We have some unsettled weather ahead, but with the cooling water temperatures, the topwater action for reds and trout will be as good as it will get here (for the year) in the next month. Blow the dust off and replace rusted hooks on all your favorite surface plugs. If the wind lays, these next 4-5 days of mostly cloudy skies should provide for blow-ups all day if there is 12" or more water clarity. Mid-tides on the main rivers on points and shell banks where the water is just at the grass line are prime places and times. Good Luck!
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2000 SeaPro 180CC w/ Yammy 115 2 stroke
1966 13’ Boston Whaler w/ Merc 25 4 stroke “Flatty”
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President, Summerville Saltwater Anglers
rad’s a trout baron, and optiker’s hiding his success behind emoticons… take that to the bank. 
last week in between storms had the harbor glassy and clear, so i had to investigate my suspicions. i got blown up within seconds of the plug hitting the water, and it proceeded to get knocked around for the next 45 minutes straight. i landed ONE fish on the red/white spook jr, and it seemed that the size was all 16-20+"
i know part of the problem is that i was all twitchy and couldn’t stop reacting to the mayhem, but i also had at least 5 hooks fall/pull out after taking drag.
so, pro’s: what are y’all’s favorite replacement hooks for walking the dog?
secondly: best way to get them to commit? i find that a slow, steady retrieve gets trout interested, and fast but intermittent is better for getting billy bass to blow it up. when nothing’s happening, i switch between the two. if i miss a strike, do i twitch once or just leave it sitting there?
PS, no problem hooking them on a mutu light circle and live shrimp the next morning once i had them patterned
quote:
mostly cloudy skies should provide for blow-ups all day if there is 12" or more water clarity. Mid-tides on the main rivers on points and shell banks where the water is just at the grass line are prime places and times.
he’s givin away the store again. Admin band him.
quote:
Originally posted by barbawangso, pro’s: what are y’all’s favorite replacement hooks for walking the dog?
secondly: best way to get them to commit? i find that a slow, steady retrieve gets trout interested, and fast but intermittent is better for getting billy bass to blow it up. when nothing’s happening, i switch between the two. if i miss a strike, do i twitch once or just leave it sitting there?
I don’t like the stock spook jr hooks either. I like the eagle claw trebs. They curl in at the tip and seem to hook up well.
As for enticing the strike I just vary till it works. I mostly tend to go slow. Like clack, clack, pause, clack clack clack pause like that.
If one misses I go to twitch mode, and long pause. If that doesn’t work a quick 2 ft rip sometimes closes the deal. I call that my bag of tricks and sometimes it still doesn’t work but many times it does. Have had fish take on the 5th or 6th try in one retrieve. Never quit!
One note about reds. When they explode on your lure do nothing! Do not pull it but rather drop your tip and count to 3 to see if your plug floats up. If you do this it usually will not:). Have seen many others miss reds by pulling it away at the strike.
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’ll be out early in the AM giving it my best shot. New hooks on the topwaters so no excuse other than my technique(or luck).
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I like Gamakatsu 2X EWG trebles (black nickel) when money is on the line. As far as cadence, things change day to day. My hook up ratio for trout goes up when I pause after the first few movements in a likely spot. For reds, I’ve tried it all. Sometimes, they just never fully commit after an initial miss.
quote:
Originally posted by barbawangrad’s a trout baron, and optiker’s hiding his success behind emoticons… take that to the bank.
last week in between storms had the harbor glassy and clear, so i had to investigate my suspicions. i got blown up within seconds of the plug hitting the water, and it proceeded to get knocked around for the next 45 minutes straight. i landed ONE fish on the red/white spook jr, and it seemed that the size was all 16-20+"
i know part of the problem is that i was all twitchy and couldn’t stop reacting to the mayhem, but i also had at least 5 hooks fall/pull out after taking drag.
so, pro’s: what are y’all’s favorite replacement hooks for walking the dog?
secondly: best way to get them to commit? i find that a slow, steady retrieve gets trout interested, and fast but intermittent is better for getting billy bass to blow it up. when nothing’s happening, i switch between the two. if i miss a strike, do i twitch once or just leave it sitting there?
Rad/Opti,
Based on the techniques y’all mentioned, is it safe to assume that you don’t always have to make the plug “walk the dog”? And if not, do y’all add any extra action to the lure (with your rod/reel) other than varying the retrieval speed? Thanks in advance.
“I’m not a hundred percent in love with your tone right now…”
I’d go with Rads suggestion on the hooks. A gami black nickel hook beats a eagle claw all day. But the ec beat the stock hooks imo.
Bart I don’t know - you want the fish to think they have an easy meal so try mixing it up. Case in point. I was fishing tw with RAD last year and he was working a skitter what I would have thought way too fast and he enticed a 22" trout that way. Me - not so much with a slower presentation. I learned something. And I think always learning is what keeps this fun 
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
You don’t have to be perfect at “walking the dog” to get lots of action. Walking baits are highly effective for covering lots of water quickly, and they are very subtle, but other styles of topwaters can work as well or better. Cup faced poppers such as a Rebel Pop-R or storm Chug Bug are trout killers this time of year. They can be a little aggressive for shallow water reds though. Prop baits such as Devil Horses, Skitter Props, and Tiny Torpedos have unique sounds and actions that are under utilized in salt water. Sometimes the sound makes all the difference. Always have a follow up bait ready for short strikes and misses. Zoom Super Flukes and TroutTricks along with slow sinking hard plastic twitch baits like MirroLures should get eaten immediately after a unsuccessful hookup on top.
Great info here! Thanks for sharing! I also have used a smaller 4" suspending jerk as a follow up bait for missed strikes! Also like you said about the reds missing on their first attempt and then you see thier back then tail then back and tail again as the roll underneath the lure…it’s a pretty amazing sight to see and will for sure make your blood pump! Any top water, from bream to trout, is some of the most exciting fishing to me!
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Just my $0.02 and a report…
I’ve had a fair amount of “blow ups” in the past month on topwater. Two weeks ago I fished a spook jr. (black and chartreuse) next to a friend that was throwing a spook jr. in bone color. He whupped me! That said, I went out this morning with bone color and had quite a few blow ups, and a couple of hook ups and landed 2 at 14" nothing great. When the topwater bite heats up I like to switch to a spook XT, I feel like the larger lure is more enticing at that time of year for some reason. I threw it about a month ago with activity around my point and switched to a smaller plug (top dawg jr.) and it turned on for me after having no bites on the XT.
On another note, a friend of mine is a pro level bass fisherman and he switches his hooks out too. But before he puts them back on I tie some feathers (usually white) on the back hook for him. He says that it gives the fish something to focus on thus increasing your hookup percentage. I am by no means an expert, just passing on my experiences and my opinion. Hope this info is useful!
I like a feather on the back hook too. I feel it adds life to the bait when it’s sitting still.
Earn it everyday…
Great stuff here guys. Here is another walk the dog tip: every now and then skip a twitch or two and make the bait come straight to you instead of to the side. Sometimes this can trigger a strike especially w trout. Also, don’t set the hook on the fish until you feel him, not when you see it strike. It’s hard sometimes but Doing this will increase you hook up ratio.
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I also switch my hooks with the Eagle Claw trebles and I’ve also put a small circle hook on the back of the lure. I use the twitch, twitch, pause method as well.
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A spook is a dang good lure but a Skitter walk is one of the best too. No need to worry about those hooks bending. When i put one all the way thru my finger the doc said he may have to get the ring cutter to cut it. Finally he got it with a heavy duty pair of special cutters. Seem the reds like it better and the trout like the SSJ more,sometimes. Dont forget about non walk the dog baits too. POP r, torpedo, striper strike,chug bug the list goes on.
- I’d rather be a free man in my grave than living as a puppet or a slave.
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