When is the best time to find reds eating topwater?
when you have a low tide at daybreak
30 minutes prior and after sunrise and sunset is the best time.
Semper Fi
18’ Sterling
115 Yamaha
Big Ugly Homemade Blue Push Pole
A warming trend in November and December…They will hammer topwater all day long
Iain Pelto
Sea Hunt Triton 160 w/ 90 ETEC “JB3”
Native Manta Ray 14
quote:
Originally posted by hairballA warming trend in November and December…They will hammer topwater all day long
I am absolutely addicted to the topwater bite.
I’ll try it mid-day in November and December. 
Semper Fi
18’ Sterling
115 Yamaha
Big Ugly Homemade Blue Push Pole
quote:
I am absolutely addicted to the topwater bite.I’ll try it mid-day in November and December.
It is fun to watch for awhile seeing how clumsy they are trying to eat a surface bait when the wake they are pushing keeps moving the bait away from their mouth. However, for me I quickly get impatient with the poor hookup to blowup ratio and switch to a subsurface bait.
Iain Pelto
Sea Hunt Triton 160 w/ 90 ETEC “JB3”
Native Manta Ray 14
Been fishing for Spottails a long time but really never done much with topwater baits. What are experienced guys suggestions for type of topwater lure and color?
quote:
Originally posted by rockbottom3Been fishing for Spottails a long time but really never done much with topwater baits. What are experienced guys suggestions for type of topwater lure and color?
Any topwater plug that you can walk the dog with will work. The one I currently use started out gold, chartreuse, and orange. Now it’s a bone white color because of the bites taking the paint off. They don’t seem to care what the color is.
I’ve tried a jitterbug a few times with not even an attempted bite.
Semper Fi
18’ Sterling
115 Yamaha
Big Ugly Homemade Blue Push Pole
Super spook Jr,remove the hooks and replace w mustad kvd triple grips. I like bone, chart/black, silver and chart/white ones.
- I’d rather be a free man in my grave than living as a puppet or a slave.
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Captdan and jimmyaadams are telling you two really important pieces of info, especially if you want to go after reds. The hooks on the Spook are garbage. It’s such a weight sensitive lure (i.e. you can’t replace the hooks with any treble hook) that I switched to the Skitterwalk. After catching many reds on a single Skitterwalk with no hook issues, I’ll have a hard time throwing another Spook for reds ever again.
Second the skitter walk ! Best top water lure for me I’ve used so far !
19’ Cobia bay
A few good tips:
1.When you are walking the dog try to keep reeling and not twitch every now and then(not too much tho, maybe not even every cast). So the bait just swims forward a bit and not side to side and then promptly resume walking.
2. Dont set the hook until you feel the fish.
3.If he misses the lure during walk the dog presentation, keep working the lure as if nothing happened and many times they will hit it again.
4. Use a loop knot for better WTD presentation.
- I’d rather be a free man in my grave than living as a puppet or a slave.
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Reds will hit Top all day! Try off-setting hooks for more success.
Reds love topwater, especially this time of year. My formula is similar to the above advice. Early AM. Skitterwalks. If you aren’t laughing like a little kid, you need a new hobby!
My fourth bull red must have taken the skitter to the crushers, cause it got “crushed”
2000 SeaPro 180CC w/ Yammy 115 2 stroke
1966 13’ Boston Whaler w/ Merc 25 4 stroke “Flatty”
www.ralphphillipsinshore.com | www.summervillesaltwateranglers.com
what a spottail on TW!
[quote]Originally posted by Optiker
If you aren’t laughing like a little kid, you need a new hobby!
That right there says it all for me. Im going to have to get out there and get with it for sure.
quote:
Originally posted by YnRAfter catching many reds on a single Skitterwalk with no hook issues, I’ll have a hard time throwing another Spook for reds ever again.
BOSN and I learned something on this outing. Well first of all, this year (for us anyway) a Spook Jr has out fished a skitter walk for trout -hands down in a side to side comparison.
We discovered the converse to be true for the reds. The skitter out fished the Spook Jr for reds, but the trout were nailing the spook and ignoring the skitter. The reds only wanted skitters, again, in a side to side comparison.
I thought it was very interesting.
BTW I agree that Spook Jr stock hooks are junk. I replace with #4 eagle claw trebs.
2000 SeaPro 180CC w/ Yammy 115 2 stroke
1966 13’ Boston Whaler w/ Merc 25 4 stroke “Flatty”
www.ralphphillipsinshore.com | www.summervillesaltwateranglers.com
quote:
Originally posted by Optikerquote:
Originally posted by YnRAfter catching many reds on a single Skitterwalk with no hook issues, I’ll have a hard time throwing another Spook for reds ever again.
BOSN and I learned something on this outing. Well first of all, this year (for us anyway) a Spook Jr has out fished a skitter walk for trout -hands down in a side to side comparison.
We discovered the converse to be true for the reds. The skitter out fished the Spook Jr for reds, but the trout were nailing the spook and ignoring the skitter. The reds only wanted skitters, again, in a side to side comparison.
I noticed the same with the trout going for the spooks and the reds favoring the skitterwalk on multiple trips. The trout will barely touch the saltwater version of the skitterwalk but will go for the smaller version but still less so than the spooks.
Does anybody use the Sammys? I know they are more expensive but quality hooks and they seem to have a little different action when worked really fast.