I’m not asking when is the best time to use topwater lures. I’m asking when is the best season (spring, summer, or fall) for each of the following topwater lures: buzzbaits, frogs, poppers, spooks, wakebaits, and whopper ploppers? For instance, summer may be the best season for frogs. And some may be equally good for all three seasons. I hope I’m making clear what I’m curious about. Thanks!

I pretty much throw the ones I like whenever I think they might want a top water - for me that’s a floating worm/buzzbait/frog.

I use all three in all the seasons depending on the depth and water clarity and weather and mood of the fish etc.

As soon as the fish start to bite.

In the summer months I always start out early with Buzzbaits or WP before going to soft plastics.

I've heard guys claiming to catch fish on top water with water temps in the 40's so they're pretty versatile.

I read somewhere or saw a show/video that calm water dictates a more subtle approach like a popper. Some chop, you move to a spook/sammy. More chop and your buzzbaits and ploppers come into play.

One might think less aggressive in spring/fall due colder water so popper then?

Frogs come out out of hibernation in the spring so looking at it that way a frog would be spring, summer and fall again before they go back to hibernation.

Buzzbaits and ploppers seem like a more aggressive bait and with that slant you'd think that summer/warm water would be the better season. But you can kinda finesse a plopper so....

I get what you're asking but I think conditions are a better guide than seasons.

Theres a legit topwater bite right after those first bigger fish push shallow as the early prespawn kicks off. You just need the right conditions, calm and a couple hours of sun. Ive seen whopper ploppers work, but small sublte buzzbaits seem to work best and you can get on that bite again later in the fall.

For me, I’ve not had a good frog bite up here since we’ve been here. Ploppers hit fast and got quiet. I’ve never been a popper fan, though I think there is probably something in it here. In all the cases above, I think pressure plays a role. There are a lot of guys fishing on a lot of smaller waters. In the summer I see every guy throwing a frog up onto the bank in the shallow weeds. If they aren’t throwing that they are throwing a senko into the holes.

For me, a walking bait or a buzz bait are my primary topwaters. I let the level of grass determine which one I start with. If there is too much for a buzz bait I’ll throw a toad which is like a weedless buzzbait. In certain circumstances I’ll throw a topwater spoon of some type (usually the same place I’d throw a toad).

Either way, I let the cover determine the bait, not the season. For me, a topwater is a moving bait. If the fish are actively eating AND looking up willing to break the surface, then a topwater is the answer. And I’ll take that answer as much as I can get it. I’ll always have one tied on and I’ll always start with one in the morning. When the water hits about 50 or so I will have one on.

It depends on the water I'm fishing. The bass in any given body of water in my area may like a buzzbait or a Jitterbug, while they won't touch a popper or a walking bait. If I can figure out the bait that the bass want, then I can usually catch them all season on that one style of bait.

What topwater works depends on the year for me. Not sure the rythme or reason why? If I could only pick one it would be the popper.

Allen

The best season for me is 'open water' season. I've never had a bass come up through the ice for one.

Don’t pigeon hole yourself like that. There is no such thing as certain seasonal baits.

The conditions and the fish themselves (or lack there of) will give you a starting point.

From there it’s putting together the puzzle to make the next best choice just like all other presentations throughout the year.

Mike

The fish around here don't read the rule books evidently. I have a small horsepower restricted lake I fish where a popper will work year round. December year before last I caught 5 or six 2 pounders crash the surface in 3 feet of water on a popper. Water temp was low 40s and outside temp was in the 30s.

I don’t think of topwater in seasons, But time of day. I’ve noticed topwaters are more productive in early mornings, or late afternoon.

Now let me say, I have caught them in the middle of the day too, they just seem to work better for me in early or late evenings.

On what type of topwater….. I let water conditions dictate which one I use.

Nice clam morning, shallow water…. I like a popper or walking bait.

Breezy, slight ripple, shallow ….. I like a prop bait type, that still floats.

If the water is a little deeper with chop…. I like a buzzbait, but I like to pause a buzzbait , let it sink for a few seconds (like 3 or so). Then use the rod tip to pull it back up the the surface, man you can feel the vibrations.

Does it attract them, I don’t know, but I catch them, sometimes on the pause and it’s sinking, or just after it breaks the surface and starts to prop again.

Whopper Plopper… Never caught a fish on one…..not for lack of trying, never even got a strike on one. So no season, water conditions or time of day do they work for me.

Let me put a disclaimer. This is the way I fish them, and I like fishing them this way, might not work for you.

I let the water conditions tell me . If it’s rough I use a WP or a buzz bait. If nothing I tone it down with Popper or a Walking Bait .

I don't really see any of them as seasonal. I know a lot of guys see frogs as hot weather/summer baits, but I've had some great days on frogs as early as March. If I think the bait will work in the situation I have in front of me, I'm going to throw it.

Prop baits seem to work best post spawn.

Topwaters are my fav way to fish (frogs, swimming toads, poppers, buzzbaits, whopper ploppers, buzzing worms, etc. etc.) and each has a situation it’ll work best. You just gotta try em all.

2 things:

1. Don’t discount the effectiveness of Wakebaits. They’ll work a lotta times when bass won’t fully commit to something floating or swimming directly on the surface. Even though subsurface, I still consider a wakebait a type of topwater. Sometimes they’ll hit a wakebait 2”-3” just under the surface when they won’t hit other traditional topwater offerings.

2. Learn how to walk the dog with a popper. When I made myself learn this technique, it opened up a whole other world of topwater fishing. I gets more bites walking a popper than with the traditional “chug, chug, pause” retrieve.

For me, topwater presentations are selected based on many factors. I’m a process guy. What is the water temperature and the clarity? What is the depth and is current in play? What is the light penetration and how broken is the surface? What is the duration from sunrise to sunset? Are there forage options that move on or near the surface? What type of cover is present?

Finally, what species, Largemouth or Smallmouth?

I put these factors together to get the best starting point possible and then the fish will tell me if I’m close. Bass, like most fish don’t like to be exposed to being prey and being near the surface for any amount of time which makes them more vulnerable. I think that’s why the strikes can be so quick and intense. Is the risk worth the reward? I just go through the process which is much of the fun anyway.

Having read all the responses my conclusion is there is a bait/lure for every situation but YOUR water conditions specific to YOUR waters and YOUR presentations determine what is best and when.

There is no generic resolution.

As soon as you think bass are staging for spawn start trying the plopper. I caught one in February on it last year. And it will likely be a good female. They just can't stand a plopper. It's a bait that I'll throw when nothing else is working because, eventually, a big bass will smash it. And it will be a surprise how shallow that big mama will be.

I honestly don't know what bass want...until I launch and try this and that over here and over there.

For me, Winter is the worst time to throw anything top water. Not that the bass don't want it, but in all my years of fishing I've yet to see one want it bad enough to break thru the ice and get it.😉

sorry for the above, it's been a long winter.

For calmer water try a zoom ultra vibe speed worm texas rigged weightless with a 3/0 hook(You can also do this with a magnum speed worm but upsize the hook to a 4/0). Bonus points if you can find a submerged grass bed to drag it over. Rig the point of the tail facing down towards the shank of the hook and drag it just fast enough to keep it on the surface, and watch the magic happen.

Wake baits all year long. Whopper plopper from pre spawn to fall

Topwaters seem to work better for me in a body of water that's all or mostly shallow. Fish simply seem to be looking up for a meal more when they can't get deep. I'm constantly amazed at how shallow they can be. Smaller topwaters seem better in skinny water unless the bass are really aggressive. Don't get me wrong. I'll fish all day for 2 big bites. But for numbers, downsize. The loud ones generally work better for me in low light. I'll fish them all day, especially in the shadows or on an overcast day. But they will get fewer and bigger bites.

Wind or deeper water calls for noisier or bigger baits. Easier for bass to hear and locate. I like poppers when there's a chop. I like the Super Spook Jr or regular Spook for deeper, but calm water.

Fall generally calls for smaller topwaters because the year's fry are coming of age and they're as small as bass forage will be all year. This is a big generalization because we have golden shiners in some waters here an they are all over the place in size-2"-7". And some waters, it's just bluegills and fathead minnows as well as other species of small fry. During fall you can catch big bass on small lures.

On 2/5/2026 at 8:01 PM, Mr. Aquarium said:

Wake baits all year long. Whopper ploppers from pre spawn to fall

What are some of your fav wakebaits?