Freshwater anglers have plenty of topwater choices. Within the bass recreation particularly, these searching for floor eruptions can dip into virtually any lure style and discover the right bait to name up a hog. Conventional Spooks and poppers are, after all, classics in sweetwater. However you’ve additionally bought buzzbaits, prop baits, gurglers, crawlers, and a military of soppy plastics designed to kick, sputter, and froth their solution to big-fish victory. For those who’re a saltwater angler, nonetheless, your selections are a bit extra restricted.
Years in the past, I interviewed a captain from Louisiana who swore by hollow-body bass frogs for mahi-mahi. He would toss these weedless rubber baits over floating mats of sargassum seaweed and work them by way of the vegetation aggressively. It was a nifty — albeit area of interest — trick, however his success illustrates how saltwater predators aren’t normally as discerning as freshwater fish. A mahi doesn’t know what a frog is. It merely reacts to a transferring goal. Within the salt, there may be much less want for finesse with topwaters, and choosing the proper one for the scenario hinges extra on circumstances than the rest.
Saltwater floor lures might be damaged down into three foremost classes: poppers, strolling baits, and sub-surface sliders. From offshore species like tuna to again bay redfish in skinny water, all three lure kinds have a time and a spot. So, let’s begin by breaking down the advantages of every earlier than diving into topwater methods and strategies.
Poppers
- Greatest for deep water, stained water, uneven water.
Photograph by Joe Cermele
Poppers are essentially the most ubiquitous topwater in fishing. From creeks to the Gulf Stream, the chugging, spitting motion of those lures attracts consideration from all method of gamefish. They’re versatile, too. No matter how calm or uneven the floor circumstances are, they’ll carry out. The physique form and rear weighting of a popper additionally makes it very aerodynamic, so you’ll be able to solid them far and precisely when a blitz erupts. Poppers can be labored at any cadence. Chug them rapidly to incite a response chunk or gently pop and pause to maintain them within the strike zone longer round sod banks, bridge pilings, and docks.
When shopping for poppers, take note of the depth of their scooped, concave mouths. The deeper the news, the extra water it’ll collect and throw if you chug. This naturally makes deep-faced poppers louder. When chasing species like tuna and striped bass in deep, open water, this is usually a big profit, as it could possibly entice fish from higher distances. In shallow water, nonetheless, a popper with a much less extreme scoop can do a greater job of mimicking a smaller injured baitfish flipping and flopping on the floor. They’re additionally simpler when concentrating on fish holding and ambushing round inshore construction, the place a subtler sound might be the ticket to drawing strikes.
High Saltwater Poppers
MirrOlure Poppa Mullet
Main Targets: Redfish, seatrout, small snook, school-sized striped bass
With a slender profile and shallow popping mouth, this lure shines in skinny water the place a subtler commotion makes the play.
Yo-Zuri Hydro Popper
Main Targets: Striped bass, snook, bull redfish
An ideal all-around popper, this lure is robust sufficient to tangle with large fish in addition to carry out in open or sheltered waters.
Yo-Zuri Massive Sport Bull Popper
Main Targets: Tuna, mahi-mahi, trophy striped bass, bull redfish
With a loud chug, lengthy casting distance, and extra-tough {hardware}, this popper can deal with fish weighing north of 100 kilos.
Strolling Baits
- Greatest for calm water, shallow water, and low gentle circumstances
Probably the most well-known strolling topwater of all time is the Heddon Zara Spook. It’s been round for almost a century, and it’s accountable for your complete class of strolling floor lures being collectively known as “Spooks.” These easy, cigar-shaped baits “stroll” backward and forward in a zig-zag sample throughout the retrieve. Most additionally function an inner rattle chamber that offers them a definite “clacking” sound as they transfer. Although they’ll actually produce if you inject delicate actions and pauses into the retrieve, it’s the rhythmic, repetitive sound on the floor that arguably attracts essentially the most strikes.
Spooks are the primary selection for seatrout anglers in again bay environments, as these fish feed closely by sound. In fact, redfish, snook, and striped bass may also hammer them. Over the previous few years, large strolling topwaters adopted from the muskie scene have been gaining reputation with saltwater anglers concentrating on large fish in deep, open water.
The one disadvantage of a Spook is that it’s troublesome to keep up that regular, rhythmic cadence when floor circumstances are tough. Wave motion could make a Spook leap out of the water as a substitute of gliding backwards and forwards, which may mar the presentation.
High Strolling Baits for Saltwater
Heddon Zara Spook
Main Targets: Seatrout, redfish, snook, striped bass
It’s onerous to beat the old-school Zara in plain Bone colour for virtually any skinny-water species that eats baitfish.
MirrOlure High Canine
Main Targets: Seatrout, snook, redfish
Vastly well-liked throughout the South, the High Canine has lengthy been a staple within the bins of wading anglers and boaters from Texas to Florida to the Carolinas.
Jigging World Doc
Main Targets: Trophy striped bass, bull redfish
This outsized, bone-colored Spook has the uncanny capacity to make big striped bass seem out of nowhere, even within the open ocean.
Sub-Floor Sliders
- Greatest for clear water, brilliant circumstances, skittish fish
The slider class is odd as a result of it encompasses a number of kinds of lure together with suspending twitchbaits. Are these floor lures? Sure and no. They’re designed to be fished simply underneath the highest, normally a foot or much less deep. Typically, they’re shut sufficient that if you get smashed, it’s nonetheless very visible and ends in a boil or vacuum gap the place the lure was once.
These sorts of lures shine on days if you’re seeing fish comply with poppers and Spooks with out committing. Causes for this will fluctuate, but it surely’s typically throughout brilliant days, or when the water is ultra-clear, or a mixture of each. The fish are being triggered by floor exercise however not keen to shut the deal up prime. When this occurs, the darting, slashing, bulging motion of a slider slightly below the floor typically makes the distinction.
High Sliders for Saltwater
Mirrolure MirrOdine
Main Targets: Seatrout, snook, redfish
With a most sink depth of solely two toes, this bait is simple to maintain slightly below the floor when retrieved with a excessive rod angle.
Rapala X-Rap Twitchin’ Minnow
Main Targets: Snook, seatrout, striped bass
Two heavy-gauge single hooks assist this lure keep pinned when large stripers or snook take a shot just below the floor.
Shimano Orca
Main Targets: Tuna, mahi-mahi, trophy striped bass, trophy snook
With an ultra-slow sink price and heavy-duty parts, this lure can deal with the giants that may’t resist its erratic slashing motion.
Topwater Ideas & Tips
Photograph by Joe Cermel
Do the Popper Drop-Again
Species like snook and striped bass love to make use of tidal present to their benefit when feeding. They’ll maintain someplace behind construction that breaks the present, akin to behind a dock piling or level of land, then dart out into the principle movement to seize a baitfish driving the tide. When fishing a popper in quicker water, nonetheless, it’s not unusual for these fish to overlook on the primary shot.
What typically occurs is the fish traces up on the popper, however for the reason that popper is transferring with the present, the hit occurs simply behind the lure. In different phrases, it wasn’t the place the fish thought it will be by the point it reaches the floor. A intestine response is to rapidly pop once more, however this will generally pull the lure farther out of the zone. As a substitute, practice your self to do nothing if a fish misses in heavy present. They’ll typically suppose they’ve shocked the prey and swing round on what they now understand as wounded forage. It’s not unusual for fish holding in robust present to solely enterprise to this point for a meal, so in case you let the popper journey after a miss, it’ll be transferring slower and hopefully stay within the kill zone simply lengthy sufficient for a second shot.
Loop Your Spooks
Spook-style lures get their efficiency from their rhythmic cadence. The most well-liked fashions sweep extensively backward and forward as they transfer, creating extra floor disturbance and sound. To reinforce their attraction additional, attempt leaning on a loop knot when tying on a Spook.
The best to grasp is the non-slip mono loop. By securing a Spook through this connection, it’ll have extra freedom of motion and, due to this fact, higher vary of movement. The flexibility of the lure’s hook eye to slip on a loop may also ramp up the bait’s erratic motion. Throughout pauses or slower retrieves, the loop will assist the lure jackknife and “look backwards,” which is usually a big set off with predatory fish.
Use a Single Hook
Thanks partially to a higher conservation ethic amongst anglers, extra topwater lures are provided with a single hook as of late. You’ll be able to, after all, retrofit any lure with single inline hooks, as they’re obtainable in a variety of sizes. However not wanting to stay the factors of two treble hooks in a fish’s face isn’t the one cause to modify to single hooks. In some instances, you’ll really improve your odds of touchdown fish.
That is very true with large fish that struggle very onerous. Have you ever ever observed that offshore trolling lures not often function treble hooks? It’s as a result of underneath excessive pressure, a single hook that’s effectively planted is far stronger and holds a lot quicker than a treble hook. This identical precept carries over to topwater lures. For those who’re chasing trophy redfish, stripers, or snook, swapping treble hooks for single hooks will guarantee extra strong hook units and a greater connection. In conditions the place you’re hooking toothy bluefish or jacks on each different solid, single hooks are additionally a lot safer and quicker to take away so you may get again within the motion.
Stroll the (Shadow) Line
Probably the greatest occasions to fish topwater lures within the salt is after sundown. Predators like striped bass, snook, seatrout, and tarpon are nocturnal hunters. And top-of-the-line locations to search out all of them after darkish is on a tough shadow line.
These are mostly discovered round bridges, although docks can produce wonderful shadow traces as effectively. Mild shining on the water from the dock or bridge deck is the catalyst. Though it might not create bodily construction, the road the place darkish water meets lit water is the right ambush level for predators. They’ll maintain slightly below the floor at midnight space and look forward to tidal movement to maneuver prey in from the lit water forward. A topwater lure is an effective way to capitalize on this state of affairs.
Ideally, you’ll need to be positioned parallel to the shadow line. What’s essential is that you simply don’t solid on the road. As a substitute, throw effectively forward of the road into the water that’s well-lit. Whether or not throwing a Spook or a popper, make a loud retrieve till the lure is about to hit the shadow line after which cease. The commotion ought to alert fish holding at midnight, and a prey merchandise that’s not transferring when it crosses the road takes much less effort for a fish to spring up and snatch.