Wow!  Where does a person start when looking for the RIGHT artificial lure?  When looking at artificial baits, there are many variables that will make the bait you choose a successful one!  Right now we are going to start with the all mighty “Top Water”.

The top water lure has been around for as long as man has been fishing.  The problem today is the fact that there are more than a thousand different ones to choose from!  They range in size of a half an inch to over a foot long.  Then they are made with different pitches, color, shapes, and on and on.

The first things you should consider are where and when you are going to fish and what the weather is going to be like.  I cannot stress enough to watch the weather and the moon phase!  Those two things have a major factor on what to fish, how to fish it, and where to fish it!  Those are also the same reason that there are thousands of top water baits to choose from.  Personally, I go when I can, plain and simple.

Once you have decided where you are going, and you have an idea of what the weather will be like, then you are ready to pick out a top water lure.  Let’s talk about salt water and going after Redfish for now as an example.  Your basic top water is going to be an oblong shape and have a rattle of some kind.  Probably, one of the most popular is the “Top Dog”.

The Top Dog has been around a long time and has brought a lot of technology with it.  The Top Dog also includes several sub names such as the Top Pup, which is a smaller version, the She Dog, which has a different pitch, and then the She Pup, which is a smaller version of the She Dog.  The main difference in the Top Dog and the She Dog is the pitch.  The She Dog has a higher pitch and used more for Trout than Redfish.  There are many others that are great lures, but as a beginner, these are the ones that I would recommend.

The Top Dog is a bit longer than the Top Pup.  The Top Pup makes up for this by being bigger around than the Top Dog.  Do not underestimate the power behind this little guy.  He may be small, but he packs a BIG punch on the Redfish!  In my opinion, Top Pups are way under rated among the pros.  I know people that simply refused to use them because of thier size, until I took them out fishing and showed them what they were missing.

This is a Top Pup and a She Pup.  The main difference in the 2 is the sound they make.  The Top Pup has a single steel ball just like the Top Dog.  The She Dog and She Pup have 2 steel balls that make a higher pitch sound.  The She Dog line is better for Trout and rougher water.

As you may have noticed, all the Top Dog family has red eyes.  People have asked "why do they have red eyes?  Can the fish see out of the water?"  Well, fish can see above water, but that is not the reason for the red eyes.  When you walk a top water bait, the bait actually rolls on its side, turns then rests in its original position facing a different direction.  This movement is created by the engineering of the bait!  Engineers are good for some things!  You may also notice that the hook on the Bone colored Top Pup is bent.  This was caused by a 32" Redfish!  The Top Pup is 4" long and she ate it!  So don't let the "bigger bait, bigger fish" story get to you.

Now you have chosen the brand name of lure that you wish to use.  Next is the size.  Have you ever heard the saying “Match the hatch?”  This is what they are talking about.  Your goal when using any artificial bait is to mimic the size and look of the bait fish that your target is looking for.  By doing this you trick the fish into a strike.  Doing this takes some practice and patience!  Patience sometimes is the hardest part.  You do not want to be throwing an 8” top water when the fish are focused on 4” bait.  How do you know what they are looking for?  That’s a tough one.  This is also the reason that when you see a Pro fishing a tournament, he will have 10, 15 or more rods in the boat with different baits tied to each one.  Some people say “The bigger the bait, the bigger the fish”!  NOT true!  I have caught 16” trout on a 7” bait!  I have also caught 25” plus fish on a 4” bait!

Right now it is early Spring.  There will be a slight breeze out of the Southwest as normal about 5 to 10 mph.  For this reason, we are going to pick the “Top Dog” as our bait.  Let me explain why.  The wind on the water makes a certain level of sound.  The more wind, the more sound.  Your job when fishing a top water bait is to draw the attention to your bait.  “Why not use a louder bait all the time then” some would ask!  There is a fine line in drawing attention to yourself and running a fish off from your bait.  The calmer the water, the quieter you want the bait, and the rougher the water, the louder the bait.  The reason I picked the Top Dog now is that it is always a good one to start with.  The Top Dog has a low pitch and a single ‘tick’ sound caused by one steel ball inside of it.  This is what I suggest that all beginners start with.  This bait can be used in calm water and rough water.

Ok, we know we are targeting Redfish.  We have a slight breeze that will be blowing, and we are going to use Top Dogs.  Now we need to pick a color!  Here we go again, “how do I know what color to use?”  When choosing a color, you are not always looking at the color itself, but the color scheme.  I have 3 that I have with me at all times for Redfish; Black, Bone, and Black with a Chartreuse head.  The clarity of the water is what makes me decide what color to start with.  If the water is dirty, I go with the Black and Bone.  I will say that the Black with Chartreuse is my favorite all around top water color.

We now have our bait, a Black with Chartreuse Top Dog.  Now let’s learn how to use it.  When using a top water bait, your casting doesn’t necessarily have to be exact.  The fish will come to it if you give them what they want.   “How do I know what they want?”  A typical retrieve for a Top Dog is what is called “Walking the dog”.  To achieve this, cast the lure out and let the line and lure sit for just a few seconds.  If you try the “cast and reel” technique, you will simply be dragging the lure back to you and you might as well tie a stick to your line and save yourself some money.  I like to let the bait sit for about 10 to 15 seconds without a twitch.  I have often had “blow ups” (a strike) during this time!

Depending on how far you can cast will depend on the next couple of steps.  On your first set of “twitches”, leave a little slack in your line and give the bait a little pop with your rod tip up in the air.  I would say start with your rod around a 45-50 degree angle from your body and just a slight twitch of the rod will take up the slack and make the bait “walk”.  On the first twitch, the bait will come toward you and then turn in one direction.  Your next twitch should be timed just right so that as soon as the bait stops you are giving another twitch that will pull the bait in the opposite direction and thus, “walking the dog”.  Repeat this action over and over and over until the bait is back to you.  The closer the bait gets to you, the lower you will have to hold the tip of the rod in order to get the “Walk” motion.  There are many different variations for you to experiment with from here.  Try giving the bait about 4 or 5 walks and let it rest for 10 -15 seconds.  This drives Redfish crazy!

Let’s talk about “the strike” for just a second.  I think most guides skip this area, and I believe that it is important to understand what is about to happen.  When a fish strikes a top water, especially a Redfish, she creates a noise that you may not have ever heard before.  On the big ones we call it a “shotgun blast”.  This is created by several things that are happening at that moment.  The fish will come from behind the bait just below the surface.  When she decides to strike, she comes towards the surface and opens her mouth creating a vortex and the bait falling into her mouth.  Think of the shark shows they have on TV where they have a chunk of meat and the shark comes up with it’s mouth open to eat the meat.  This is the same scenario, only below the surface.  During that same instance, the fish is turning it’s body and thrusting with it’s tail.  This is what creates the “blast” that you are hearing.  You will see times when a fish comes up and “slaps” you bait up out of the water!  This is caused by a “tail swipe”.  Fish do this sometimes to kill the bait first.  In these cases, stop your retrieve for a couple of seconds and then continue.  These are mostly smaller fish doing this.

Now you know what’s coming, “what do I do when I get a strike?”  When you get a strike on a top water, it is very important to WAIT for the fish to pull you first!  I see people pull the bait away from fish all the time and wonder why they cannot catch them.  The reason for this is because of the way a fish strikes a top water lure as we just discussed.  People want to set the hook as soon as they hear or see the strike; the problem is the fish may not have the bait all the way in her mouth, and you pull the bait right away from her.  Wait for the fish to pull on your line!  When this happens, let the bait sit there for as long as you can stand it, then start walking it again.

Now you just need to get out there and start fishing!  The rest of the lesson is “On the Job Training”.  Your experiences will lead you the rest of the way.  We will talk about where to fish in a more advanced article soon to come.  Please understand that these are just basic strategies only.  I strongly suggest that you try different walks and retrieves to get the results that you want.  Confidence is key with any bait you use and be sure you give it time to work.  Don’t throw the top water for 10 minutes and decide that it doesn’t work.

Tight Lines! (That’s good luck in fish talk)

By Anthony Meshell

Staff Writer Anthony (ameshell) Meshell was born in Houston, Texas. Anthony married his High School Sweet Heart and Best Friend, Melody in June of 1989.  Anthony has two beautiful daughters, Macy and Katelyn.

As a young child, Anthony was raised on the water. Anthony’s family was always around water and the outdoors. He caught his first bass at the age of 5 years old and has been chasing them ever since. He also chases after Speckled Trout and Redfish now.

After graduating Pearland High School in 1987 (man he is getting old), he enlisted into the U.S. Navy.  He served during the Gulf War and was stationed in Mayport, FL.  Anthony is now a Police Officer for the City of Manvel, TX. Manvel is only a few miles from where he grew up.

The past few years have been a really great learning experience for Anthony and his family. Anthony has always had a passion for hunting, but had never really been able to pursue the passion until now. He hunts Deer, Dove, Squirrel and Hog. His older daughter, Macy, has also taken an interest in hunting and the outdoors. She is in FFA and they are raising Rabbits for show.  Anthony now has a deer lease to take the family hunting on and they enjoy every minute that they can there.

These days if Anthony is not fishing or hunting, he is thinking about fishing or hunting.

Comments(3):

1. Sweet!

   You have given me some great ideas for my Kansas fishing trip. Thanks for the great article.

   Sunday, March 06, 2011 Robert

2. Good info...

   great article Anthony... my youngest has been on me to take him fishing again so this will give me more tricks up my sleeve to put him on some good ones!

   Wednesday, March 09, 2011 Duane

3. good info

   thanks for the information will help dave 1211

   Tuesday, April 05, 2011 dave