temperature was in the low 40s and the fish seemed lethargic . We were getting an occasional bite bottom-bouncing natural-looking swimbaits , but when one of us picked up the chartreuse-and-blue , it was like a light switch flipped . We immediately began catching fish on nearly every cast , sometimes doubling up , and the flurry went on for over an hour .
What did those fish think that bright chartreuse swimbait was ? Why did they attack it so aggressively when they could see 20-plus feet in all directions ? I have no idea . But what I do know is it ’ s happened like this for us countless times since then . Bass are curious by nature and will often eat something just to see what it is . Next time you ’ re on the water , use this behavioral pattern to your advantage and don ’ t be afraid to eschew what ’ s “ correct ” in favor of what works .
Topwaters are for Early and Late in the Day
I ’ ll be the first to admit that I ’ ve been on a few fisheries where this rule seemed to apply almost universally . It seemed like the topwater bite was decent early in the morning , but once the sun came up , the topwater bite vanished . I ’ m sure you ’ ve experienced this as well , and again , there are solid reasons why anglers live by many of these rules of thumb .
During my years on the water , I ’ ve noticed something very interesting about the summer topwater bite . Yes , it seems to shut off as the sun hits the water . Yes , the fish seem to back out deeper and disappear . Yes , it seems like the bite is over . But then something interesting happens between 10 a . m . and noon : The bite starts again .
As the sun gets overhead , baitfish start pulling up against cover . They gather along the edges of shoreline vegetation , around dock pilings and even in offshore grass beds . As soon as the baitfish gather , the bass begin to attack .
Without exception , all of our best topwater bites have come in the middle of hot summer afternoons . When everyone else has either headed for the dock or started fishing deep , we ’ re catching big bass on topwaters in the shallows . We ’ ve seen this pattern work with frogs , buzzbaits , walking baits and even big wakebaits . The next time your bite shuts off , give it a couple hours and try again . Focus your attention on cover or structure that provides shade for the bass and get ready to learn the easy way that some rules are meant to be broken .
Bass Suspend When They Don ’ t Want to Bite
Much like the other bass fishing rules on this list , the idea that bass suspend because they aren ’ t feeding has some merit . When cold fronts blow through , bass will often lift off the bottom and suspend off the edges of structure . These fish are generally very difficult to catch .
There are also a lot of other reasons bass suspend , though , most of which have to do with hunting prey .
Spotted bass are notorious for suspending in clear reservoirs . The fish can be found anywhere from 5 to 50 feet down in the water column out over 30 to 200-plus feet of water . Most anglers consider these fish uncatchable , but that ’ s far from the truth . These fish position this way because many of the fish they feed on prefer open water . We could be talking about trout , kokanee , blueback herring , alewives or shad ; they all exhibit similar traits during certain times of year .
One of the best ways to target suspending fish is calling them to the surface with a large topwater . Another option is to count down a lipless crankbait or underspin and slowly swim it mid-column . An often-overlooked option is to cast out a paddle-tail swimbait on a drop-shot and simply let it pendulum through the fish in a slow swing back to the boat . Regardless of your preferred method , make no mistake — these fish can be caught . While most of the fishing we do for suspending fish is oriented toward spotted bass , keep in mind that the same information applies to smallmouth and largemouth as well . If the food is in the open , the bass will adapt .
Braided Line and Treble Hooks Don ’ t Mix
This is probably my favorite bass fishing topic to debate . I ’ m a huge advocate for using braided line , especially when it comes to reaction baits . Most anglers today accept that braided line is the superior option for main line on spinning tackle . They also accept it for flipping , punching and frog fishing . After that , the rules get blurry . Some anglers want to throw monofilament for topwater or fluorocarbon for a crankbait . While that certainly works , the advantages of braided line as a main line for both of these methods far exceeds the disadvantages .
Although morning and evening are thought to be prime topwater windows , this largemouth was very willing to eat a frog in the middle of the day .
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