Springtime fishing
‘Tis the season for topwater bass
HERE IN KENTUCKY THE TOPWATER ACTION begins to heat up in April and continues through May—and May is my favorite time to fish a topwater bait for bass.
Topwater baits float on or just below the surface of the water. When bass move to shallow water, these lures enable you to cover a lot of water and quickly locate the active areas. All spawning bays are not created equal. South facing bays will warm sooner than other bays. Darker bottoms and dirty water will warm quicker than clear water. The darker color absorbs more heat and warms the bay much sooner, attracting bass earlier.
There are many options for topwater baits these days, from frogs and poppers to prop and stick baits like my favorite, the Zara Spook. Of course, some days any of these baits will work, but on others, you will have to figure out what bait will generate the most bites. Color doesn’t seem to matter as much on topwater baits. The disturbance it creates on the surface is what attracts attention.
Visible targets—like logs, treetops, buck brush and docks—are a dime a dozen when fishing shallow in the spring. You should cast to these targets and, as my grandfather taught me, let it sit until the rings in the water disappear. I’ll be honest, I can rarely wait that long, but I do like to let it sit a few seconds before working the bait. One or two little twitches in the strike zone is often all it takes to get a bass to demolish your bait.
While visible targets are fun to cast to, don’t overlook the open water in those backwaters. A lot of bass could be sitting out there as they wait for the perfect time to go up in the cover. These bass might fit in a small depression in the mud or a ditch that extends across the bay. These subtle changes in the bottom are not always visible. Stumps, logs and other great bass holding cover are easily missed when you go straight for the visible cover along the bank.
The best way to fish a topwater bait in open water is to fan cast—cover a wide area, like the shape of a fan, when you cast from the same spot. By stopping short of the shoreline and fishing the shallow water bay first, you will not spook the bass in the bay. If you want to have a lot of fun, try throwing a topwater bait this spring and enjoy the great outdoors.
KEN MCBROOM, an outdoors writer/photographer, created RamblingAngler.com. McBroom grew up in Lynchburg, Tennessee, and now lives in western Kentucky.
