when is the best time to use a top water lure? winter or summer? does it really depend on 

how deep the bass are? 

I throw top water all year if the water temp is above 55

I have caught fish on top water as low as 50 but its fishing all day for hopefully a couple bites

 

I've had smallmouth come up from 15 feet to hit topwaters

 

The key is to target active fish or areas where active fish might be active at ie... points extending into channels, large flats with some cover, current breaks ... ... 

 

It's my belief that I can catch them on topwater almost all year, sometimes I just have to cover a lot more water

I've found that throwing a topwater does get a bit more challenging in the winter when the lake freezes over ?

yeah, it seems like you have to work harder to get hits on a top water plug.

now just my observation, but I have noticed that when the bass are jumping

and breaking the water, they must be  feeding on things that are on top of the water

and seems to me that would be a sign that it might be a good time to try

a top water lure. Huh?

All year, duh! FL in the house ?

Whenever I see them on the surface 

4 hours ago, Koz said:

I've found that throwing a topwater does get a bit more challenging in the winter when the lake freezes over ?

 

4 hours ago, Koz said:

I've found that throwing a topwater does get a bit more challenging in the winter when the lake freezes over ?

If you’ve never dragged a whopper plopper across the ice you’re missing out. The guys who kid I just caught doesn’t find it as amusing

I find most of my topwater success in the Fall after the water gets below 60 degrees. That doesn't mean I don't throw topwater lures in the Spring or Summer, I do, it just seems I catch more fish on a topwater in the Fall where I live up North ;).

I fish with topwaters in every month of the year.

Now

 

Spring, summer and fall. If I lived in FL, then winter as well.

What happened to Fall. If you see bait fish or surface action the bass are looking up, try a top water lure.

Tom

I usually have my best luck with topwater in the summer at night, or just before sunrise.  I'll fish with topwater in the spring and fall if the bass are hitting them.

On 9/20/2018 at 1:51 PM, BassNJake said:

I throw top water all year if the water temp is above 55

I have caught fish on top water as low as 50 but its fishing all day for hopefully a couple bites

 

I've had smallmouth come up from 15 feet to hit topwaters

 

The key is to target active fish or areas where active fish might be active at ie... points extending into channels, large flats with some cover, current breaks ... ... 

 

It's my belief that I can catch them on topwater almost all year, sometimes I just have to cover a lot more water

only keep what you're gonna eat

 

how bout moon phases? anybody fish according to what phase moon is in? my dad always said never

fishi on a full moon, you'd be wasting your time. 

24 minutes ago, Randy Joiner said:

how bout moon phases? anybody fish according to what phase moon is in? my dad always said never

fishi on a full moon, you'd be wasting your time. 

I’ve heard the opposite because you can see the best during a full moon...

i personnaly have never had much luck doing a full moon. which i don;t do a lot of night fishing. i can see how th fish

might feed at night because of the light. 

 

On 9/23/2018 at 9:51 AM, Randy Joiner said:

how bout moon phases? anybody fish according to what phase moon is in? my dad always said never

fishi on a full moon, you'd be wasting your time. 

In one of the last season episodes of Bill Dance where he answers viewers' questions, he said that research shows that the days around no moon were the best for catching huge bass. He gave the stats, but I can't remember any specifics. Not that you had to be fishing at night, just during the phase change from waning to waxing.

39 minutes ago, the reel ess said:

In one of the last season episodes of Bill Dance where he answers viewers' questions, he said that research shows that the days around no moon were the best for catching huge bass. He gave the stats, but I can't remember any specifics. Not that you had to be fishing at night, just during the phase change from waning to waxing.

I'll fish throughout the month, but I think I've always had better results fishing 2-3 days before and after a new moon. (no moon)

Its funny how a pattern gets hot one year and the next year that bite never materializes . This has been a good  year for buzzbaits  . Even summer , cloudless days have been good . I hope it keeps up through the next couple of months .