I couldn’t see the splash of my lure landing over the underwater point, but as soon as I popped my surface bait, I was fast to an unseen opponent. Two resounding jumps made me think smallmouth, and sure enough, a big bronzeback was soon diving toward my toes.

Something about tempting a fish to rise out of its element to take a bait holds a magic not found in fishing below the surface. And topwater lures offer so many retrieve possibilities that tuning one to the attitude of the bass gives special satisfaction beyond the excitement of a strike and the thrill of the fight.

Topwater baits have undying appeal to bass because their actions and position in the water beg, “Eat me!” On the surface, a land animal or semi-aquatic creature like a frog is pinned in a perilous position. A fish on the surface is not a happy fish, particularly if it’s small enough to fit into the mouth of a bass or other opportunistic predator. Recreating this natural action often makes topwater lures the most effective baits for bass.

Topwater Times

Once waters approach their annual maximums, bass do the bulk of their annual feeding. During the Summer Period, though, bass typically feed for short periods, remaining in an inactive or neutral disposition more than 90 percent of the time. Topwater lures are great summer baits because they not only excite active bass, but also can stir neutral bass to feed. A splashing bait can persuade bass that other fish are feeding around them. Their instincts urge them to join the feast.

For daytime topwater action, schools of baitfish must be holding offshore or over structure, within 10 feet of the surface. In reservoirs, vast schools of shad ripple the surface like heat waves, and bass lurk below. In natural lakes, largemouths will pop a topwater during hot summer days when bluegills suspend over the edge of deep weedbeds, holding just a few feet below the surface over 12 to 15 feet of water. If baitfish are deep or scattered in cover, topwater fishing probably won’t produce.

River smallmouths offer another exciting option in summer when water levels and flow rates fall. Bass hold by boulders, logs, and along the edge of grassbeds ready to seize a meal carried along in the current.

They’ll sometimes smash a popper or minnowbait immediately, or they may ease up for a close look before annihilating it.

Low-light hours are prime time for summertime toppin’, and the nocturnal bite can be great. As light wanes, bass in clear waters often move shallow where they’re attracted by any surface commotion. Largemouths and smallmouths slowly cruise open flats, looking for prey that are less active after dark, like sunfish and shad, or prey that emerge from cover after dark, like crayfish. Awesome after-dark strikes are guaranteed to send shivers down your spine, whether you hook up or not.

But if you don’t put a topwater tackle box in your boat till the 4th of July, you’ll miss some great opportunities. Before the spawn, largemouths filter into shallow bays with lots of cover. These protected spots warm fast, and bass may bask near the surface, apparently soaking up warmth to boost their metabolism. They’re spooky and not aggressive, but they will softly engulf a lure floating on the surface or gently twitched near a stump or weed clump.

At the other end of the seasonal scale, surface baits are effective for big bass during fall. In many southern reservoirs, largemouths move into feeder creeks in fall, in pursuit of gizzard shad. A big surface bait, sometimes even a muskie bait or striper bait worked slowly on top resembles a big crippled shad. Many 10-pounders are annually taken this way.

In northern waters, too, fall brings a renewal of shallow-water fishing, as water color darkens and vegetation thins. Slowly twitching a floater over weed clumps or among fallen trees often takes more fish than finesse jigging or slow-rolling spinnerbaits, much to the surprise of those who haven’t tried the technique.

Topwater Categories

Topwater lures come in many shapes and sizes, and there’s not one that won’t tempt a strike when cast in the right spot and retrieved just so. Within each of the seven categories included here, a range of sizes and lure characteristics make a particular lure a top choice in a given situation. Such fine tuning usually must be accomplished by trial and error.

Recognize, too, that topwater lures range from subtle to ostentatious. A lure’s size and features contribute to this profile, but the action an angler imparts to the bait also plays a role. That’s why topwater baits are considered skill baits.

Reading the position and disposition of the bass and matching lure characteristics and retrieves is tantamount to success. But it makes them fun to fish, too. There’s no wrong way to work a topwater, but sometimes some actions are better than others. We’re looking for the particular twitch that makes a fish’s jaw itch.

Poppers and Chuggers—This category is the hottest trend among surface lures, maybe the hottest style among all hard baits over the last five years. More than any other type of topwater, popper presentations can be tailored to the mood of the fish, from the 1/8-ounce Rebel P50 Pop-R and Lucky Craft Bevy Popper that barely stretch two inches to the Storm 7/8-ounce Big Bug and the 1-ounce Yo-Zuri Mag Popper.

A popper can be worked with a frantic spitting action appropriate for largemouths in summer where pelagic shad are important prey. But the same bait worked with a pop-and-pause cadence often lures smallmouths from a fallen tree. Poppers fit applications from finesse to boisterous come-and-get-me actions that make buzzbaits seem tame.

Variations are based on lure characteristics like weight, shape, mouth size, and tail features. The retrieve cadence is the final piece of the presentation puzzle. And the range of poppers and popper retrieves should be viewed as a continuous progression from subtle to obnoxiously noisy.

On a given day, a special surface dance can make a major difference in the bait’s attraction. A particular retrieve may keep fish snapping at first light, but strikes dwindle as the sun rises. Often, changing the cadence or speed of the retrieve will renew the bite. Colors, too, can make a difference.

In cool waters of spring and fall, a slow pop-and-pause cadence works best. Give the bait a moderate tug to splash some water and create a fair ripple. Then let it settle for several seconds. Long thin poppers, called pencil poppers, excel in these conditions. When finesse is called for, try Daiwa’s TD Pencil or the Viva Pencil adorned with a hackled tail treble, from Carolina Fish and Fur.

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.

As the lure settles, the rear prop makes a couple final revolutions, with a flash that teases reluctant fish. Prop baits also make great baits at night in summer, because a slow steady retrieve keeps up an attractive bubble trail at a steady speed that’s easy for bass to home in to.

Stickbaits—Sometimes called walking baits, a category that includes cigar-shape topwaters that jump back and forth when retrieved with a steady downward rod motion. The Heddon Zara Spook is the most famous, and the Excalibur Super Spook has gained fans since production began three years ago. These hefty lures have a solid reputation for attracting outsize largemouths and smallmouths, and the new 1/2-ounce Super Spook Jr. adds to the genre’s versatility. Indeed, baits like the Rebel Jumpin’ Minnow, MirrOLure Top Dog, Gaines Ugly Albert, and Bomber Mullet are favorites for coastal angling, and they double as lunker bass lures.

One of the hottest lure categories, though, is the group of more subtle stickbaits imported from Japan. Lucky Craft’s Sammy, Buddha Baits Samurai, Yo-Zuri’s Walk’n Dog, Owner’s Zip-N-Ziggy, and the Viva Bugeye Stick are finely detailed baits that slip softly from side to side at a slower pace than the presentation usually performed with the Spook. And lighter line (8- to 12-pound test) enhances their action.

PRADCO’s Spit’n Image brought the same kind of detailed finish to American baits where this medium-size stickbait (3- and 31⁄4-inch models) has been a hit. Bagley Bait’s new Finger Mullet fits the genre, too, with its Prizm Image holographic finish. The balsa Rattlin’ Twitcher and smaller Spittin’ Twitcher from Bagley and Poe’s two smaller sizes of the cedar Jackpot also offer walk-the-dog action in medium-size baits that fish easily on medium-heavy baitcasting tackle.

Minnowbaits—This lure style has proven one of the biggest sellers since Normark offered the first Rapala Minnow in 1960. That floating bait’s natural imitation of a crippled minnow caught bass, pike, and walleyes like no lure before it. In the 1930s, Finnish fisherman Lauri Rapala whittled and colored the lure to replicate the struggling motion of the baitfish that predators seemed to single out for a meal.

The Rebel Minnow, A. C. Shiner, Bagley Bang-O-Lure, and Cordell Redfin soon followed and also astounded anglers with their attraction to predatory fish. Lately, beautiful Japanese minnowbaits have been offered by Owner, Daiwa, Yo-Zuri, Carolina Fish and Fur, and Lucky Craft. Floating minnowbaits work well when trolled or steadily retrieved, but slowly twitching one on the surface is often the best way to tempt bass. Each of the wooden and plastic baits offers a slightly different action due to bill design, lure shape, size, material, and weight placement.

Pull the bait below the surface and it rises with a shimmying action that’s deadly on calm mornings and evenings. When a breeze rises, a faster snapping action attracts largemouths and smallmouths from the Postspawn Period through the Postsummer Period. Just shaking the rod tip makes these delicate baits shiver on the surface, sending out slight ripples that are hard for any fish eater to resist. Watch out, for you’ll tempt gulls, pelicans, and herons, too.

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.