I like to throw a bone or pink in the early morning and a black/chart. head before dawn.
Pat

 

at first light to midmorning on sunny days and also at dusk
any time on a cloudy day
all night, expecially under a full moon!!

 

I throw 'em all year at times

 

What are you fishing for?

 

i understand your frustration. It took me a while to get the hang of em. I assure you if you use a slow retrieve and walk the dog it will happen. I love using them with no wind and shallow. Theres nothing better than a huge blow up and that redfish peeling drag. I have had huge success in the intercoastal and glassy shallow water. There are people that swear by em in the wind but i haven't experienced that good fortune. Keep grinding it will happen!!

 

i Theres nothing better than a huge blow up and that redfish peeling drag.

Had a 4 lb trout blow up on a white with a chartreuse head super spook jr this morning. What a sound.

 

Redduck: I'm mainly fishing for Reds. If I get Trout, that's OK too.
Zork: I knew somebody was going to say "all year." Can you narrow down what season seems better than others?

I've been throwing Top Dogs, Super Spooks, both in Jr. sizes also. Both in Black/Chart head and Bone/Red Head in the same areas I fish the gold spoon.

Carlos in Austin

Everytime I plan a fishing trip, I have some new scheme, lure, trick, or idea I want to try out. It never ends.

 

i always throw them no matter what..cant go wrong with bone color..

 

Clown spook jr or blue back chrome sides spook jr. and skitterwalks for me. Just make sure you vary the retrieve. I typically do a fast, fast, fast, slow.....slow.... fast, fast, sit......... then repeat till I find out how they like it. Make sure you don't set the hook till you feel the pull. Just picture how an injured bait fish would look. And don't pop it too hard. Just rod tip twitches is all it takes. It's a blast even when they miss it watching the lure fly in the air a couple of feet. Get's the blood flowing, that's for sure.

 

Carlos - I also tend to default to a topwater. If I'm fishing for reds I use one almost all year.

However, I would say something similiar to what Hippie said. Morning and Evenings during the summer (water temps in high 70s and above). Once you "crack the code" and figure out how to catch fish on top, I think you'll find that somedays it doesn't matter the color, the retrieve, the water depth... some times they just want it on top.

 

Not much to add to what others have posted but don't be afraid to try them at "off" times either.
I've wiped out a top in the middle of the day on a mid-bay drift and caught fish plenty of times.

 

i love to throw them anytime there isn't a bunch of grass to deal with. not certain, but my theory is that there are times where you want to go to a louder/bigger topwater, ie wind, water not as smooth, etc...

and i will say that, at least for me, it was much easier to learn the "walk the dog" retrieve with braided line. it's a very subtle twitch with braid, just make sure you tie a good mono/fluoro leader on

kind of like another saying i know, "once you go top....."

 

I LIKE TO THROW TOPS WHEN PRESSURE ISN'T HIGH, THE FISH SEEM TO BE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE WATER COLUMN WHEN WE HAVE HIGH PRESSURE!

 

The only times I havent been able to have any luck on tops at all are very high barometer conditions ( as previously mentioned) and dead slick calm surface water. The slick calm makes it look so inviting for tops but I have hell gettin the fish to cooperate under that condition. The surface needs at least a little riffle to confuse their eyes, I think.

 

Since I am a hard nosed freshwater Bass fisherperson I will leave the comments to those more knowlegable than I.

 

All year and all day ;-P

One of my best trout came at 1:30pm on a bright sunny day. Sometimes I'll use a topwater to draw the aggressive fish out of the school then use plastics. Anytime I see bait near the surface I'll throw one. I just love using them. If the water is below 60 i'll mainly use corkies or devil eyes.

Bone, trout spook, red head, clown, pink or redfish skitterwalk, and one of my favorite tops is the skitter junior in bream or leopard frog...great on redfish. Also, don't forget the regular bass sized spook in bone or silver

I will say though...colors don't matter that much... you have to be in fish, and have to be able to find the fish to do that. If your in fish you can throw a babyruth bar with hooks and catch fish... some of the first lures were made from old tooth brushes... of course they were bone... but hey nobodies perfect.

 

This time of year a solid chrome spook jr works great. I agree with the comment about dead calm conditions. The fish seem spookier in these condidtions and I think a big noisy topwater generally puts them off unless they are already feeding aggressively and blowing up bait.

 

Fishing with a top water is unmatched. The jumbled mix of trebles, rattles, and a carefully crafted knot, nestling itself flawlessly off of a shallow grassy point. Waiting for that ravenous flats predator to strike…that is the kind of thing that will take your breath away.

I don't think that there is one condition in particular that you should use a top water. I think that there are too many to mention. Granted, I typically use tops when the temperature is 60 degrees or higher (although I have caught great fish on tops in 40 degree weather). I also prefer to use them at sunrise or sunset, right before a front approaches, or when I am fishing stained water; but I think that it is ok to use them any time. Nothing provokes an aggressive strike like a top water lure.

However, you have to match the type of top and the presentation to the different conditions. Sometimes the twitch, twitch, pop, twitch, twitch, pop needs an occasional pause or two; and sometimes you need to work it fast - other times REAL SLOW!!! It depends on what the bait is doing. Is the bait popping every few seconds, every few minutes, in fast spurts, in slow spurts? Yu have to read the water to best determine how to initiate your retrieve. The tempo and presentation of the retrieve will elicit success or failure.

You also have to determine what you are casting to. I usually look for some sort of isolated structure in a flat or for the fish feeding highway (potholes, guts, channels…..next to shallow water). Once I find that structure, I throw at it and if the fish are hungry - they will come from a great distance to smash my lure. BAM! My favorite tops are the bone, trout, and clown super spook junior. However, if the fish are foraging on larger bait, I will use the super spook (in the same colors). I have had a lot of success with those lures. My best advice is to throw the top water plug that gives you the most confidence, because that plug will be the one that brings you the most fishing success. And is you are nervous about when, where and how to work a top water lure, just try one out for 20 minutes or so on every trip and see what happens. Good luck fishing! :brew:

 

Throw'em if you've got 'em.

 

suface bait= topwater time

and stick with it!

 

i'll throw this in; once you get it & start catch'n fish with tops you will always try for that top water bite.

it keeps my game face on for sure!

patience is the key!

 

Another year round.. Shallow water warms quick in the winter or as I call the brown season.. The sloppier the water the bigger the top.

Stay tuned, I will post a Top thread soon...

 

What about topwaters in the surf?

 

Unless it's super flat I like to use super spooks. 2 colors I always bring are bone and chrome/blue back. I like she-dogs allot in the surf too.

 

Whatever. However, there are two times that seem most productive. One is when the bait is up and the fish are aggressive, and the other time is when there is absolutely no bite whatsoever and you have to jack them up with a little agitation. When 'Venus is aligned with Mars' doesn't count, unless you are a sportswriter that is, and are just looking to spew old and worthless table talk garbage. Thank you...thank you very much.

The bottom line is that there are no absolutes...ever.