learnin

Used to do a lot of it 50 years ago on the upper James and Maury rivers when I lived in Virginia. Top baits were helgrammites or Mepps spinners. Caught some nice channel cats on the helgrammites occasionally. If I had to pick one way to bass fish and could still do it that would be it.

Did ok yesterday. Fished five hours before it got too windy. I tried a 3/32 Gamagakatsu "Tricky Head", "shake&glide" Shaky head hook with a 4" green pumpkin TRD Ned Rig bait. The guy I was fishing with used a standard 1/6th oz Ned Rig set up with a 2&3/4 green pumpkinTRD. We caught seven, I got five including one that measured 21&1/2" that we figured was an easy 5LB+. Big difference in hang ups. I had three he had a lot more. Will try this again.

Again, thanks to all that responded. A lot of helpful info here.

Thanks to all for the info. I'll give them a try with 3/32 and 1/16th heads if it's not too windy.

We've had pretty good luck overall with standard green pumpkin TRDs and Zoom jig head Ned Rigs. We usually fish a Rocky bottom reservoir and get a lot of hang ups. Several people suggested that we' d probably do just as well using green pumpkin plastics on Shakey Head rigs without near as many hangups. Never fished Shakey Head baits before but am willing to give it a try. Can I expect less hang ups with Shakey Heads?

Good info greentrout thanks for posting.

Thanks to all that responded. Good to see the Mepps is still alive and well.

I used to do a lot of smallmouth fishing in the upper James River in SW Virginia. At that time, 1960s & 70s, Mepps spinners seemed to be the top artificial bait. Anyone still using them for river smallmouths?

Tried a new to me Shimano 6 ft Sensilight light power spinning rod with an older Shimano Symetre FJ 1000 reel. Six lb Suffix braid with a 6lb flurocarbon leader and 1/15th oz Z Man jigs with 2&3/4 Ned Rig baits All of it worked well from dinks up to three 17 inchers, Hadn't used the reel in awhile and was impressed with how smooth it functioned including the drag with the 17s.

2&3/4", 1/10th oz Green Pumpkin Z Man Ned Rig 9lb year before last.

Ned Rig, Z Man Pop R Rico 5" Senko "Keeper" 4" worm Rattle Trap Floating Rapala

Probably an ignorant question but here goes. I like using a baitcaster for topwater fishing but there's times when a backhand cast is all that will work for getting the bait where you want it. I realize the pros and some amateurs can make this look easy but I've found it's a lot tougher than it looks. The only way I can sometimes get it right for both reasonable distance and accuracy is to lighten up considerably on spool tension which also sometimes results in backlashes. Am I on the right track re spool tension or is this type cast something that just takes a lot of practice to master. After working on it for a while it's easy to understand the popularity of spinning gear.

Thanks to all for the info.

Is there any water temp that's generally accepted as too low for effective topwater fishing?

Yep, glad that didn't happen . I got the popper back and the fish got away. That was a really good fish. I got one a week before on the same lure that might have gone four lbs based on it's length. This one wasn't on that long felt a lot stronger.

Got a good hit yesterday on a 1/4 oz clear Rebel Pop R in shallow water. I could tell right away he was a really strong, big fish. There was a down tree close by and he got around a limb that gave him some leverage, straightened out two of the tail treble hooks and that was it. Took him about ten seconds, talk about a quick rush. Not saying Pop R hooks are bad, I've caught plenty of bass with all sizes of Pop Rs and this was a first. For all I know this fish would have straightened any brand of hook under these circumstances. Didn't get this one but sure makes you want to go back. We fish a lot of top water and try Whopper Ploppers, Spooks, Ricos and various Pop Rs, for whatever reason the 1/4 oz clear pop R has out fished them all by a lot this year.

I probably fish topwaters more than makes sense as far as catching a lot of fish but I like the action and you never know. Last week I got a good one, 20" maybe 4lbs, on a 1/4 oz clear Pop R in 4 or 5 feet of clear water, in a rocky bottom reservoir at around 11:30, sunny with no clouds, about as unlikely a time or place for a top water strike as you'll find. We hadn't caught anything in over an hour. The guy I was fishing with was trying Ned Rigs in deeper water with no luck and we were about ready to call it a day. I'd made half a dozen casts around the same small piece of cover toward shore and stopped my retrieve about half way back to the boat. It sat there about ten seconds and I wasn't expecting a strike. The hit was so strong he had the whole bait completely in his mouth, almost swallowed it. Took some work to get him unhooked and back in the water.

What kind of rod & reel are you using, spinning gear or baitcaster? You can go with lighter lures as well as heavier with most spinning gear, depends on the rod rating. You can also do this with a baitcasting rig if you're experienced and good with a baitcaster. Otherwise I wouldn't go below 3/8ths oz lures or baits max or you'll spend as much time dealing with backlashes as fishing. I agree that crankbaits might not be the best for a lot of pond fishing unless you can run them shallow and fast. As others have said top waters & plastics will get it done. Shallow running spinner baits are also probably worth a try.

Meant to say I agree with Bulldog 1935.

My fishing is for Lg Mouths in reservoirs so its not the same fish or conditions as what you're doing and I don't have current to deal with but I agree Bulldog 1935 that a low drag setting could be a big part of the problem. I'm using a med. 6ft spinning rod, 10Lb braid, 6 or 8 lb fluro leader and a std 1/10th oz Ned Rig set up with the hook bent all the way back to where it's barbless. Drag is set to where it can be moved but it takes some pressure. Hook sets are easy with that barbless wire hook. and as long as I can keep the pressure on I don't lose them regardless of size.

Didn't have one with me or I would have.

The guy I fish with brought his fourteen year old grandson along for his first bass fishing trip in a boat. The kid was using a spinning rod and a floating Rapala. It was the original grey, two sets of hooks model, looked to be about four or five inches. We're not always successful but usually manage to catch some and have a few pretty good days. We caught a few this day but I'd say he easily caught more than both of us combined. When we started his grandfather said, "that's primarily a trout lure, want to try something else". The kid said that since he already had it tied on he'd give it a try. While it was a PIA fishing three in a boat we learned something. He'd throw that Rapala next to cover, give it a few twitches and if nothing hit it then they'd often enough hit it right after he started the retrieve. We alternated between Pop Rs, Senkos and Ned rigs. Maybe the bass hadn't seen many any Rapalas before and maybe it was a one time thing but it sure worked that day. I know I'll be trying one next time out.

Anyone else still have their first baitcaster?. Still got mine, a rig I got in 1952 at the age of nine. 5'2" Shakespeare "Wonder Rod" and a South Bend Model 666 reel that still has some old (rayon, nylon?) line on it. I think the rod was some early variation of fiberglass. I'll say it's a "wonder" it's still in one piece. I initially used that combination with live bait for all kinds of fishing, later for bass. I also used it for pier fishing on the North Carolina coast with some pyramid sinkers that had to be way above that rod's weight class. It was all I used until I got out of the service in 1966 and got my first spinning outfit. Never used it since. I didn't use a baitcaster again until I got a new one in the early 90s. As advanced as they are today I've never been as accurate as I was with that first combination. Which was basically free spool with no real drag other than my thumb. I did a lot of fishing with it and practiced with it the first few years I had it in the back yard a lot too. Got to where I was surprised if my bait didn't land where I wanted it to.

Thanks to all for the info. I'll work on getting better with the mono.

I've used mono on my baitcasters for a lot of years. For someone that bass fishes about once a week I'd say I'm about average for backlashes. The older I get the less patience I've got with them. I've noticed a lot more people using braid. Is this because it's less likely to backlash?