How does everyone change up their fall topwater bait, retrieve, colors, etc. going into the fall? I know event says fall = spring, very generally, but what are the specifics?

 

Because I get excited about the fall for topwaters but my experience goes more like this; almost all topwaters can catch fish before July, in Michigan...then, mostly only frogs get but for me unless it gets into the evening when the mosquitoes start biting...and I'm always ready for the fall but looking back, I don't think I've caught any topwater fish in the fall...

 

What do you do differently in each season?

Here in northern MI, the vast majority of my topwater fishing occurs in the late summer and into fall. 

Not that earlier in the year I don't get bit on topwater, just that other presentations seem to produce more / bigger fish for me.  But late August right into October, the smallies I'm looking to put in the net are usually shallow and aggressively hungry making surface presentations a good choice.  

  I prefer walking baits and / or poppers most times.  Like much of late season bassing, baits that present a bigger proflie seem to attract the more stout fish for me.  As for specific baits, the follow walkers & poppers have all produced for me in the recent past -  SK Sexy Dawg, Duo Realis Pelcil 110, Megabass Dog-X Diamante, Reaction Innovations Vixen, River2Sea Pro Tuned Rover, Yellow Magic Japanese Popper, Megabass Pop Max, & Lucky Craft Gunfish.

A-Jay

 

Spring and fall are the times for topwater here in Ca. In the fall, when the lake turns over, the baitfish come up to the surface with the cooler water and there are times when you can throw topwater all day. Spring and fall are the same or me, no changes in lure or method

In the summer on my lake, the fish really like the steady retrieve of a whopper plopper or a popper with a steady cadence. 

 

In the fall, they seem only interested in irratic baits like a spook, or a fluke just under the surface. 

I don't change anything due to the season, maybe the daily situation, but that applies to every day on the water.

I throw 2 topwaters mainly in fall. Buzzbaits and Zara Spook. I try to keep simple on colors, black on overcast days and shad colors on bright days. Some of my best fall days have been overcast, fishing with a black zara spook