Topwater bite last year?

Hello all,

I just checked back in here from too long away, and I see a lot of you had very poor topwater bites last year. I had the same thing, fishing all over in different kinds of lakes with different structure, water clarity, weed cover, etc. I was pretty disappointed, actually, as topwater–especially fall topwater–is my favorite time of the year.

My summer bite was poor, too. Best I could tell, in my part of MN (around St Cloud), I never saw the after-dark frog hops that I normally do. I certainly could have missed it, but usually, at some point in the summer, on a late-night drive through the country, I see a million frogs hopping across the road. This year, I never noticed it. Maybe that was a part of it?

Anyways, does anyone else have an idea why there’s such variability year to year? Seems strange that it’s so widespread, and I was just thinking it was “my” lakes around here. Glad to know I’m not alone, but now I’m curious…

You’re not the only one carmike. I haven’t been on a good topwater/frog bite in years now. I think the fish have simply seen too many frogs in the pads.

That might be a part of it, but I fished a few lakes without public accesses and/or that required a long hike hauling in a canoe on my shoulders. They, too, had very poor topwater bites, and I those fish definitely aren’t seeing many frogs.

I didn’t have any problems with frog bites. I couldn’t get a bite on a spook which is really rare. Had the normal hot/cold results with ploppers. I think the extreme temps shifts we had in the fall (topwater season) really screwed with the fish and they were so spread out in the lakes there just wasn’t much of a pattern to follow.

I agree the frog bite has been poor for a few years… I just think they’ve seen too many of them.

But I actually has a pretty good year with other topwater lures – Choppo, Cover Pop and even the old reliable Jitterbug a few times.

had a few blowups on frogs, but poppers were my only producers

I had my best year on hollow belly frogs last year, but I got out a lot. I can only remember the fishing being really good on a couple of occasions. The fishing was just consistently OK. Late summer and Fall it got tougher. I could hardly catch them at all on treble hook topwaters, lord knows I tried.

When the crappies are spawning I’ve always enjoyed casting frogs and top-waters to bass on the Mississippi backwaters around Wabasha and sort of saw the same thing last year, but I think it was a combination of the year with its up and down water levels and crazy weather fronts along fishing pressure. It seems there’s a contest going on every weekend which of course hauls in a couple days of pre-fishing. Based on the lines cut in duckweed my guess is that frogs and top-waters were the baits of choice. Fish wise up in a hurry.

Glad to hear some of you got them. I’m lucky enough to get out 3-4 times a week, and I’m dumb enough to fish memories (at least for a while), and I just couldn’t get them really going on anything on top last year. I’d find a fish here, one there, another over here, but it was *nothing* like in years past.

Oh well, that means it’s guaranteed to be especially good this year, right?!?

10+ years ago I went to a lake that was about 100 acres-my friend must have had 30 strikes on a buzz bait. He only landed about half but it was impressive.

I do all of my Bass fishing with a Fly rod. Last spring the top water season started off slow for me. We had a late spring and an abrupt warm up. That meant warm water and active fish but the shallow weeds weren’t up yet. I had better luck in deeper water with streamers, out in the Cabbage and Coontail. Later on that summer a fairly reliable early morning top water bite developed and that held up for me until late October.

S.R.

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Steve Root wrote:

I do all of my <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>Bass fishing with a Fly rod. Last spring the top water season started off slow for me. We had a late spring and an abrupt warm up. That meant warm water and active fish but the shallow weeds weren’t up yet. I had better luck in deeper water with streamers, out in the Cabbage and Coontail. Later on that summer a fairly reliable early morning top water bite developed and that held up for me until late October.

S.R.

Topwater on a fly rod sounds like a blast. Wish my wrist was healthy enough to do this… but I do enjoy watching others – it’s an art form!

“Wish my wrist was healthy enough to do this… ”

Actually if you’re using your wrist, you’re doing it wrong. Your hand/wrist should in a fixed position all through the cast. If you’re doing it right, casting a big Bass Bug 60 feet is less work than picking up a cup of coffee. I’d be happy to show you some time!

S.R.

Steve Root wrote:

“Wish my wrist was healthy enough to do this… ”

Actually if you’re using your wrist, you’re doing it wrong. Your hand/wrist should in a fixed position all through the cast. If you’re doing it right, casting a big <em class=”ido-tag-em”>Bass Bug 60 feet is less work than picking up a cup of coffee. I’d be happy to show you some time!

S.R.

Thanks Steve, the problem with my wrist is setting the hook and fighting the fish (I know, the best parts). Hence I’ve switched to all baitcasting now… luckily that doesn’t hurt – but I do miss using my right hand!

Well I’ll just have to teach you left -handed

At least you can keep on fishing!

S.R.

Steve Root wrote:

I’d be happy to show you some time!

S.R.

Long time lurker, first time poster here. Steve, I just got my first fly rod and am looking to start this summer. I wouldn’t mind some tips if you’re in/around the Twin Cities

Long time lurker, first time poster here. Steve, I just got my first fly rod and am looking to start this summer. I wouldn’t mind some tips if you’re in/around the Twin Cities
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Sure thing! I live in South St. Paul. Be glad to help.

S.R.