Bass Fishing Jun - Jul 2021 | Page 86

GEARING UP
ome relationships are just destined to be unstable . You know the ones .
One minute , the pair is madly in love . Then , almost as suddenly , they ’ re done . Sure , there ’ s always some half-hearted reason , but really , there ’ s no real reason at all . You just go on with your life like nothing happened .
That is until another spark and the candle flares again .
Sounds familiar , right ? It should . More likely than not you ’ re in a relationship just like this … with walking topwaters .
It ’ s almost guaranteed you own some . The Heddon Zara Spook popularized the lure almost 100 years ago . There ’ s even a good chance you own a bunch of different walking topwaters in different colors , sizes and rattle configurations .
But how often do you throw them ? If you ’ re like most anglers — even the pros — you get on a kick with walking topwaters , only to ditch them when the next hot lure comes along . In the last decade or so , lures like the Lucky Craft Gunfish , original Reaction Innovations Vixen and several other walking topwaters all became the “ it ” lure to throw on top . The old discontinued Vixens were selling for hundreds of dollars online because they were in such demand .
Then , just as quickly , it seemed like everyone stopped throwing them . Why ? We asked a pair of anglers — Bass Pro Tour ’ s Bryan Thrift and noted topwater hammer Brent Anderson — this very question , and how , at least for them , they ’ ve created a stable relationship with this on-again , off-again lure .
RELATIONSHIP STATUS ?
In order to understand the situation , you first have to establish a baseline . In other words , what ’ s your relationship status with these lures ? Hot and heavy ? Lukewarm ? On life support ?
No matter which one it is , it ’ s ok . Both pros have experienced the same ups and downs .
“ Fish will obviously still bite a walking topwater ,” Thrift says . “ I think anglers are always looking for the next cool topwater . The buzzbait is popular again , and I think a big reason is ease of use . Walking topwaters are not as user-friendly to cover water as something you can just reel in like a buzzbait or a ploppler-style lure .” Anderson agrees . “ The Whopper Plopper really hurt me in tournaments ,” says Anderson , who has utilized a walking topwater to win multiple Phoenix Bass Fishing League events . “ I used to be able to walk a topwater fast to cover water better than other guys . Now , they have
topwaters they can just reel . They can fish as fast or faster than I did with a walking topwater .”
Therein lies what used to be the most attractive part of a walking topwater : how much water you could cover with one relatively quickly . Yet , as anyone who has tried to walk a topwater all day can attest , it can put a major strain on one ’ s forearms and wrists . Plenty of anglers struggle to even walk topwaters , or to do it fast enough to garner the reaction bites they ’ re known to draw .
If your relationship ’ s fire has begun to simmer , it ’ s ok . Forgive yourself . It ’ s not entirely your fault .
84 MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM | JUNE-JULY 2021