PHOTO BY JUSTIN ONSLOW
“ Truly , there is no shortage of color , size and sound combinations to match any situation .”
REIGNITING THE SPARK
While the flame can go out in any relationship , with a little work and understanding , it can also be relit . So , let ’ s help you do that by focusing on some of the most attractive traits of walking topwaters .
NEAR YEAR-ROUND VERSATILITY
Buzzbaits ? They ’ re typically a spring and late-fall deal . Ploppers ? Fall . But walking topwaters ? As long as the water is above 55 degrees , both Thrift and Anderson will throw them .
The reason is simple : You have so much versatility to change up action ,
Walking topwater baits come in all shapes and sizes , but their job is the same : provide year-round fish-catching functionality while other topwater baits come and go by the season .
WALKING SETUPS
TO GET THE MOST out of a walking topwater means using the right gear . Here ’ s a look at these two pro ’ s walkingtopwater tackle .
THIRFT : 7 ’ 2 ” Fitzgerald Bryan Thrift Signature Series Frog rod , Abu Garcia Revo STX 7.3:1 , 15- to 20-pound-test P-Line High Performance Copolymer Topwater Line
ANDERSON : 7 ’ Redemption medium-heavy rod , Lew ’ s Custom Lite SLP Speed Spool 7.5:1 reel , 65-pound-test braid with no leader cadence and sounds to try to draw reaction strikes . Both pros start off walking them as fast as possible , but if the fish are missing or simply following , they ’ ll begin slowing down to better match the mood of the fish in any situation . Plus , most everyone sees walking topwaters as ideal for schooling fish , as few baits look more like a fleeing baitfish .
GREAT FOR OPEN AND TIGHT SPACES Every topwater has its niche . Poppers are usually for fishing around cover . Frogs for the hard-to-reach places . Buzzbaits , too . Ploppers are also great for covering water . Walking baits are the only topwaters that can nearly do it all .
While you ’ re not going to be able to throw them around emergent vegetation , they excel in open water over grass flats , bare flats or over deep water , as well as being walked tightly around cover like you would a popper . After all , the tail-weighted design means you can bomb them ( Anderson and a friend once measured it on a football field and could cast 75 yards with the right topwater and tackle setup ) just as easily as you can pitch them into tiny places . Or , say you ’ re covering a flat and there ’ s a lone piece of cover on it . Thrift will walk it fast up to the cover and then slow down and almost walk it in place to tease any bass sitting there — something you can ’ t do with a buzzbait or plopper-style lure .
WAVE DESTROYERS
Have you ever tried tossing a topwater in anything more than a light chop ? Anderson sure has , and the only ones that work are walking baits ,
JUNE-JULY 2021 | MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM 85