The best topwater lures for bass are the proven lures. These are lures that catch bass and do not need experience on how to work them. In other words, a few lures are the must-have lures for bass fishing. Some have been around a long time yet some are newer to the market. All the lures work and you need to have a few of each in your tackle. As an angler, these lures will work all through the summer and into the fall season.
Every angler wants at least one lure that catches fish easily. That is the focus of the article. A couple of the lures have been forgotten due to the fad or new lures on the market. Why not try a proven lure? Besides, the old-style lures will look new to the fish since they have not seen a lure like it. That makes it new to them.
Topwater Lures for Bass
The only criteria for the lures are do they catch fish. The lures included have proven their fish catching ability not only to myself but thousands of anglers. Experienced anglers likely have at least one maybe more of the lures. A beginner looking for lures will find what is needed for productive topwater fishing in the lures. These are lures anyone can use and you only have to choose a few colors.
The regions of America have different prey, water-color, and lure colors that work better than others. It is up to the individual angler to pick colors for the waters they fish. The best option is picking a dark, bright, and natural pattern in the colors to start. This covers the weather and water conditions wherever you decide to fish. If the fish are there, the lures will work.
Soft Body Frog Lures for Bass
Frogs are a natural food source for bass. A soft body frog looks like a frog and feels the same to hungry bass. The lures go through weeds and brush with little chance of hanging up, yet hook bass easily. The double hook design keeps the points up away from snags. The small bodies get inhaled by bass and as a result, the bass gets hooked. Early morning or before sundown in the summer, a frog worked across weeds cannot be passed up by a bass. Simply twitch and skip the lure through the cover.
Whopper Plopper
The simplest and a versatile lure that flat out catches fish. All you have to do is cast and reel it back. There are five sizes 3, 3 1/2, 4 3/8, 5, or 7 1/2-inches, and many colors available also. Smallmouth bass hit the 3 to 3 1/2-inch models and the 3 to 5-inch are largemouth lures. The largest is pike, musky, or saltwater use.
The tail spins around slapping and popping the water alerting a bass it is there. Bass are curious when they hear a noise on the surface. They will check out the noise and hit the lure often. Also, Whopper ploppers cast far making covering water easy. Someone new to fishing needs to have a few whopper ploppers for topwater fishing in the summer.
Jitterbug Topwater Lures for Bass
The Jitterbug is a classic still popular today. The ease of use and productivity lead to the widespread occurrence in tackle boxes. The black, yellow, and frog patterns are favorites with anglers. Jitterbugs come as small as 2″ up to 4 1/2 inches. The 2, 2 1/2, or 3-inch models are perfect for bass fishing. The larger 4 1/2 inch model catches pike and musky besides the lunker bass.
It also comes in jointed versions of 2 1/2 or 3 1/3 inches. A jointed Jitterbug has a little different action than the standard. The standard wobbles and splashes on the surface yet the jointed Jitterbug has a serpentine motion and less splash. Each lure puts bass on your line so either version is an excellent choice or get both.
Heddon Crazy Crawler
A crazy crawler imitates injured prey better than any other lure. It has over fifty years of explosive hits to prove it is effective. The metal wings create splashing and bubbling sounds with a combined crawling and swimming action. The fish will know it is there if they are anywhere nearby. This lure is another that casts well and is a simple retrieve for anglers of all levels.
The lure is limited to two sizes of 1 3/4 and 2 3/8-inches but is big on results. The color is not a big concern using a crazy crawler since the action is what gets the strikes. A topwater lure only needs to contrast the sky and present a solid silhouette to the fish. The bottom of the topwater lures does not have light hitting them so they are grey or black looking up from a fish’s view.
Poppers
The lure young anglers use when starting to fish topwater. The twitch and pop retrieve is simple and is the basics for learning “walking the dog”. Walking the dog is making the lure zig and zag on the retrieve. This style of fishing is used by bass and musky anglers when a slower presentation is necessary. Poppers will walk with little effort or skill required by an angler. Use poppers in locations where bass are present and take your time working in the area. The slower retrieve gets strikes when fish are spooked or wary, unlike faster lures.
Buzz Plug and Buzzbaits
When you need speed buzzbaits do the job. Like the name implies they buzz when retrieved. The blades spin and hum through the water causing less surface disturbance but a noise bass will check out. There is nothing fancy about buzzbaits since most are a wireframe with blades and a weighted head but a few do have bodies. The buzz plug is a small-bodied lure with a buzz blade in front. The Rebel Buzz’n Frog uses the legs as the blade. The buzzbaits cover water fast when searching for bass.
Torpedos and Zara Spooks
All the previous lures create noise as part of the presentation. Spooked or wary bass will avoid the noisy lures so it is time for a quiet lure. The torpedo and Zara spook lures fit this niche in fishing. These lures do take some practice to master but work when other lures do not catch fish. Anglers need to use a twitching motion in the retrieve. Once mastered the walk the dog style is one of the best topwater lures for bass. Anglers today, tend to avoid the lures but should use them as part of their tackle. These lures have caught wary fish for decades.
Summary
Anglers can only be productive if the lures catch fish. All the lures above are proven at catching fish especially bass. Also, a lure needs to be used at the right time so mornings or evenings in the summer are the best times for topwater lures. If you have never tried topwater lures, get a few and try them. A surprising amount of fish explodes striking topwater lures adding to the excitement of fishing.
Keeping fishing simple for tight lines and bragging rights.
John McIntyre