# Top Water Bassin'



## Big Musky (Dec 27, 2011)

Is it too soon to start thinking about this?


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## iceicebaby (Dec 17, 2007)

top water bassin is the number one reason i had to get a bass boat. friend introduced me to it a couple years ago and i am hooked. Got the boat this winter and dyin to take it out!


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## Big Musky (Dec 27, 2011)

There are some cool baits out there, the Koppers frog is a good one. Top water pike are fun too, hope to get some footage of that this year.


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## mjschijf (Oct 1, 2007)

Cool video. Thanks for sharing that.

I am by no means an "expert" bass fisherman, but I have caught quite a few very nice bass over the years at Quail Creek and Sand Hollow reservoirs. However, the one method that I have never been able to figure out is top water. One morning a few years ago I fished Sand Hollow in my float tube, intent to get into some top water action. For two hours straight, bass were surfacing everywhere...some flying 3 feet out of the water. I tried two or three different top water lures with no luck whatsoever. I tried changing up my retrieve, adding a jerk motion, reeling in slow, reeling in fast, start and stop, etc...nada!

Does anyone have any specific tips for top water, such as best time of year, time of day, best weather conditions, etc. to try top water? I'd love to get into some bass that way this year. It looks like a blast. Thanks!


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## richard rouleau (Apr 12, 2008)

ifish top water at quail and sand hollow i start throughing top water in june when the water is about 65 to 74 degree early morring or late in the even and overcast days are good .june to oct. is good topwater months i use spook, pop r, buzz bait, stick bait , and get somthing that look like a bluegill or baby bass color.


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## SlapShot (Sep 25, 2007)

mjshijf - the bass you saw rising at Sand Hollow were eating a large, rust colored dragon fly. When the bass are focused on those tasty morsels they wont touch anything else, or near anything else. I too have been frustrated with not catching all the rising fish, but fun to watch. Even saw a bass gobble up a mating pair hovering a foot above the water. I have friends that bring their heavy fly rods for such occasions.
To be honest I have not found that Quail or Sand Hollow to be super good topwater lakes. Had some great blowups on buzz baits and walk-the-talk type lures but nothing seems to work as well as a simple popper.

+1 on the Koppers frogs. I love that brand and have had luck throwing it in early spring even when water temps are still in the 50's. By far my mostest favorite topwater method.

SS


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## Narient (Jan 9, 2011)

I haven't done any bass fishing since moving to Utah, but top water was always my favorite. The excitement at seeing the water around your bait just explode is memorable to say the least. My favorite has always been the jitterbug. Buzz baits are fun to watch as the anticipation builds, and the same can be said for Poppers, but something about the jitterbug has always been my favored bait for this exciting technique.

One old timer I used to fish with would throw out a popper, twitch it once and let it sit for five minutes before twitching it again. He swore by that technique.


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## drsx (Sep 8, 2010)

Like the vid, absolutely cannot stand that annoying music.


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## Sprig Kennels (Jan 13, 2009)

i caught this one about 3 weeks ago on my all time favorite top water...she went about 4 1/2 lbs


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## Envenomation09 (Oct 22, 2012)

Where is a good place to use Top Water? I heard Mantua is good.


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## scartinez (Apr 22, 2008)

Pelican lake near Vernal is great for largies. All the smallmouth reservoirs near Salt Lake have good popper bites as well in the late summer. Small fish for the most part though.


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## Narient (Jan 9, 2011)

Likewise, Oquirrh Lake in Daybreak is fantastic for top water, although everything is still pretty small. Regardless, take along some popper flies and it's a lot of fun.


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