I am located in North Alabama and I fish mostly Lake Wilson because it is so close.  I love using a Zara Spook as a search type bait and it has been a good producing bait at times. 

The water temp this past weekend was between 64-68 degress.  At what water temp do people start really using top water baits?

I use topwater not in a certain temp range, but when the bass have the bait fish boiling the surface.  Throw it past the comotion, twitch it a few times, and stop it right in the middle of the mess.  If you have feeding fish, and your bait is the easiest meal, can't get any easier to catch them than that.  That's when I have the most success with topwater, and one of the only times I catch it.  It's not because I don't think topwater baits are good, it's because in other situations I think other presentations will get the job done better.

Bass will hit topwater anytime the water is above 58 or so degrees but the topwater bite really turns on above 65. During cloudy or low light conditions, when the temp is over 65, topwaters catch more bass for me than anything else.

As I'm sure you know, bass may rise to the surface during any season,

even during a warm spell in winter. There are two seasonal periods however,

when bass are most inclined to rise to a surface lure:

Post-Spawn: Rising water temps between 70 and 80 degs

Post-Summer: Falling water temps between 80 and 70 degs

Roger

As I'm sure you know, bass may rise to the surface during any season,

even during a warm spell in winter. There are two seasonal periods however,

when bass are most inclined to rise to a surface lure:

Post-Spawn: Rising water temps between 70 and 80 degs

Post-Summer: Falling water temps between 80 and 70 degs

Roger

X2

60+ mostly for me