What is the best top water bait for late fall and the winter? (Cold weather) 

Of course fish will make a liar out of you. But in my experience there is no topwater bass will want in cold water. I know I'll get responses that disagree. And there are places with warm water year round. Just because the air might get cold there doesn't mean the water will for very long. And there are places with warm water discharges where bass remain active in winter.

19 minutes ago, the reel ess said:

Of course fish will make a liar out of you. But in my experience there is no topwater bass will want in cold water. I know I'll get responses that disagree. And there are places with warm water year round. Just because the air might get cold there doesn't mean the water will for very long. And there are places with warm water discharges where bass remain active in winter.

Thanks for the help ??

Cold water or cold weather? Or both? 

I've caught bass on topwaters in air temperatures as cold as 40 degrees.

As far as cold water, I've never caught a bass on a topwater lure in water temps colder than 55 degrees. But I also don't throw them in water temps that cold. 

Like @the reel ess said though, I'm sure other people will have different results, but this is how it is in my part of the country. 

I don't even think about throwing topwater in the winter. Last year there was one exception , the water temp was warmer than normal for the time of year and I was fishing a popper super slow . One pop then let it sit for about a minute repeat. I caught 1 fish. 

So far in October the only topwater that is working for me is a jitterbug. 

Where ever trout are planted top water wake baits, surface swimbaits and Lunker Punker surface lures are my go cold water surface lures.

Tom

Only twice have I caught bass in cold water and dont know the actual temp so the water may not have been that cold after all . One Nov or Dec I got on a buzz bait bite during a heavy snow . Early one spring I caught a few on a motionless Long A Minnow .Those were  rarities  though . I have a hard time getting on a good top water bite in summer .

I'm a top water nut. My experience is it rarely optimal, but if fish are shallow for whatever reason in cold water you can catch em up top. I've had good luck with a broken back rapala fished slow. But again it's not the best way to skin a cat and something I did in my formative years. A pause, jerk, pause retrieve with those jointed rapalas sure saved some skunks before I "knew better" lol.

 

A buzz bait in the EARLY prespawn is a pattern that will catch some absolute toads. The biggest females move up earlier than most people start "fishing" for the year...I caught 3 fish over 8lbs wearing coveralls doing this once on febuary.

25 minutes ago, scaleface said:

One Nov or Dec I got on a buzz bait bite during a heavy snow .

That just sounds like an absolute blast.

You are going to get a lot of different answers since the best topwater choice depends on location and time of year. With that said I have caught plenty of bass on Rebel Pop-R's on days where the temperature was below 45 degrees fahrenheit, which is very cold for South Florida.

My last topwater fish of the year are usually buzzbait fish or big wake baits like a Slammer. Once the water gets below 50 I put them away except for the power plant lakes.

Long A

Prop type baits (devils horse/boy howdy)work well in cold water. give it a tug and let it sit for long periods (i start at 5 seconds and go up from there). kinda the top water equivalent to the jerk bait. the blade will move while it sits and the bass suck it down.

1 hour ago, bagofdonuts said:

Prop type baits (devils horse/boy howdy)work well in cold water. give it a tug and let it sit for long periods (i start at 5 seconds and go up from there). kinda the top water equivalent to the jerk bait. the blade will move while it sits and the bass suck it down.

Tiny Torpedo! Chrome Black!

On 10/10/2016 at 11:30 AM, Jar11591 said:

Cold water or cold weather? Or both? 

I've caught bass on topwaters in air temperatures as cold as 40 degrees.

As far as cold water, I've never caught a bass in water temps colder than 55 degrees. But I also don't throw them in water temps that cold. 

Like @the reel ess said though, I'm sure other people will have different results, but this is how it is in my part of the country. 

 

Icefishing a few years ago after never caughting lm bass in winter I caught 3. It was crazy. Never considered catching lm bass icefishing, but I figure they have to eat too.

1 hour ago, tcbass said:

 

Icefishing a few years ago after never caughting lm bass in winter I caught 3. It was crazy. Never considered catching lm bass icefishing, but I figure they have to eat too.

What I meant was "I've never caught a bass on topwater in water colder than 55 degrees." I've caught plenty of bass in cold water on other things. 

Once it gets cold enough practically every lure is a topwater bait.

The best top water bait for where I live would be the one that comes with a mini, battery powered ice auger attached to it so it could drill through the ice