When Do Top-Water Baits Work Best?

If many bass fishermen had their druthers, they would fish with nothing but top-water baits such as buzzbaits and poppers. Top-water baits allow them to cover large expanses of water in search of fish and, unlike with other lures, anglers get to watch the fish bite. However, there are certain conditions under which top-water baits perform best.

  1. Low-light Conditions

    • Bass are more likely to venture away from cover and chase prey under low-light conditions. This includes dusk and dawn -- as well as the nighttime -- but it also includes cloudy and rainy conditions. When the sun is bright overhead, bass are likely to hole up in heavy vegetation or swim far beneath boat docks and other overhead cover.

    Calm Water

    • Calm conditions are better for fishing top-water baits than rough conditions. When the surface of the water is calm, the fish can see and hear the top-water bait and hone in on it much better than they can if waves roil the water. In that case, the fish have a difficult time finding the lure, much less striking it.

    Cover Bumping

    • When bass are tight to cover such as boat docks and you want to fish a top-water bait, bump the bait into the cover. Reel a buzzbait, for example, so it makes contact with the boat dock pilings or posts. When the lure deflects off the object, it moves in an erratic fashion that can trigger a reflexive strike from a fish.

    Water Temperature

    • Top-water baits work best when fish are active, which means they are best in water temperatures that are higher than 55 degrees. When the water temperature is lower than this, fish are more lethargic and less likely to chase a fast-moving lure.