Topwater Fishing 101: Your Guide to Big Bass Blowups

Whether you’re a lifelong bass angler or someone just getting into the sport, chances are you’ve seen a big topwater strike. Sure, there are tons of different ways to go after bass, whether that be dragging jigs along the bottom or tossing a wacky rig in the shallows, but there is nothing like the thrill of having a bass blow up the water beneath a topwater rig.

What makes topwater fishing so effective, what gear should you use for it, and which rigs work best in which scenario? Let’s find out! 

Topwater fishing is just like any other bass fishing strategy. Some days it’s going to be the best option you could possibly use, while other days you’ll never get a bite with it. When the situation is right (we’ll talk about that shortly), there are a few reasons why topwater fishing works well.

One big reason is that a topwater bait creates a ton of noise, vibration, and commotion above the fish. Bass are able to sense and see these disturbances from a long way away, which leads them to come investigate. This also triggers their natural instinct to attack upward when they’re feeling aggressive enough to do so. It’s pretty common for a bass to pin baitfish and other prey against the surface of the water, and topwater rigs are designed to let them do that.

The way a topwater bait works, you’re going to find optimal success when bass are looking up in the water column. Some prime times when bass will do this are when water temperatures are between 55 and 85 degrees, the weather is relatively stable, wind conditions are right, and in periods of low light.

Some bass anglers are only going to throw topwater in the morning and say that it won’t work the rest of the day. Not a good move. Mornings are absolutely a prime time to try them, but they also work throughout the day when there is cloud cover, in shaded areas, around heavy vegetation, or when baitfish are schooled up. If you want to try topwater during the day, you can focus on areas with docks or overhanging trees as well. The shade and cover around this kind of structure can be prime ambush points for bass. 

Topwater works best in shallow water, and there are plenty of times throughout the day that a bass will push up shallow to feed, not just during the mornings and evenings.

Throughout the year, there are times when topwater can be your best bet for hooking into a giant bass.

During the spring, bass move from their deep, wintering areas into the shallows on bodies of water all over the country. This is a natural instinct in the lifecycle of the bass, as their spawning cycle takes over and they look for places to bed down. Their feeding activity is also going to increase this time of year. They won’t be extremely aggressive yet, but they’re getting there. As the weather warms up, you’ll want to target areas in the 1-6 foot depth range. If you can find that depth, some protection, and warmer water, that’s a great place to toss a topwater bait.

Summer is often one of the best times to use a topwater bait for bass. During the summer, oxygen levels begin to deplete in the water, pushing bait into shallower water. This time of year, it is likely that right away in the morning and in the evening are going to be your best times to throw topwater. This is usually when bass will push up shallow to feed on baitfish. Try targeting areas in the 4-10 foot depth range, especially those near weed edges or on flats near deep water.

The fall is another great time to use a topwater bait. This time of year, the baitfish that bass feed on begin to school tightly together. This is perfect, as bass are also at one of their most active parts of the year for feeding as they prepare for winter. During the fall, you’ll notice that a topwater bait can work pretty much all day long during a baitfish migration.

When it comes to gear considerations for topwater bass fishing, there are a few things to keep in mind. Topwater fishing requires the ability to not only cast out a good distance, but also have controlled lure movement.

Let’s start with the rod you should use for topwater bass fishing. You want a rod that allows for long casts, topwater lure control, strong hooksets, and enough backbone to fight a fish when it’s hooked. You should look for a rod in the 6’6” to 7’3” range for length. Medium or medium-heavy are going to be the best powers to go with to give you enough of a mix between finesse and strength.

As for your reel, it’s most common to use a baitcaster. These reels handle bigger topwater lures better, allowing you to cast them far while maintaining a lot more accuracy than a spinning reel will. When you’re topwater fishing, it’s not uncommon to fish some of them pretty fast. Because of this, look for a gear ratio in the 6.3:1 to 7.1:1 range. These allow you to pick up slack quickly and maintain consistent pressure on the fish, while not completely overworking whatever lure you’re using.

When it comes to the line you should use, there are really only two options. The whole point of a topwater lure is that it floats on the surface. That means your line should do the same thing, which rules out using fluorocarbon (it sinks).

That leaves you with braid and monofilament. For most anglers, the best option between the two is going to be braid. Braid floats and doesn’t stretch, which allows you to get a stronger hookset in on those explosive strikes. Braid also has a smaller diameter than mono, which means you can have more of it on your reel, and you can cast way farther with it. In general, you probably want to opt for a braided line in the 30 to 65-pound test range.

Monofilament does have its uses, too. One big one is that monofilament helps you have a more natural presentation. Monofilament is a transparent line, so once it’s in the water, the fish won’t be able to see it like they would with braid. On days when you think the fish are being pickier than usual, it might be a good idea to tie on some monofilament to see if that changes anything.

When it comes to picking the right topwater bait to throw, there are a ton of options and reasons to choose each one. Here are some of the most common topwater lures you’ll be throwing:

When you think of a topwater lure, few are as iconic as a frog. Frogs are great to fish in areas with matted vegetation, thick grass, or other shallow cover in the 2 to 6 foot range. Areas with lily pads are also one of the best places you can throw a frog. Basically, if it looks like an area that you can’t fish with anything else, toss a frog and see what happens.

Frogs really do their best once water temperatures are above 60 degrees, when vegetation and cover are at their peak for the year, and in those morning and evening time frames.

When you’re fishing a frog, you’re going to want to cast it out and retrieve it slowly back to you over cover. Don’t be afraid to drag it over the tops of lily pads and other vegetation as well. Once it’s in open water, mix in some pauses in your retrieve. You can also add pops into the retrieve to get it to walk side to side a bit. Once you get a strike, let the fish take it for a second, then set the hook.

Poppers are another great topwater bait that creates a lot of commotion on the surface of the water. These baits are designed with a scoop in their nose that cups water on the retrieve, creating splashes and pop sounds.

Poppers are going to shine when you’re fishing calm water. Docks, laydowns, and shade pockets are all great places to look for bass, combined with calm water to really get bass to attack them. They also work well if you can find fish suspended in 3 to 8 feet of water. The best days to toss a popper are going to be the ones with minimal wind on lakes and reservoirs with clear water.

To fish a topwater popper, you’re going to cast it out, let it sit for a second, then twitch your rod tip quickly to create the pop in the water, and retrieve the slack. You’ll repeat this method until you get a strike or until the bait is back to you.

Topwater walking baits are designed to be fished in a unique way to create some irresistible action in the water. You can fish with walking baits in areas that have some deeper water mixed in as well. Places like flats near drop-offs, points, water with schooling baitfish, and even open water can be great places for a walking bait.

You’ll want to use a walking bait when you know the bass are actively feeding and when baitfish are present. You can get away with using a walking bait with slightly more chop on the water as well, so things don’t have to be completely calm for these topwater lures to work.

To fish with a walking bait, you need to learn the walk the dog method. First, you’re going to cast your bait out. Once it lands, put your rod tip down and twitch it. This will make the bait move to the side and create slack, then you’ll want to twitch the rod again to get the bait to walk to the other side. Reel in some slack and repeat this process. This movement really helps trigger strikes in bass, especially if you pause between your twitches for a second.

Of all the topwater lures on the market, buzzbaits are one of the best out there for creating a ton of noise and vibration in the water. They are designed to have a smaller body with a hook attached and a big metal prop in front to stir up the water as you retrieve it back to you.

These topwater baits are best used on wind-blown banks, in stained water where bass have a harder time identifying food, near shoreline cover, or along grass edges. You’ll want to fish these areas in shallow water in the 1 to 5 foot range. The best conditions for a buzzbait are going to be during the low-light periods on days with chop or pre-storm pressure.

Fishing with a buzzbait is pretty simple. You’re going to cast it out and start reeling as soon as it hits the water. You want to maintain a steady retrieve the whole time to keep the prop at the front spinning. You can mix up your retrieval speeds, but don’t let the bait sink too far.

Prop baits are another topwater lure that’s great at creating vibration on the water’s surface. These are designed to mimic the profile of a baitfish, but have the added benefit of a propeller on the front, end, middle, or both. These propellers spin as it’s retrieved back to you, making noise and kicking up water the whole way.

Prop baits really shine when fish are being territorial and defensive (think during the spawning season). You can toss these topwater baits over beds, next to timber, along points, and in calm water pockets to hook into fish. They work best during the spawn and post-spawn in clear water.

You can fish a prop bait with a straight retrieve after casting, or you can mix in some twitches. These twitches are going to help the bait walk somewhat. When you do these twitches, don’t be afraid to pause for a few seconds before retrieving again. These pauses are often when a fish is going to strike.

Ploppers are another topwater lure that’s made to create a lot of commotion in the water without having to do any crazy retrieval methods. These lures are similar to a prop bait, as they mimic a baitfish profile, but they have one big section of their tail that spins as you retrieve the bait.

A plopper is best used in open water, on top of large flats, along long banks, or areas with very sparse cover. The plopper is designed specifically to call fish in from a long way away, so fishing areas where the bass could be spread out are ideal. Try fishing a plopper on days with wind, cloud cover, and plenty of active bait in the area.

Fishing with a topwater plopper is pretty straightforward. You cast it out as far as you can, let it hit the water, and start a straight retrieve to you. You don’t want to overwork a plopper; a slow and steady retrieve is plenty. All you have to do is let the tail create all the action and let the fish come in and strike.

If you’ve ever wanted to have a topwater lure that creates a big wake in the water as you retrieve it to really call bass in, wake baits are your best bet. Wake baits are best used in clear lakes and over shallow structure. While the wake they make is big, it’s not super aggressive. 

This is great for areas where you want to get the attention of the bass, but you don’t need as much commotion as a plopper or prop bait might make. It’s best to try a topwater wake bait during low-light periods with calm water when the fish aren’t as aggressive as they are at other times of the year.

Fishing a wake bait is similar to a plopper. You’re going to cast it out and start retrieving once it hits the water. You want to keep your retrieve as slow and steady as possible, keeping your presentation as natural-looking as you can the whole time.