I'm looking to add topwater baits to my collection this spring and could use some advice. Please list your favorite Jerkbaits/minnow, pop/chug, cigar & Buzzbaits. I can't see myself paying for high priced lures such as Lucky Craft but if you have a good argument for these lures I willing to listen.

Bugeye popper for me and a Boggie Man Buzz Bait. 8-)

rebel pop r

zara spooks (in all sizes, especially the big one)

jitterbug

I caught a lot of fish last year on the Rapala skitter pops in the frog pattern. I treid other poppers(REBEL) and there was a huge preference for the Rapala. In some cases they wouldn't even touch the other brand. I thought it was a little odd. There was definately differences in the two lures. Different sounding pops, the Rebel had rattles, and the Rapala was quite a bit larger, different color patterns. I guess you just have to let the fish tell you.

Another underrated topwater is a the original floating Rapala twitched on the surface. Deadly.

Others I like are buzzbaits and jitterbugs.

megabass pop max

Spooks, buzzbaits, and frogs in the slop.

Zara Spook, Buzz baits, Torpedoes, Rico, floating worms.

There is nothing more fun for me than walking the dog with a Heddon Zara Spook. I have best success with the clear with blue back model. These are as much fun as any in the boat!  Good Luck   8-)

The three I recommend are:

Zara Spook (frog)

LC Sammy (Aurora Black which is blue)

Smithwick Floating Rogue (black & silver with an orange belly)

Hey RW, did you ever try a Tiny Torpedo on the smallies down there? We use them late in the evenings here just before dark and they are killers. Just curious.

Tiny Torpedos and the Zara Puppy (black & silver) are two lures I recommend to EVERYONE for numbers. If you are just starting or have never caught a bass on topwater, these two lures are as close as you can get to "guaranteed!" However, I don't fish them because I have never caught a big bass on either. Maybe I need to give them another try.

8-)

Jitterbug.....black.  Replace the hooks and add slip rings.

Zoom trick worms, floating lizards, and absolutely a heddon crazy crawler in the bullfrog pattern

LC Sammy

cane toad

yum buzzfrog

I like the Pop-r, Zara Spook, and Jitterbug. All in black if possible.

Buzzbaits

Lucky Craft Gunfish 95

Thanks for all the suggestions, Keep them comming! I'm surprised that none of you guys mentioned any Spro topwaters. They look so much like some of the Lucky Craft lures, i'm just woundering if the fish like them.

 I really like the jitterbug at dark or dark-thirty. Have had a lot of success with Smithwick devil's horse. As far as walking the dog baits Luhr Jensen makes a dalton special that is great. IMO it swings farther to the left and right than other lures of that type. To paraphrase someone "I've never met a top-water bait I didn't like." Even if they don't work especially well ;D...

                                                         As Ever,

                                                          Skillet

Klak R JaK if you can find them.  I think they were made by lunker lure.  I love those baits.  I just re-skirted the few I have left.  

Spook - simply catches a bunch of fish and very exiciting strikes sometimes.  

Hollowfrogs(chartreuse, or dark greenish), Buzzfrogs(greenpumpkin or watermelon), Buzzbaits(any color just about works with them  ;D), Tiny Torpedo (baby bass), Original Floating Rapala(silver/shiner).

Buzzbaits!!  I like the Cavitron and the Strike King brands.  I also fish with Sammys a bunch.

Rebel Pop'r and Heddon Zara Spooks & Torpedos.  These won't break the bank as they are priced around $4-$5.

Zara Spook...

Skillet hit the nail right on the head.

I never met a topwater bait I didn't like.

Spooks, all sizes, Torpedos, all sizes, jitterbugs and buzzbaits are probably my most used topwaters.

The original floating Rapala, twitched on top, is deadly at times. Ditto for 3X plastics.

I'll stop there. There are so many that are so much fun to fish. Topwater bites are just about as much fun as you can have with your pants on.

Cheers,

GK

LC Gunnish 95 and G-Splash 65

Tiny torpedo

Jitterbug

Zoom toad

The LC baits are expensive but think of it this way. How many topwaters do you actually lose? In 20+ years of fishing topwaters I have only lost or broke 5 or 6. Out of them 3 were stolen by tiger muskees, 1 because the ceramic fell out of the rod tip fraying the line, and I did shatter a popper against a bridge piling.

Allen