The fall topwater bite can be one of the most exciting experiences of your fishing life if you keep a few things in mind. Let’s begin by looking at the differences between the spring topwater bite and the fall topwater bite.
I’ve caught fish on topwater lures in water down as low as 45 degrees in the fall. You can’t do that in the spring. The water needs to be much warmer for the topwater action to kick in. Here’s my theory on why:
Fish are coldblooded. In the fall they have the warm summer water behind them. I think it takes a while for their metabolism to slow down. In the spring it’s just the opposite. They have the cold winter water behind them. It takes a while for their metabolism to speed up.
Another thing to keep in mind about the fall topwater bite is that structure and cover aren’t as important as they are in the spring. Sure, you can catch them over grass, over stumps, around rock and in the backs of the creeks. But, you can also catch them in open water, no matter how deep.
The reason is that bass will often use baitfish as structure, or at least you can think about it that way. The water might be 60 feet or even deeper where you’re fishing but the shad and other baitfish will be shallow. The bass are usually under the baitfish, right up near the top. So, regardless of how deep the water might be the bass are in a perfect position to bust something on the surface.
Another thing I like about topwater in the fall is that it only takes a few casts to learn if the bite is on. If they’re hitting topwater, they’ll do it on the first half-dozen casts. You don’t have to waste a lot of time looking for them or trying to figure out what they want.
Generally I ignore the weather in the fall. I’ll fish topwater anytime unless the barometric pressure is rising and the sky is a pure cloudless blue. That’ll kill the action.
The last thing I want to mention is that most of the pros fish their topwater lures much faster than most recreational anglers. Our thinking is that they’ll bite it moving fast, splashing around and making lots of noise, so why waste time waiting for the rings to disappear. Try it and see if it works for you.
My favorite lures are the Baby Torpedo made by Heddon, the Yellow Magic popper made by Yellow Magic and a Sammy walking stick made by Lucky Craft. I really can’t say one is any better than the other. They’ll all catch bass on any given day.
The Baby Torpedo’s action is erratic and it’s small enough to generate bites but big enough to attract the big ones. The Yellow Magic popper is a bit on the expensive side but I think it’s worth the money. It’ll walk back and forth while spitting all over the place and never go under the water. The Sammy walking stick will do the same thing if you’re looking to throw a bigger bait with a snake-like movement.
In a few short weeks the water will get close to cold. Don’t let that keep you from tossing topwater baits. You just might be surprised at what happens.
