Topwater Fishing Guide: Creating Explosive Surface Strikes

Hey there, fellow anglers! Tom here, and today I’m excited to share my passion for what might be the most thrilling technique in fishing: topwater. There’s simply nothing that compares to the heart-stopping moment when a fish explodes on your surface lure.

What is Topwater Fishing?

Topwater fishing involves using lures that float and operate on the water’s surface, creating disturbance that mimics struggling prey. This technique triggers predatory fish to strike from below, often resulting in spectacular, visual strikes that make this style of fishing so addictive.

When to Fish Topwater

Optimal Times

Understanding prime topwater opportunities:

• Dawn and dusk (low light conditions)
• Overcast days
• Summer and early fall
• Post-spawn and summer patterns
• During insect hatches or baitfish activity

Weather Factors

How conditions affect topwater success:

• Light to moderate wind (creates helpful surface disturbance)
• Stable barometric pressure
• Warm water temperatures (65°F and above)
• Before and after storms
• Calm water for walking baits, choppy for poppers

Essential Topwater Lures

Poppers

The classics for creating commotion:

• Concave face creates popping sound
• Great for aggressive presentations
• Work with rod tip down
• Vary retrieval cadence
• Effective for bass, pike, and panfish

Walking Baits

The side-to-side masters:

• Creates “walk the dog” action
• Rod tip down, slack line technique
• Mimics wounded baitfish
• Excellent for covering water
• My favorite for big bass and saltwater species

Prop Baits

Creating surface disturbance:

• Metal propellers create flash and bubbles
• Best in calm water near cover
• Work with twitches and pauses
• Deadly during bass spawning season
• Great for drawing fish from vegetation

Frogs

For the heaviest cover:

• Weedless design for thick vegetation
• Hollow body or solid design options
• Work through lily pads, grass mats, duckweed
• Walk or pop depending on conditions
• Long pauses in openings often trigger strikes

Topwater Fishing Technique

The Perfect Cadence

Finding the right rhythm:

• Start with active, aggressive retrieves
• If no response, slow down
• Try “pop-pop-pause” or “pop-pause-pop”
• Count seconds during pauses (3-7 seconds often works)
• Let the fish tell you what they want

The Proper Hook Set

Avoiding the most common mistake:

• Wait until you feel the fish (don’t react to the sight)
• Slight delay after visual strike
• Set hook with side sweep, not upward motion
• Keep tension throughout the fight
• Use sharp, quality hooks

Location Selection

Prime Topwater Spots

Where to focus your efforts:

• Points and transitions
• Shallow flats adjacent to deeper water
• Weed edges and grass lines
• Standing timber and laydowns
• Areas with surface-feeding activity

Structure Considerations

Maximizing structure opportunities:

• Cast parallel to shorelines
• Target shade lines
• Focus on ambush points
• Look for converging currents
• Find areas with active baitfish

Species-Specific Approaches

Bass Topwater

Largemouth and smallmouth strategies:

• Frog for heavy cover and lily pads
• Walking baits for open water
• Poppers around structure
• Small props for pressured fish
• Morning and evening focus

Pike and Musky Topwater

Targeting toothy predators:

• Larger, more durable lures
• Wire leaders required
• Aggressive, erratic retrieves
• Target weed edges and points
• Be prepared for violent strikes

Saltwater Topwater

Coastal and offshore approaches:

• Larger, heavier lures for casting distance
• Strong hooks for powerful species
• Focus on tidal movements
• Target bird activity
• Dawn patrol for best results

Seasonal Topwater Tactics

Spring Topwater

Early season approaches:

• Smaller lures
• Slower presentations
• Focus on warming shallows
• Target spawning areas
• Afternoon fishing often best

Summer Topwater

Hot weather tactics:

• Early morning and late evening prime time
• Night fishing opportunities
• Target shade
• Faster retrieves
• Larger profile lures

Fall Topwater

Autumn opportunities:

• Match lure size to baitfish
• Focus on baitfish schools
• More aggressive presentations
• All-day opportunities on overcast days
• Some of the year’s best topwater action

Common Topwater Mistakes

Avoiding these rookie errors:

• Setting hook too early (wait for weight)
• Retrieving too fast
• Using too heavy line (affects action)
• Giving up too quickly after a miss
• Not paying attention to fish feedback

Final Thoughts

Topwater fishing might not always be the most productive technique, but it’s certainly the most exciting. There’s simply nothing in fishing that compares to watching a surface strike unfold right before your eyes. Master these techniques, and you’ll experience some of the most memorable moments in your fishing career.

Happy fishing, and may your next topwater strike be the one you never forget!