Topwater Bite

How’s everyone’s topwater action been this year?

Terrible, I don’t know what it is but seems to be non existent this year. Even right away at sunrise I haven’t been able to get it going.

Been awful this year. Its actually been poor for several years for me. To the point where I almost don’t even try anymore. Kinda sucks because topwater fishing is really the most exciting way to do it.

The little bit that I have tried topwater has not been good. Its getting to be the time of the year I’ll start to throw a lot of buzzbaits. I hope its a great buzzbait bite this fall

Garbage. Actually got up and out on the lake at sunrise today to film some frog comparisons between brands and I caught 4 fish in 5 hours of nonstop grinding in the wind. That didn’t help either.

That’s been the most action I’ve had in a while on topwater sadly.

My topwater bite has also been bad — starting last year, on a lake that usually is dynamite for it, especially in the fall. I have no idea what’s changed, but I haven’t figured it out, that’s for sure.

I’ve done alright. A lot of days with small bite windows, but I always seemed to catch at least a couple of fish on topwater. Really good days have been few just like last year. A lot of here today, gone tomorrow. So I go to a different spot and then that process plays itself out again. It has been pretty rare this year that I can get a good topwater bite on a spot consistently. Last year my good spots held fish more consistently. A lot more running around this year. I fish several days a week either at Dawn or dusk.

I have a couple places I go with limited, but very productive high percentage spots that have been as good as ever…

But when I’ve gone and thrown buzzbaits or Choppos around the entire perimeter of a random lake, it has been overall below average this year.

And frogs/pads have been in decline for me for 2-3 years to the point of being virtually non-existent… Its been such a popular method for lots of people for so long that I’m starting to think the fish have become conditioned to it and no longer react like they used to..

Non existent

I will say now though that two weeks ago I was up around Detroit Lakes and it was on fire. We were throwing hollow body frogs up in reed beds and rice and they were choking them. The northerns made it fun too when they flew 3 feet out of the water 3 feet behind the frog

It has picked up a bit for me lately. Going to try and get the spook bite going here in the next week or so.

Went out this evening and got my best one of the year, a 5-4 on a walk-in the dog style bait in 3 fow in the pads. A nice surprise. Got a few small guys, too, and pesky pike. Maybe could’ve caught more some other method. This was too exciting to pass up. Water still about 68 degrees up here.

ssaamm wrote:

Went out this evening and got my best one of the year, a 5-4 on a walk-in the dog style bait in 3 fow in the pads. A nice surprise. Got a few small guys, too, and pesky pike. Maybe could’ve caught more some other method. This was too exciting to pass up. Water still about 68 degrees up here.

That’s a great bass Sam!

Buzzbaits were catching a few yesterday.