I have only messed with topwater here and there. I’ve had success with spooks, but never tried any others.
So, what are ya’ll’s favorite Topwater plugs?
Also, Dark vs. Light color for topwater? I’ve heard varied opinions.
skitter walk,spook jr,chug bug,striper strike,sammy,torpedo,pop r,devils horse,badonkadonk,mirrolure top dog
- I’d rather be a free man in my grave than living as a puppet or a slave.
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As Jimmy listed there are a lot if good ones. I like to stick with walking baits on calm days and chugging baits when there is chop on the water, but not as a hard rule. My hook up ratio tend to be a little better with the Badonk-a-Donk and skitter walk. The spok jr improves with Owner STX hooks. I tend to mash the barb on the hooks so I don’t damage a fish I plan to release any more than necessary.
Spook Jr in chrome and black.
Badonkadonk in bone (all paint removed either by me or fish).
Replacing the hooks is a big deal.
Semper Fi
18’ Sterling
115 Yamaha
Big Ugly Homemade Blue Push Pole
I’m not a big believer in color for topwater plugs. My best plug was a skitter walk that turned brown from sun exposure and was all scratched up with tooth marks. Eventually lost it to a bluefish. I believe in sound and size. My go to’s are a skitter walk in color of your choice. It has a low pitch big ball bearing that makes a clack-clack sound, and a spook jr that has many small ball bearings that make a rattle-rattle sound. If you are with a buddy, always use a different one. You might be surprised that one will get nailed and the other will get ignored. Then switch over.
Of course, being a TW junky I have a zillion others and the badonk that 23 shows is a winner in the rattle-rattle category. Its profile is more of a menhaden than a mullet. Its light and you need to work it with smaller twitches.
Don’t forget that its as much how you work it as it is what you’re working. Try everything from very fast, to rip and stop, to random, to slow and steady, etc etc. Experiment till you find what they want on that day.
2000 SeaPro 180CC w/ Yammy 115 2 stroke
1966 13’ Boston Whaler w/ Merc 25 4 stroke “Flatty”
www.ralphphillipsinshore.com | www.summervillesaltwateranglers.com
President, Summerville Saltwater Anglers
quote:
Originally posted by OptikerI’m not a big believer in color for topwater plugs. My best plug was a skitter walk that turned brown from sun exposure and was all scratched up with tooth marks. Eventually lost it to a bluefish. I believe in sound and size. My go to’s are a skitter walk in color of your choice. It has a low pitch big ball bearing that makes a clack-clack sound, and a spook jr that has many small ball bearings that make a rattle-rattle sound. If you are with a buddy, always use a different one. You might be surprised that one will get nailed and the other will get ignored. Then switch over.
Of course, being a TW junky I have a zillion others and the badonk that 23 shows is a winner in the rattle-rattle category. Its profile is more of a menhaden than a mullet. Its light and you need to work it with smaller twitches.
Don’t forget that its as much how you work it as it is what you’re working. Try everything from very fast, to rip and stop, to random, to slow and steady, etc etc. Experiment till you find what they want on that day.</font id=“red”>
________________________This is good to know. I haven’t yet learned to “walk the dog”, so it’s nice to know it’s still possible to catch topwater trout without knowing that technique.
2000 SeaPro 180CC w/ Yammy 115 2 stroke
1966 13’ Boston Whaler w/ Merc 25 4 stroke “Flatty”
www.ralphphillipsinshore.com | www.summervillesaltwateranglers.com
President, Summerville Saltwater Anglers
“I’m not a hundred percent in love with your tone right now…”
Bart something like a chug bug or pop-r are easy to work and very effective especially if the fish are feeding on shrimp
2000 SeaPro 180CC w/ Yammy 115 2 stroke
1966 13’ Boston Whaler w/ Merc 25 4 stroke “Flatty”
www.ralphphillipsinshore.com | www.summervillesaltwateranglers.com
President, Summerville Saltwater Anglers
Good info. I will definitely give the skitterwalk a try.
As far as the badonkadonk goes, they make a high pitch and a low pitch version. Any preference there?
Beaufort, SC
Just takes a little practice. Optiker speaks great truth, pay attention to what he said and you can learn plenty!
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xp-GsDcDDp8
Redfish Baron Extraordinaire
Thanks 23, you are no slouch yourself (he keeps sending me topwater catch pics from his back yard)!
A lot of folks, Ralph for one, prefer a bait caster for topwater plugs. I prefer a spinner - I don’t know why but I can’t get the same action with a bait caster. I prefer them for jigs or suspending baits but not topwater. It’s easy to work them. I wish that video (good one btw) showed his hands and reel. Just try it and within 1 trip you will figure it out I think.
2000 SeaPro 180CC w/ Yammy 115 2 stroke
1966 13’ Boston Whaler w/ Merc 25 4 stroke “Flatty”
www.ralphphillipsinshore.com | www.summervillesaltwateranglers.com
President, Summerville Saltwater Anglers
I second what Optiker said about color. I believe it is all about profile. Optiker has become the mad scientist of fishing :). He take a very systematic approach to his fishing that has made him one of the fastest learners I have ever seen. I find myself learning from him on a regular basis these days.
Don’t let my 14 posts fool you, I’m new to the forum, but not new to fishing. I know how to walk the dog and I’ve caught fish on topwater plugs before. I just don’t usually mess with topwater because I feel I can fish alot more productively with soft plastics, but with all the hype about it on here I wanna start trying it alot more.
Beaufort, SC
gotta find me a better shore spot close to where I live, been scouting a few but little luck so far
im partial to spooks, but that’s more nostalgia for me. me and pops used to fish em when I was a kid all the time
cant beat a good topwater take!
“mr keys”
“mr trigger”
quote:
Originally posted by OptikerThanks 23, you are no slouch yourself (he keeps sending me topwater catch pics from his back yard)!
You put the word out and stonoman is fishing my little creek all the time!!! 
Redfish Baron Extraordinaire
Skitterwalk and Spook are the two I use.
Nothing like a topwater bite!