Top Water fishing for Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass is my passion! Its wonderful fun and exciting to view the fishing lure getting annihilated right prior to my eyes!
As opposed to various Bass angling techniques, top water angling is in a ‘league’ of its own. It is all sight and sound. Taking the eyes off your fishing lure could mean a lost fish. Don’t fear; the auditory of the water exploding when the Bass engulfs the fishing lure will wake you, pronto!
In my opinion, top water Bass angling requires two standard rod methods and two fishing styles- the twelve o’clock and the six o’clock.
In the ‘six o’clock’ rod technique, the rod is in front of you with the tip just over the water surface. Doing so is a excellent method for open water and considerably weedless circumstances. ‘Chugging’ the cup faced baits and ‘walking the dog’ using cigar baits are a breeze with this technique. Hold the rod like a golfing club, immediately in front of you, with the rod tip down over the water top. The positioning is relaxing and can save the back from tense afterwards. It involves a more compact rod. How significantly more compact is dependent on the height of the angler plus the peak of the casting platform from the water surface. For instance, I am 5’6″ tall and for me a 5′ rod is perfect for the ‘chugging’ or ‘walking the dog’ of surface baits. A medium action 4’9″ Shimano Crucial is a good choice for a rod if your height is in my range.
The ‘twelve o’clock’ technique is with the rod in front of you, tip to the sky. The ‘twelve’ o’clock is great for thick, tough Bass terrain which requires weedless top water baits such as frogs or rats. A medium heavy or heavy 6’6″ or 7′ rod will suffice. I like the 6’10″ Quantum Tour P.T heavy action, but it is the length here that shines for good castability. Cast it out and work it back slowly over the thick of it. Pumping or twitching with this rod technique will help keep the bait free of debris. Walking a weedless cigar shaped bait, such as Snag Proof’s Water Demon, will work just as well using the twelve o’clock method. Just remember to twitch front to back while reeling in slack line. Work the Buzz bait with the same rod positioning. The only exception is a medium action 6’6″ to 7′ rod. You really want elasticity to get the Buzz bait out there and a good back bone to get the fish to the boat.
Working the rod at six o’clock requires just a slight twitch of the wrists for ‘walking the dog’. This technique also puts the angler in a good position for power stroking the rod and really pushing water to wake up the Bass. When a fish takes the bait simply pull up to set the hook and Wholy Shmoli you got a big’un!
Everyone has their own methods and techniques for fishing top water. These simple rod tactics work for me, but whatever feels right for you is what is important here. Through trial and error
