When do you guys start throwing top water lures? I was out last night an seen tons of minnows busting out of the water escaping bigger fish below. Even seen a few fish feeding on top couldent tell what they were but considering there are trout, pike, gar, carp, bass, even king salmon are being taken within a few miles of this spot in the same water anything is possible. I was catching smallmouth in almost every area they are in the strong now and fighting pretty good and aggressive. The water temps last week were 41* yesterday it was 54* I thought about tieing a fluke on but decided against it. I'm making another trip Sunday all day and am wondering if I Should grab my top water box and throw some spooks, an Sammy's

at 55 degree water temps a topwater bite can be had.

 

I too noticed schooling fish last week, with 57 degree water......threw in the shcool and drug out a 4 1/2 pounder.

Never hurts to check 'em.

I've been seeing a bit of surface activity as well.  Not sure of the water temp though.  Got a couple strikes on topwater this year but haven't been able to hook up.

I check water temps the ultra cheap way I bought a thermometer that floats made for a fish tank and I just tie it to a piece of para cord and toss it over the side of the kayak. Though last night I had no para cord so I dropped it in one of the holes in the kayak it was still the same water.

You sure that surface activity is not feeding shad rather than predators busting bait? I was fooled last week into thinking that was happening when balls of shad were feeding on an insect emergence. They werent even the right shad anyhow, they were gizzards and not threadfins.

It might have been but that's usually just little like idk how to explain it but these fish were jumping clear out of the water some times a foot or more darting all over groups of em. In the summer when I see it I toss a weightless fluke in the middle and hold on. I did throw a mini A rig but it swam funky.

Normally for me, when i start seeing 59 or 60a degrees. Down here, early may to mid may is a good start. There have been years when i couldnt get a top water bite till June..but that may have been the operator. I would tie one on and just check and see..but i wouldnt commit to it just yet unless yyou spend the day catching them on top.

You're catching them on spinnerbaits now.....I bet you can get bit on a buzzbait.

Nuff said time to pack another rod and box on the kayak lol. JF how many rods did you usually carry on this thing lol. Iv got 6 on it with me now bout to be 7 lol.

Seven or eight.

 

When water temps are between 55 and 60F TW is a possiblility where I've fished. At the lower end of this the bites tend to be few and done just to see if I can.

 

The first TW I go for is a #11 Rapala floater cast, paaaauusssse. twitch. pauuuuuuuusssssse. twitch. BANG! I fish it like a subsurface jerk, except its on top. I also fish it as a shallow subsurface jerk at this time. And can bounce back and forth between encouraging TW bites and going subsurface. Sometimes fish are simply reluctant to break top (or move to the surface), and fishing just below is required. Overcast, a slight breeze ripple, or low sun seems to embolden fish to come up that last foot or so.

 

I've not tried a jumpbait that early, just bc they rely on forward speed to trigger. But maybe with long pauses? I dunno let us know. But, if you want to test it against something, try a Rap.

love topwater, if i see surface action at all im reaching for that topwater bait!

Im with pretty much every one else 55-60 degress but the water rarely gets lower then that around here.

Anytime I can get a few days of stable weather, be it cold, rainy, or whatever, and their activity level is fairly active, I'll break out the surface lures.  If I can get a couple of fish to bump the blades of a buzzer, I'll switch to a Torpedo or a DevilsHorse and can usually pick off a few on one of those.  I'll normally wait on the PopR's and Spooks until I know they're looking for or on beds.  Until that time, I don't put much faith in fishing on top.

I just hooked up today on my first topwater fish of the year here in N.E. Ohio 

stuck a 6 1/2lber in mid 50 degree water last week on a 5" spook

Down here in Fla, I allways throw a top water first early in the morning.

Regardless of the temp as it's ussually not that big of a deal.

 

 

Mike

You can take your Florida top water bite year round and kiss my bass lol we still have ice in some parts of the state and it was 80 yesterday and tonight it's dropping to 31 highs in the low 40s all weekend for my Sunday all day fishin trip sun up till sun down on the kayak.

I caught one on a super spook Jr the first week of April at Beaver Lake in Arkansas with 51 degree water. I watched him come up behind it an eat it next to the boat. 

I'll throw it in 50 degrees here in Minnesota.   I think I've caught them in colder than that in the Fall.

70 degree, 100% overcast day here in Orlando.  Fished Turkey Lake and the only bite was topwater.  Picked up 9, all with a popper.  

You can take your Florida top water bite year round and kiss my bass lol we still have ice in some parts of the state and it was 80 yesterday and tonight it's dropping to 31 highs in the low 40s all weekend for my Sunday all day fishin trip sun up till sun down on the kayak.

 

Gee, now I feel bad...

Haha it snowed today actually but I managed 1 on a tube

Some during post spawn alot after mid-may