another like it’s something that happens for anybody.
Frog Lure
Fishing with a frog is a great thing. Frogs are all over the place and are naturally around the water. Therefore, bass are always looking to swallow one because of the number of nutrients they can receive from them.
You should work the bait on lily pads by coming from the shore. Then work the frog slowly and once you fall off the lily pad to a space of open water you should pause. I have gotten all my bites right next to the shoreline or when the frog fell off the lily pad. This tells you that bass is tracking your frog in anticipation.
Stickbaits
These baits are fun because you rhythmically jerk the bait to make the cylindrical bait will go from side to side. Some people call it walking the dog as its tail goes back and forth. Then BOOM… a huge bass just comes up and swallows it. It can be quite invigorating.
These baits are best used in open water near schools of fish or right on the edge of structure or cover. This will allow you to put your presentation right in front of the bass. You need to be presenting as long as you can to get that strike!
Jerkbaits
These lures aren’t truly thought about as topwater baits, but most of them are buoyant and don’t sink. In my book, they are a topwater that you can see the bass when they strike. That is part of the fun!
You can use a jerkbait many ways, but the tried and true of throwing this straight into the structure and working your way out is great. It is a very good thing to pull a large bass out of the cover for the opportunity to get an easy meal. Remember to do a lot of pauses especially when you hit a piece of cover.
Buzzbaits
These lures were all the rage in the 90s because of the literal noise they made. You can get these in single and double blade varieties. I would go as big as you possibly can. This is supposed to simulate a mini school of baitfish being attacked by some larger fish. Bass will be attracted to the noise and check it out.
You will find that you will have to work an area for a while to get that attention, but persistence will pay off. This lure only has one speed and it’s whatever keeps the blade spinning. You should work it near cover, but not in it. This is an open water lure where you know bass are hanging around.
Popper Lure
I used to use poppers a lot and believed I could use them as well as the pros. These are lures where you mimic a baitfish splashing on the surface. They make a lot of noise and splash, but you have to be in a place that has a thriving baitfish population.
I have never had great action with these baits, but I don’t fish them often anymore and that maybe my problem. I feel like I need to give lures I have stopped using or never used a lot more time to learn how to use them properly. This is another lure that you need to stop and pause to incur strikes.
Rat Lure
A lure that resembles a rat is not unknown. Rats are all over the place, even when you don’t think they are around. Basically, if you have commercial buildings near you then they are around! I believe these lures are a hidden strategy to get a bass to bite when no others are working.
Many people use other types of lures too much. Bass get smarter over time and their brains do not deteriorate. You can use a rat lure any way you want to. Most rats will swim consistently across a body of water and will not stop because they know it’s dangerous to swim. So you should work it like your lures the same way.
What Is The Best Topwater Bait For Bass?
I believe that the best topwater bait for bass is the frog. When it comes to a large meal that is naturally in the same environment that a bass is located this is the best one. It’s even better that a frog is not as fast as a baitfish so they will not have to use that much energy to catch it. The only better overall bait would be a crayfish.
You should research the types of frogs that are in your area. You probably think all frogs are green and look the same, but you would be wrong. The strike percentage will definitely go up if you are able to match the colors of your local frogs.
What Time Of Year Is Best For Topwater Bass Fishing?
I believe that the best time for topwater bass fishing is late Spring / Early Summer. The water is heating up and the bass are getting really active. They are also very hungry after the spawning season and maybe a little beat up from laying eggs or protecting the next. Nothing could be better than a big juicy meal that almost hops in your mouth. It’s kinda like throwing popcorn in the air and catching it.
You can do great topwater bass fishing all summer long, but I believe when they first start biting from hunger is the best time. They will be more aggressive and they will hold on longer because they don’t want to lose this great meal. Later on, they may get pickier about what they eat.
I personally plan to do a lot more topwater fishing this year. I will have my standby beetle spinner and then a topwater lure of some kind ready to go. I want to put in a real effort to try them all and now is better than never. Make sure you look at your tackle box and fish all those topwater lures you thought didn’t work. You may be surprised!