Fishing topwater - why am I having no luck?

[Explorer21]

WEA, why is it I find lots of bait in an area, jump in for a wade and throw topwater like most of you and never even get a bite?

Example, went out Friday morning, bait was moving everywhere, bird we going crazy, so I put on a spook jr. black and chrome. Threw it for about 30 minutes with nothing. Maybe I am impatience, but I got frustrated and put a plastic on. Within a few cast, I got a red and lots of hits.

Maybe topwater is not my thing, but can any of you tell me if I am doing something wrong?

BTW, I am using several different method for the presentation.

[capt mullet]

I threw tops for an hour on Saturday morning and never got a sniff either. You can NOT force feed the fish. You try different things until you find what they like and bite your presentation. A topwater bite is best when they are very agressive and they havent been very agressive lately. A full moon doesnt help anything either. usually on a full moon the fish want it very slow and on the bottom same thing in high pressure situations. It is not you it is the fish!!

[Sneekypete]

Explorer, for me the topwater bite has been a little hot and cold as well.What I usually do when the top bite is off is fish a slow sinking corky or the larger corky devil or a floating fat boy.I fish it the same way, but with longer pauses than you'll usually fish with a topwater.This allows the bait to remain in the food zone for a big trout.You can really walk the dog .... then let the bait to just free fall right down to the fish. The corky devil will just glide into the strike zone works almost everytime...try the Chartreause or pink near the pass.

[Explorer21]

I guess it is time to get some Corkies, so I can see if that helps my cause. Thanks for the information Sneekypete.

BTW, I will be sending you another PM about eat maddy, because our tournament is this weekend. I will be staying in Bay City.

[CarolinaSkiffin]

I tried TopWaters a couple of times this year with only a few blow ups but nothing steady. I think we still need a few weeks before they really starting turn on to the top water bite.

Also when you go out are your throwing different tops? Not colors but kinds...skitterwalk, shedog, spooks & jr. I fished alot when they wont hit one kind but switch to another in same or similar color they hit them. Guess it has something to do with the different rattles they all put off. Maybe try that

[capt mullet]

pink seems to be the hot color here lately. I use skitterwalks 95% of teh time. just a confidence thing with me. i try both sr and jr before I switch to something else but yes I have seen them be finicky for color many times. sometimes they wnat black sometimes they want pink or chartr and another color they wont even look at. That makes it tough but that is fishing. I keep hearing pink so try it

[Explorer21]

I tried Spook jr and Mirrolure. I have heard great thinks about Skitterwalks, but I think before I go and send even more money on topwater, I am going to wait for a blow up on one that I have now. I heard it is a blast, so hopefully I will hook up some time.

[speckledred]

I find the skitterwalks are a bit easier to fish than the MirrorLures. Pinks and chartruese are a top color.

[Race1Mopar]

It must be in the wrist... i can walk the dog pretty good on a mirrorlure but have to really concentrate more on a skitterwalk.

[aqua pimp]

Topwater bite sucked Friday! I threw them for 4 hours for only 5 maybe 6 blowups, stringing two fish. But 1 of the fish did go 23 to 24" and Steve A stuck one about the same. Just keep being patient with them. Here is what I would do the next time out, tie one on at first light at the pass and stick with it for 2 to 3 hours. If you have some slicks in the area or alot of surface bait keep it on and force yourself to throw it trading off retreives. All you will need to see is that first blowup to start getting your confidence up. Tie on a bone Super Spook jr or a bone She Dog and stay with it, it WILL GET EAT'N.

AQUA PIMP

[dbarham]

we fished the pass area this am with topwaters we only got a few blowups no fish! went over to the wharton camp bayou area and strung a couple good flounder lost several more and a good trout! all on norton bull minnows.

[Muddskipper]

I sometimes work mine real fast for an instinct strike ....

Other times, I work it as slow as a corky .... with a slight switch and only reeling for slack.

To many times I teach guys not to reel in and just work the lure with the slack. the slack helps with the back and fourth action. Also the extra slack will help on the hook set, or should I say, keep you from ripping the lure away from the fish.

I'm not an established tournament fishermn, that catches a ton of big fish, but it's HARD not to throw tops

Just my 2 cents .....

[Explorer21]

Thanks for all the advice and I guess I better be patient like AP says.

BTW, made a trip to Academy and purchased the pink Skitterwalker. Yes, I know I said I would wait, but the money was burning a hole in my pocket!

[WestEndAngler]

Go get some Corky's you'll like playing with them in the lights in your canal as well...

[Explorer21]

I was thinking about doing that on my next trip to the island.