Throughout the summer top water fishing becomes a major player. When the temperatures rise bass need to keep up with their rising metabolism. They have no other choice but to feed heavily in order to survive. Not only are they eating everything they can forage species are thriving making this the perfect time to bring out your top water lures.
Why Fish Topwater Lures During The Summer?
Everyone seems to complain about summer bass fishing, but I’m not really buying it. While you aren’t going to have the same success you had during the spawn (nor should you expect it) there’s a lot of good fishing during the summer. With so many positive things happening in your favorite lake how could fishing be bad?
Major Changes are Occuring
During the summer most bodies of water has three major events the drive bass to bite. After the shad spawn they start to congregate into larger schools making for easy bass dinner, frog start to breed and increase their activities and bluegill start to hit the shallows. It’s the perfect scenario for top water lures.
With so many forage options available it’s impossible for Bass not to be biting. With a high metabolism they’re eating more and not getting fat so they’re really increasing their aggressiveness to get by.
The Best Topwater Lures For Summer Fishing
Oversized Poppers
Just about any popper you throw into the water will catch a ton of fish during the summer, but I like to target the bigger bass. By going with oversize poppers you’re going to increase your chances catching a monster bass. Most of the time you’ll find yourself catching better quality fish with a larger presentation.
Manufacturers have been coming out with their own style of poppers for years, but nobody quite beats the original Rebel Pop R. Rebel Sets the standard for top water poppers, and they really bring in monster bass. There effective no matter how fast or slow you retrieve producing explosive surface strikes.
Buzzbait
Fishing a buzz bait during the summer is a great way to catch bass. You’re going to want to bring out your Buzz baits whenever you have warm water, low light and shade. They work best first thing in the morning and right before dusk and can be fished along steep banks, lay down’s and anywhere else with a little bit of shade.
I like to work either a 1/4 oz or 3/8 oz Lunker Lure Buzzbait in the early mornings.The smaller version will work great for spotted bass in the larger’s better for largemouths. When fishing a buzz bait I like to burn it really fast looking for a reaction strike. When Bass are lazy you really need a lot of movement to entice the strike.
Walking Lures
When talking about the best top water lures everybody seems to forget about the walking lures. Walking lures are extremely easy to fish and cover a lot of water fast. When the water temperature starts to hit the 80° mark you’re going to want to switch to a walking lure. That’s when shad start to hit the top of the water and Bass are quick to strike.
Walking Lures Like Strike King’s Sexy Dawg Jrwhich is designed to imitate schooling shad will really work well in extreme heat. They are easy to walk, far casting and offer a premium “walk the dog”movement. The incredible walking action really drives bass crazy.
Hollow Body Frogs
When fishing the shallows in heavy cover nothing quite rips through the weeds like a classic hollow body frog. Whenever your fishing a lake with a lot of vegetation and overhanging trees you want to bring out your frog’s. They are nearly impossible the snag and can be thrown into even the thickest cover. Out-of-the-box you might have a few issues with missed strikes, but with a few basic modifications frog lures can be deadly.
Booyah’s Pad Crasher Hollow Body Frog is by far my favorite frog lure. It’s completely weedless and can be easily pulled through and over sloppy weedbeds. Available in a ton of different color combinations there’s a Pad Crasher Frog available to suit just about any situation.
Prop Baits
I don’t normally use prop baits, but they are well worth a mention. The only time I really use a prop bait is during the bluegill and shad spawn. That’s when Bass are really chasing after them. Try to use prop baits little bit after the bass are done spawning normally around July and August.
Bluegill normally spawn in the shallow flats a little bit off the beaten path. The best thing about this time of year is the bass really want to eat. They’re chowing down on bluegill and shad and won’t even notice your prop bait thrown in there. The past couple years I’ve had a lot of success throwing a Shad Colored Rapala Skitter Prop. It sputters and dives just like a wounded baitfish making it the perfect choice for bass in a feeding frenzy.
Topwater Fishing Tips For Summer Bass
Now that I’ve covered which lures you should choose it’s time to dive into the best fishing locations. The following locations are sure to bring in a ton of bass when the mercury rises.
Boat Docks
After the spawn I always start to hit the boat docks. Post spawn bass are notorious for suspending directly underneath docks. Docks offer everything bass want during the summer. They have shade and heavy vegetation which is perfect for top water lures.
Most anglers start out the summer pitching a collection of jigs and soft plastics but if you need to break the mold and throw a top water lure. Not only are they extremely effective you’ll be able to catch everything the other fisherman left behind.
During the summer months bass really don’t want to move much, so it’s important to make an easy meal. They’re really only willing to move about a foot or two which is why fishing a top water under dock will work tremendously. Bass eat whenever there’s an easy meal so it’s really easy to pattern. With a little practice you should be able to figure out exactly what works and what doesn’t and repeat your techniques all summer long.
Heavy Cover
As the temperatures rise bass need to feed regularly to survive, that’s why they go to heavy cover where all the baitfish thrive. Shore grass, lily pads and even the thickest cover are all perfect places to look for summer bass. With concentrated patches of fish you should be able to quickly develop a productive pattern.
Look for irregularities in this type of cover throw a frog just past these small empty spots. Over a couple hours of fishing you should be able to figure out exactly what works and what doesn’t. Your bites should come from a very specific type of shoreline vegetation that seems to attract the most fish.
Shady Pockets
Just like you and I, Bass try to beat the heat by hitting shady spots. Shady pockets are extremely productive because they offer a way for fish to beat the heat. Small in size but big and population you can work these pockets for hours. Most of the time I’ll throw either my Rebel Pop R, Jitterbug or Pad Crasher into these areas and figure out what works.
I can’t get overly specific about where to look, because literally anything that casts shade will work well. Look under trees, docks, buoys and boat lifts. As long as there’s a little bit of shade you should throw a few cast that way.
Points
Just like when fishing the pre-spawn phase bass use primary and secondary points to stop on their way to their final resting place. Use the same areas that you found successful in the spring. When fishing points you’ll normally find a large concentration of top water bass ready to eat. Keep an eye out for gravel, clay and other unusual values that could attract bass.