Sarley: Any time is a good time for a topwater lure

People debate the subject of the most exciting way to catch a fish. I know what method I think is most exciting. There is nothing more exciting than watching a fish attack a topwater lure.

I fish a lot of topwater presentations for bass because I love the excitement of the strike, but what do I use and where do I use it? The answer to “when” is “any time.”

I talk to many people and they all have opinions on topwater fishing. To each his own, I say. I can’t give a definitive opinion on the best time to use a topwater presentation, but I am not willing to rule out any time based on things like sun, wind, water clarity, water color or conditions like that. I always keep a rod on hand that is rigged up with my favorite topwater lure and throw a cast or two with it at whatever spot I am fishing.

Many folks think that topwaters only work when the water is smooth and flat. I disagree. Plenty of folks figure that topwater lures are best when used when the sun is high in the sky. I have caught plenty of bass on topwater lures in the evening, as the sun is headed down. By the way, black seems to work best when the sky is the darkest.

I think that topwater lures can work for you on any water and virtually every occasion. Open up your mindset and give topwater lures a try at times you normally don’t use them and I think you’ll get a surprise.

As far as location, topwaters can work almost anywhere that fish swim. I know guides who have their clients throwing topwater lures everywhere they drive the boat. I’m not a big fan of casting to open water. I prefer to pick water that is more closely aligned to productive spots, targets like rocks and drop-offs. Fish can move toward topwater baits if they are in the neighborhood, so try to find the neighborhood in the first place.

I fish a lot of ponds and take notice of what the other pond fishermen use. It is a rarity for me to see a pond fisherman using a topwater bait. This is a big mistake and I don’t know why anglers don’t fish these lures from the shoreline. Maybe they think the water is too shallow, but that is not the case at all.

There are plenty of topwater presentations that are tiny in stature and they slay in small water. I think most fishermen buy the biggest topwater baits they can find at the tackle shop and they may be making a huge mistake.

My favorite topwater baits are the Whopper Plopper, made by River2Sea, the Heddon Pop-R, the Bagley Bang-O lure and a plain old buzzbait.

The Whopper Plopper is a big fish bait and it makes a ton of noise and moves a lot of water. It is a great bait, especially when the surface is the least calm. The Pop-R is my go-to surface lure. I use it in any condition and on any water. The Bang-O lure is perfect for flat water. I like to throw it out and wait until it stops moving. I give it a couple of cranks and wait some more and then crank and repeat. The majority of my strikes come when the lure is just sitting there doing nothing, believe it or not.

Everyone has thrown a buzzbait. Make sure you vary the speed of your retrieve and keep changing it until you find success. I like using a buzzbait that has a plastic blade that matches the color of the skirt. They work for me better than the buzzers that come with silver or gold metallic blades.

More to come on fishing topwaters next week.

• Daily Herald Outdoors columnist Steve Sarley can be reached at sarfishing@yahoo.com.