Tristen Turley
Summer months spent throwing topwater baits provide some of the most exhilarating ways to catch bass. There are a few different baits I’ve found that catch more fish and even seem to attract bigger fish. These are the four topwater baits you need in your boat to be more successful this summer.
I choose to throw all of these baits on Favorite Rods, and my go-to topwater rod is a 7’3” extra heavy “Big Sexy.” This rod allows me to pull fish from anywhere and always allows me to get solid hooksets every time.
Booyah Buzz Buzzbait
You can never beat the reliability of a buzzbait, but a lot of people don’t realize how effective it is at catching big fish. I like to throw this bait around docks, alongside thickets, or anywhere shad tend to school and bass wait to ambush them. I always put a trailer hook on every buzzbait I throw, because bass tend to short-strike these baits and two hooks is always better than one.
Booyah Poppin’ Pad Crasher
This bait is a popping style frog that I’ve found works great just about anywhere you choose to throw it, whether it be in the thickest mat on the lake or out in open water, it flat-out catches fish. I like to work this bait in all conditions, whether it’s choppy or dead calm I always have this frog ready to roll.
Arashi Top Walker
The top walker is a walking style bait and there’s no way I could talk about catching big fish on topwater baits without talking about this one. This is a bait that’s a lot like a frog, in the way that you can fish it anywhere and anytime. You fish this bait in a “walk the dog” style cadence, and one thing to remember is the clearer the water the faster you fish it, and if the water is stained slow down your retrieve.
River 2 Sea Whopper Plopper
The whopper plopper is a bait that wasn’t well known until the past few years, and now it seems like everyone has one in their tackle box, and they have good reason to. This topwater bait is unlike any other, and repeatedly catches giant bass. This bait is deadly when there is a small chop on the water, and it seems like big fish are helplessly drawn to its mesmerizing sound as you drag it across the surface.
