I know that a lot of people like at least some wave action when fishing topwater. It makes the lure a little harder to distinguish for fish and may count for more strikes.

How much wave action do you like?

Are there some lures where you don't like any wave action and just a flat, calm, glass like surface?

I know I have more success with a glass like surface when using a Ragetail Toad. But when I use a KVD Sexy Dawg just a tiny amount of wave action is usually better. And I just mean tiny ripples. It's strange, it's like glass surface, no bites. And then a tiny breeze picks up a second later causing the water to not be glass and then bites. Not saying I haven't caught with with that lure on glass surfaces though. I'd think buzzbaits are another one where you don't want to any waves.

Maybe it's lures that are constantly being retrieved like Ragetail Toads and Buzzbaits that you want a near glass surface while ones that are stop and go like poppers and spook types you want a little but of surface distortion because the baits sit up on the water for awhile where fish can get a good look at it vs. being retrieved quickly where a fish can't get a good look at it.

A gentle breeze is just perfect.

It depends on the lure, a Jitterbug will loose a lot of it´s action ( because it won´t gurgle properly ) with just a little waves while other lures like poppers and prop baits will work fine with 1+ ft waves.

 

Against popular belief some lures like poppers and prop baits will work fine when fished in glass like surface conditions, it´s a matter of presentation, a popper doesn´t necessarily have to create an audible POP ! in order to work.

I fish certain topwaters when it's pretty windy with good success - I fish furbits when it is blowing harder than some are comfortable with - Years ago we use to use old creek chub plunkers on windy days steady reeling them with jerks interspersed, caught some of our best fish that way.

I like it when the surface has just a bit of a "wrinkle".

For me it depends. If the water is stained to clear (3+ ft of visibility) I feel the top water bite is better with at least ripple type of waves. Less than 3 ft visibility I like a mirror surface.

Light Ripple to Light Chop

 

We're all keenly aware of every bass that busts the surface, but we're not aware

of the many bass that pass-up our lure.  Predators seem most reluctant to break water

when the surface is calm & mirror-flat, when the flaws in presentation are most conspicuous.

All things equal, my favorite surface turbulence for topwater fishing

is a light to moderate ripple (during reduced vision).  

To prevent the lure from getting lost in the shuffle, I make sure that Lure Disturbance

is always greater than Water Turbulence. No matter how turbulent the surface becomes,

if your lure produces greater disturbance, you are still in the game. But once water turbulence

exceeds the disturbance of your most aggressive topwater, it's time to switch to a subsurface lure.

 

Roger

 

Moderate Ripple to Light Chop

 

We're all keenly aware of every bass that busts the surface, but we're not aware of the many bass that pass-up our lure.  

Predators seem most reluctant to break water when the surface is calm & mirror-flat,

when the flaws in presentation are most conspicuous. All things equal, my favorite surface turbulence for topwater fishing

is a 'Moderate ripple to Light chop' (during reduced vision).  

To prevent the lure from getting lost in the shuffle, I make sure that Lure Disturbance is always greater than Water Turbulence.

No matter how turbulent the surface becomes, if your lure produces greater disturbance, you are still in the game.

But once water turbulence exceeds the disturbance of your most aggressive topwater, it's time to switch to a subsurface lure.

 

Roger

 

 

 

 

Smart.

I like it when the surface has just a bit of a "wrinkle".

Yeah I like when there is just enough wind to put a ripple on the water!