Inshore saltwater anglers and freshwater fly fishermen already know the value of fishing a lure on the surface with another suspended beneath. The bass fishing crowd can also take advantage of this technique.
The rush of visible and often explosive surface strikes is undeniable. Topwater baits can also be more effective than sub-surface offerings in certain situations such as mayfly hatches, baitfish spawns and when fish are actively chasing bait on top. Walk-the-dog style baits are deadly, and popping or chugging baits can call fish up when they’re already in the feeding mood. But what if you’re in a situation when bass seem to be snubbing your topwater offerings even though you know they’re there and feeding?
Take a page from the book of saltwater anglers and employ a tactic similar to those used for redfish. A popping cork trailed by either live shrimp or a soft-plastic with a jig head is a go-to redfish rig. Fishing a dry fly on the surface with a dropper nymph subsurface is a standard rig for fly fishermen. Guess what, it works on largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass, too.
Don’t even clip off the popper you had tied on. You were probably fishing it on 8- to 10-pound line. Tie about a 2-foot fluorocarbon leader of the same test off the rear treble hook of the popper and finish it with a worm hook or a lightweight jig head. Flukes and finesse worms are both great choices for the dropper on this rig, and they can both be fished either weightless or with a jig head.
Without delving too deeply into piscatory psychology, the theory is popping and chugging baits mimic the sound of fish feeding on the surface. This draws the attention of nearby predators. And while bass might still refuse something floating on the surface, they’re hard-pressed to pass up that soft-plastic bait suspended seductively nearby.
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