By Jay Striker
Topwater lures are typical lures you can find in just about any angler’s array of tackle. I know in mine, you sure can. Big, medium, and small ones in just about every color there is. Did you know the best time to throw topwater lures is not just in the morning before the sun gets up? I have found that in the heat of the summer, I can throw a topwater bait all day long and catch fish. Let’s discuss some of the reasons throwing a topwater bait will allow you to beat the heat and keep you active when fishing seems to slow down.
Walking baits, such as the KVD Sexy Dawg, is one of the most used baits on my deck, followed up by two other favorites, a buzzbait, and a frog. Each of these baits will be used for different situations when it is extremely hot. A Sexy Dawg topwater plug is a go-to because I can cover a ton of water with this bait. In the morning on clear days, I opt for a color that has chrome in the body to get the flash of a fleeing baitfish. The key to throwing the Sexy Dawg all day is throwing it in the right spots. Targeting any cove that has a creek running from the back and has several docks close by each other gives an excellent opportunity to catch a largemouth looking for an easy meal. A must technique is that pausing the bait during the retrieve makes the strikes more frequent. Remember to always pause for a second after the fish strikes so your odds of catching the fish are higher.
Whenever I missed an opportunity at a fish with my walking bait on top, I pick up a Primal buzzbait with a different cadence so that I can target the same area, and many times the fish come back, and you get another bite at the apple. When throwing a buzzbait in the heat of the summer, I try to throw it in the calm of a pocket, over submerged brush piles and along bluff deep rock.
My last go-to bait in the heat of the summer is a frog. I like to get in an area of grass mats or grass areas and try to concentrate on the most productive areas in the mat. I’m looking for different holes that I can present my frogs. In addition to fishing grass, I will fish a frog around docks and rocks and laydowns. All of these will hold some fish in the summer. One bait that I did not mention you must have in the heat of the summer is confidence. This is and will always be the essential bait you must posses.
So the next time the sun gets high in the sky in the middle of summer, don’t put down the topwater baits. Instead, throw them and they might get you the bite of a lifetime and a trip to the winners’ circle. Thanks for always supporting me on social media and at Jaystriker.com