When is it time for top water?

I figure the water is 70+ degrees. Has anyone caught any on top water yet? It’s early, but the water is warm. I tried a little with no luck. Thanks

I have found some action late in the day. I usually look for signs like hearing bluegill pop on the surface to signal the bite has started. I doubt it will be long.

As soon as the water temps hit 60 degrees the game is on. Another good indicator is Dragon Flies…..if I see them, I know the Bass will hit on top.

I had a very good morning throwing nothing but topwaters yesterday. Poppers and Deer hair Divers. Water temp was 75 and they were taking aggressively.

Last weekend I found quite a few Crappies and Bluegills (first cousins of the Bass) willing to hit top water flies. The water temp was 62 degrees.

S.R.

Steve Root wrote:

Another good indicator is Dragon Flies…..if I see them, I know the Bass will hit on top.

S.R.

The dragon fly hatch in Pope County was insane this past weekend. Walleye and bass both gorging on them in the moonlight friday night/early saturday morning. I caught 15-20 fish off my dock from midnight to 1 am throwing a wet fly with a float on a spinning rod.

I’ve been getting smallies on the river with the plopper since early season catch and release (walleye opener) weekend

thanks. I guess it’s time.

Pop-R bite was great on Mille Lac for Smallie’s this weekend

TornadoC-you did’nt actually say you caught a walleye on a topwater-but did you?

The silvers/whities were hammering top water last week on the croix.i didn’t fish for them but a boat of about 12 people were filling the live well while tossing chug bugs.i know they were chug bugs cuz a couple landed about3-4′ from me as I drifted by..

I would even say topwater is on in the 50s. Just remember when you’re using topwater baits in colder water to slow your retrieve and you should still catch fish.

I caught my first topwater fish on May 14th this year. That was also my best day with it. My hooking percentages really suck this year for some reason. I’ve been throwing the Sprinker Frog a lot and that might explain much of it, but I missed 2 out of 3 last night on a Whopper Plopper 110.

tim hurley wrote:

TornadoC-you did’nt actually say you caught a <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>walleye on a topwater-but did you?

Caught 4 eyes on the fly. Switched to casting an F9 after my fly got shredded by too many bass. I’ve only ever bought 3 flies in my life and the other two are tiny ones I’ve used for gills once in a while. I was fishing knee-thigh deep crystal clear water. Even shallower when I’d occasionally see a swirl between the docks.

why start with anything else but a topwater? The first half hour of the day anyway. Fish the funnest baits first.