Topwaters In The Sunshine
Story and Photos By John Neporadny Jr.

I often thought my brother-in-law was crazy because of his infatuation with topwater fishing. He got such a thrill out of seeing bass smash his surface plug that he would throw his topwaters at any time of the day and in any weather conditions.

Of course, I knew the prime times to throw topwaters were in low-light situations such as early or late in the day or on overcast days. So I frequently told my brother-in-law he was wasting his time when he insisted on working his surface plugs on bright, sunny afternoons. However, I no longer admonish him for fishing a topwater in the sunshine, since personal experience and opportunities to fish with some of the top pros in the country have convinced me that bass will strike a topwater at any time on a sunny day.

"Some of the biggest bass I've ever caught on topwaters were in bright sunny situations," claims Stacey King, a 12–time Bassmaster Classic qualifier from Reeds Spring, Mo. "I never rule out a topwater in a sunny situation just because it is bright. If it is the time of year when I think there ought to be a topwater bite, I will always try it."

During a Tracker Boats media event last September, Bassmaster Women's Tour pro Penny Berryman proved that a Heddon Zara Spook can be an effective topwater in the sunshine. Scheduled to compete in a media/pro tournament at Table Rock Lake, Berryman ended up fishing for fun by herself when her media partner had to cancel. The Arkansas angler was still allowed to weigh in her four keepers, which would have placed her in the top three of this informal event featuring Nitro Boats pro staffers such as Kevin VanDam, Stacey King, Rick Clunn and Tommy Martin.

"Everyone asked if I got those fish early since they knew I was fishing a Zara Spook," recalls Berryman. "I told them no, and as a matter of fact, I didn't get them until the sun came out pretty good and the minnows moved a little shallower."

Topwater Seasons
The warm months of spring through fall are the prime times to throw topwaters, but King rates the post-spawn period as best for working surface plugs in the sunshine.

"The fish are active and will come a long ways in a bright sunny situation in clear water to hit a big topwater bait like a (Lucky Craft) Sammy, (Storm Lures) Chug Bug or Zara Spook," says King.

King has also noticed that certain topwaters work well in early spring when the sunshine warms up the water 4 to 5 degrees in the afternoon.

"A lot of local guys here in the Ozarks have proven to me that a (Cotton Cordell) Redfin or Spook can be deadly earlier than you normally think in spring," he suggests.

The summer phenomenon of jump-fishing (when schools of surfacing bass bust through baitfish pods) also occurs on sunny afternoons.

"The bass can see those baitfish from a long way off, and they get them trapped against the surface and come up and blast them," reveals King.

Most of these schooling bass weigh in the 1- to 2-pound class, but King advises throwing topwaters to any jumps you see because the school of bass could be loaded with 4- to 6-pounders.

Three-time Bassmaster titleholder Edwin Evers accidentally discovered he can catch bass in the sunshine all day long with a Stanley Lures Ribbit attached to a Mr. Blitz 5/0 wide-gap hook. Evers remembers fishing the frog bait early one morning. When he kept getting bites on it as the sun got higher, he decided to stick with the surface bait.

"I just kept getting bit all day long, and it just got better later in the day," he discloses. "Some of the best topwater Ribbit fishing I have done has been in the sunshine."

The Ribbit proved to be effective in the summertime sun at the Bassmaster American tournament on Lake Wylie last July. The lure triggered strikes all day long for the Oklahoma angler despite calm, sunny conditions.

"I have caught some 5- and 6-pounders on that bait in a tournament," claims Evers.
During the Bassmaster Elite Series event on Lake Oneida last July, Evers caught his best fish of the tournament on the Ribbit at about 2 p.m. on a bright, sunny day.

A Rebel Pop-R or a Zara Spook becomes an all-day type bait for Berryman in late fall when cool nights make bass and baitfish sluggish in the mornings, but the sun warms the water and activates the fish in the afternoons. She usually starts those mornings with a deep-diving crankbait but moves shallower and throws a spinnerbait as the sun rises higher. When she notices minnows skipping out of the way of her blade bait, Berryman knows it is time to start throwing her topwater plugs.

Regional tournament competitor Greg Dishman also knows he can lure bass to the top on sunny autumn days with a Tail Walker, a large surface plug that imitates a big injured shad.
"In fall, a lot of times the bigger shad are moving around then," advises Dishman. "I think the Tail Walker gives a good silhouette to the fish, especially when they are suspended, and the walking the dog action and different kick than a Zara Spook make it more appealing to bass."

Prime Targets
Bass are susceptible to topwaters on sunny days whether they seek cover to ambush their prey in shady areas or suspend in open water to chase schools of baitfish. Dishman relied on his Tail Walker last fall to catch several keeper bass along the sides of boat docks at Lake of the Ozarks and on the bluff ends at Pomme de Terre Lake.

Vegetation is the prime cover for working a Ribbit on the surface, but Evers also likes to use the lure as a subtle buzzbait on clear-water fisheries devoid of weeds. Buzzing his frog bait down open rocky banks triggers strikes for the Oklahoma pro on sunny days.

The presence of baitfish or cover is necessary for King to lure bass to the top when the sky stays sunny all day.

"A lot of times I will catch big ones on a topwater if I have isolated cover and the fish are lying on the shady side of an old cedar tree, laydown or pole timber," says King.

Early in the post-spawn stage, King catches heavyweight bass on sunny afternoons in the spawning pockets. When bass move out of the pockets and start chasing shad later in the post-spawn period, King targets deeper structure such as main and secondary points.

Pole timber and rock ledges at Table Rock were the prime targets Berryman worked her Spook during the Tracker Boats media event last fall. Spotting shore minnows skipping around in the shallows was the key to finding the most productive spots.

Retrieval Rates
Water clarity, weather conditions and the mood of the fish all determine how fast you need to work your topwater lure in the sunshine.

"You just have to experiment with a topwater anytime and see what speed they want," recommends King. "Typically, in a bright, sunny situation, pretty fast is the deal because you don't want to slow it down enough to where they can get a pretty good look at the bait."

King prefers working his topwaters in clear water because he believes it offers the fish better visibility and induces them to travel longer distances to check out surface commotion.

Since he prefers fishing surface plugs in clear water, King favors a slight chop on the water on sunny days.

"If the water is real clear, you don't want the water dead-still any time," he says.
Water clarity also determines the type of topwater King throws in the sunshine. If the water is dirty, he opts for a noisier prop bait such as a Smithwick Devil's Horse, since bass feed by noise rather than sight in this situation.

The mood of the fish dictates how Berryman presents her Zara Spook.

"I like to retrieve it as fast as I can get away with," says Berryman, who works the lure faster in clear water and slows down the pace in stained conditions. "If I see minnows, I will work it faster. But if I don't see minnows, I will really work it fairly slow, but keep it moving."

A fast, steady pace works best for Evers whenever he's buzzing a Ribbit across the surface. He wants his lure moving fast enough so the frog's legs kick to create bubbles and a gurgling sound.

Since the zigzagging action of the Tail Walker can be achieved with minimum rod movement, Dishman prefers walking this lure at a slow pace. He believes the wounded baitfish action of this lure draws bass to the surface whether it's a cloudy or sunny day.

Now, whenever I see my brother-in-law working his topwater lure on a bluebird-sky afternoon, I usually tie on a Zara Spook and join him. Because after all, there is no bigger thrill in bass fishing than watching a big bass blast the surface and engulf your lure.