In the low-light conditions of summer, a similar finesse retrieve also may work best, particularly if bass are holding in cover and must be lured out. After dark, mix sharp pops with a slow retrieve to allow bass to approach the lure using their lateral line and night vision. If a bait moves too fast or too erratically after dark, you’ll miss fish.
When bass are feeding on shad near the surface, a fast spitting action lures reaction strikes. Don’t let the fish get a good look at the bait. And the sharp sound and motion of a popper seems to alert bass, even in moderate waves. Moreover, the tail adorned with hackle or mylar, bobbing an inch or two below the surface, gives fish another feature to key on.
Prop Baits—Lures with one or more propellers at the nose and tail operate at the noisy end of the topwater spectrum. These baits run straight through the water and create steady splashing as the props spin. Speed the retrieve and the pitch of the resulting sound rises, as does the splash. Sometimes giving the bait a sharp pull, followed by a pause attracts attention as the lure jumps ahead with a loud slushing sound and a spurt of bubbles, then sits vulnerable.
Several classic prop baits sport spinners, fore and aft, like the Luhr-Jensen Nip-I-Diddee (originally, a South Bend product), Smithwick Devil’s Horse, Cordell’s Boy Howdy and Crazy Shad, and the Heddon Dying Flutter. On these lures, a small prop positioned behind the line tie and ahead of the rear treble creates splash and flash. Water resistance of the props keeps the bait in a small area, effective for teasing a bass out of a weed pocket or fallen tree, since the lure won’t glide out of the strike zone.
Some props are bent or pointed at the tip to create more commotion. Luhr-Jensen offers several sizes of the Ozark Woodchopper with especially noisy blades for bass as well as stripers and peacock bass. Topwater fans will be pleased to know that one of the finest prop baits, the Gilmore Jumper, is back in production, sized for bass from the smallmouth to the peacock and striped variety.
Luhr-Jensen’s Amazon Ripper features two big tail props that counter rotate to run straight and for maximum splash. An old bait that still catches lots of bass is the Arbogast Sputterbuzz and Sputterbug, with buzzbait-style blades on a wire harness ahead of a buoyant plastic body.
One of the most popular topwaters of all time, the Tiny Torpedo and the larger Baby Torpedo, features a single tail prop. The Nichols 3/8-ounce Prop-U-Lure and Bill Lewis 1/4-ounce Rat-L-Top join this genre. These versatile baits can be softly blurped for a finesse presentation or snapped in a rhythmic cadence that really churns the surface.
Hybrids between poppers and prop baits exist, like Mouldy Tackle’s Pop A Doodle and the Viva Swish from Carolina Fish & Fur. These baits offer a versatility that sometimes fills a presentation niche. At other times, though, they don’t function as effectively as true-blood baits of either category. In this manner, they resemble minnow baits with props mounted at the rear treble like Bagley’s Bang-O-Lure, Mighty Minnow, and Super Stinger balsa topwaters.
