I was standing around with a couple of guys today shooting the breeze and as it often does the conversation found its way to fishing. I knew one of the guys well and we talk fishing quite often and the other I did not know at all, but as it turned out he was an avid freshwater largemouth bass fisherman. We talked a little about boats and different types of fish and then we started talking about top-water baits and the conversation became much louder and more animated. Each one of us patiently waited on the other so we could tell another incredible top-water strike story. The stories were about fish we hooked and there were an equal number of stories about fished we missed. Each story was just as action packed as the next and before we knew it we had been standing out in a hot parking lot for almost an hour.
There is something about the top-water strike that all fisherman find exciting. Part of it is the fooling of the fish into hitting the bait and the other part is watching the raw aggression that the fish displays as it tries to demolish the surface bait. The warm months of summer offer some great top-water opportunities in the lowcountry. Most of the time this method of fishing is most successful early in the morning or early in the evening into the night and the list of baits to choose from is very long. Like most artificial baits each angler has their own favorites and the size of the lure depends on the target species. Some of the more popular lures are made by Rebel, Heddon, Mirro-Lure, and Storm Lures, just to name a few. There are many different color patterns and styles and the best way to go about choosing one that works is to go into a local tackle shop and ask the questions. Most of the time the shop owners will let you know what is working and what is hot. Believe it or not their goal is to help you catch fish because they know if you are successful with some tip that they gave you, you will continue to come back.
If you have not tried top-water angling in the Lowcountry you do not