Get ready for some "Top Water" action..First we'll tie on that favorite artificial (top water) bait, next, we'll make a cast into that great looking spot, and then as soon as the bait hits the water we'll make that first little twitch with the bait, and after that, what usually happens is wham!!! A bass comes over and nails it.
Now, seeing this happen, especially with your heart pumping and the adrenaline flowing we find ourselves jerking our rod instantly, now what happens next? You got it. the bait usually comes flying in the air right back at you.
does this sound about like you've been there before? Don't worry too much about it because it happens to the best of us from time to time. Top water fishing has got to be about one of the most exciting methods (or patterns) of bass fishing there is for just about any bass angler who loves the sport of bass fishing.
The reason top water fishing is so great is because it's a visual type of fishing. I can personally vouch for this statement just from watching my 3-day bass fishing school students, charter clients, and from the enormous amounts of emails I get from anglers from all over the world wanting my help with certain techniques, and helping these anglers to choose the right baits for top water fishing.
So, being with writer's cramp from answering all the emails I receive, I thought it was about time to share some of these baits and tips for top water fishing with my readers.
First, let's cover the appropriate equipment needed to fish for top water bass. Like any type of angling one should have the proper equipment to use with each different type of bait that he or she might use. Now, don't get me wrong and think that you have to have a different rod for each different type of bait used because that's NOT what I'm saying. For example: Many different types of top water baits can be used with one (the same) certain rod, on the other side of the coin, a totally different rod may be used for the rest of the baits. There are only two rods I personally use and teach with when fishing top water baits, and they are:
1.. A six and a half foot (6-1/2') medium action rod 2.. A seven foot (7') medium/heavy action rod
I use all bait casting rods for all my applications in top water fishing, but I do know many anglers that use Yankee Sticks or also known as Spinning Rods which will work just as well as the bait caster. It's mostly what type of rod you are comfortable with.
There are many fishing rods to choose from today, and they can range anywhere from $25.00 all the way up to $500.00. But, like anything else. you get what you pay for? Or do you? I have had the most expensive as well as the cheapest, and I found that a "happy medium" rod will work just fine. I have used many different brands of rods in the past until I came across a very unique one that has all the qualities of the most expensive rod but offered at very affordable price. It's the new Kistler "Helium LTA" series rod, and trust me, I don't have to shop around anymore for rods! It's like a Rolls Royce but with the price of a Grand Am.
I use these two different action rods for a good reason when fishing top water, so I'll explain:
When fishing artificial baits you really must pay strict attention to the hooks that are manufactured with the baits (unless the case is soft plastic baits which I'll cover in a moment.) For example, for the top water baits that come packaged with the smaller type of treble hooks, these types of hooks are much like a crank bait, which the preferred action rod would be a medium because you would want the bend in the rod tip. With these smaller treble hooks you really wouldn't want to use a stiff rod and rare back to set the hook, because it will most of the time pop right out from the bass's mouth.
Now, on the other side of the coin, when you use single hooks, double hooks, or the bigger size treble hooks, you want to come back on the rod and set it. This is where you would use a much stiffer and longer type of rod. The medium/heavy action gives you a good hook set and the longer rod gives you a quicker sweep for getting the slack out of your line.
See page 2 and page 3 for a discussion of different kinds of topwater baits and a topwater tip that will help you land fish >>>>>>>>>>>>
