Balsa baits are best cast on spinning tackle, and lighter line helps them perform their delicate dance to perfection. Larger plastic models like the Smithwick Rogue, Storm ThunderStick, Bill Lewis Slap-Stik, Bomber Model A, and new editions like Mann’s Stretch 1-Minus, Nichols’ Rattlin’ Ripper, and PRADCO’s Excalibur Ghost Minnow cast easily and perform on medium-weight baitcasting tackle. For the finest action, though, thinner monofilaments are preferred.
Crawlers—This small category includes two classic topwaters, Heddon’s Crazy Crawler and the Arbogast Jitterbug. When we reviewed 21 years of In-Fisherman’s Master Angler Program, the most successful topwater bait for trophy bass was the Jitterbug (followed by the Zara Spook and Arbogast Hula Popper). The bait’s a magical topwater that excels after dark when the big gals (smallmouths, too) roam the flats and nose along the outside of lily pad bays and shallow stump fields. The Jitterbug’s steady rolling cadence and strong underwater vibrations make it an easy target.
A pair of metal paddles on the Crazy Crawler execute a wild side-to-side gait that’s deadly at dusk or after dark. While these baits may work during daylight, tradition generally excludes them from that realm. But give ‘em a try; nobody told the bass they don’t work. And maybe it’s time for modern lure crafters to expand this category.
Rubber Frogs—These are the easiest topwaters to use, arguably the most exciting, and a real hawg hunter to boot. No finesseful Japanese models in this line. Frogs are built for the bog, masters of the moss. The Snag Proof line of hollow-body frogs, mice, and other critters set the mold, and Mann’s Rat and Southern Lures’ Scum Frog have wrenched more than their share of lunker largemouths from dense slop where these baits excel. The other option in rubber frogs is the foam-bodied frog like Harrison-Hoge’s Super Frog.
In thick weedmats, largemouths are ambush predators. They lurk under canopies of lily pads, wild rice, algae, or duckweed, waiting for prey to move close enough to seize. Anything vaguely lifelike that moves into a bass’ strike window or putzes across the top of the mat is a likely target. And since a savage leap is necessary to break through the canopy and grab prey, strikes are savage and unexpected.
Work these weedless floating baits over pockets in lily pads, along thickly vegetated creek channels, and over algae mats. While bass often bury deep into weed fields in early summer, later they typically hold closer to edges where they more likely will encounter shiners and bluegills, and where oxygen levels are higher.
Slow retrieves give bass time to locate a lure and strike accurately. Still, they often miss the lure, especially in dense algae. Always cast back several more times, and often the fish will strike again. If a hole looks particularly enticing, let the frog float motionless for 10 or 15 seconds. Or use a popper-shape frog like Mann’s Popper or Southern Lures’ Scum Frog Popper to add a little splash to the presentation. Where bass can glimpse a lure, color matters, so carry a selection that always includes white, chartreuse, green, and black.
