When are the best times, weather, places to use topwater baits and what kind do you use in those conditions?

Such as early morning clear and slight wind.... would you use a noisy popper or a more subtle approach like a sammy or zara? What if it's the middle of the day but overcast and windy? Is it a good time for topwater?

Overcast-n-windy = Buzz Bait  

on a low-light, low wind day I love to use prop-baits like the splash-tail, the wate tail, or a skitter prop...if I'm fishing open water.

When there's a bit more wind I like to switch to a buzzbait, I prefer a buzz when fishing around grass or wood cover.

For your conditions, I'll start with either a sammy/zara or a splash-tail.

As for the middle of day being overcast and windy, I totally agree with what Catt just said... my choice would be a Buzzbait !

I'm partial to golden-prop white/chart buzzbaits  

Anytime, especially when there's movement on the surface.

I use topwaters during cloudy weather and during the twilight periods, or when they are busting bait on top. The rapala skitterpop is my best topwater lure by far.

Buzzbaits are also really good though, and tend to work a bit better during sunny conditions, especially in the shallows that are choked with weeds and cover.

Overcast-n-windy = Buzz Bait

Amen!  

My favorite sitiuation is during postspawn, twilight conditions or an overcast day casting a Zara Spook.  But here's the twist, cast it parellel to a steep drop in deeper water and walk it slowly back.

Theres nothing better than having a 4+lbs smalley come torpedoing out of the depths to kill it! 8-)

I use topwater anytime as long as the water is in the high 50s or more. Lower light offers the highest probability, but I've been amazed at the action I get under a bright sun ever since I started doing that a couple of years ago.

I use topwater anytime as long as the water is in the high 50s or more. Lower light offers the highest probability, but I've been amazed at the action I get under a bright sun ever since I started doing that a couple of years ago.

x2

If you play with certain lures enough and master them,you'd be darn surprised at what will bust it.

Adding to what these guys have said; you can always work top water baits along a shady bank or along boat docks.

I learned an interesting lesson last summer during the bad drought conditions. Normally in the summer the fish are deep on the ledges near the channel (Lake Barkley, KY) and traditional wisdom is to fish the ledges with deep diving cranks, jigs or big worms. Due to the drought they were not pulling water thru the dam and oxygen levels in the lake were low. Fishing was tough for me and others....UNTIL....I went fishing with a friend who is an excellent fisherman.....he said the fish are near the surface due to the low oxygen levels deep and suggested we tie on some Sammys and fish topwater where the oxygen level was better......LOW and BEHOLD we whacked em that day.