When does everyone start throwing topwater baits in the spring? Once water gets above 50 degrees?

 

Also, what situations do you typically throw different kinds of topwaters. My favorites are Buzzbaits, poppers, and spooks, but lots of times I have a hard time picking which one to go with. I like poppers for more calm situations and buzzbaits and spooks when there is some more wind.

 

 

I fish all of them all the time. 

 

Popper's I like fishing rock and bluff lines.    Spooks I like over and near structure.  Buzzbaits, I throw everywhere but my biggest success with them have been over flats.  I do what you do as well.  Poppers in flat water.  Buzzbaits and spooks in a little bit of wind.   I also tend to do better on them in early morning/late afternoon.

 

You can fish a popper year round around rocks as long as it's a little shady and on flat water in all the lakes I fish.

Popper for calm water during morning or evening.

Jitterbug for after dark.

Spook for when the baitfish are schooling at the top of the water column.

Poppers or propbaits for fishing targets because they can be kept in the strike zone a long time

walking baits for cover water in clearer water

buzzbaits for covering water in stained to muddy water

 

Obviously very generalized and plenty of exceptions but that's how I start my selection process. 

Early mornings on mid temp water, I like to use the River2Sea bubble walker. It has the action of a spitting popper, and the dressed back treble hook makes it swim on the pause. Gives me more versatility.

Walking baits in calm water, poppers when there's ripple, props when its rougher than a ripple.  Down here its year long and all day even high noon, especially in less than 6ft of water.