Smallmouth, Big Fight
It's 5:30am and you're already on the water, or at least I am. The water is like glass and all is quiet around you. As you approach your favorite shoreline, you pick up your rod and tie on your favorite topwater lure. You cast your line toward the shore, right between that log and rock, you know the spot! A perfect cast!
All of a sudden, the water explodes and it’s you against bass. The fish feels like it goes maybe 3 or 4 pounds. As you get him boat side, you reach down and lift him out of the water. What a picture this will make. Whether or not I catch that bass is irrelevant. The fact is I thought there was a bass there, I put the lure right there and whammo! Landing that bass is just a bonus for me. The thrill of topwater bass fishing is addictive. Topwater bass fishing is a more visual experience than other types of fishing. I love it! I can’t get enough of it.
Now for the technical stuff…
Lakes
There are many lakes in Manitoba that hold good numbers and sizes of smallmouth bass. Some of my favorites are Nutimik Lake, Falcon Lake, Shoe Lake, Flinstone and of course the Winnipeg River
Rods
Most anglers will tell you that a 6 to 6 ½ foot rod with a medium action will suffice. If the action of the rod is too stiff, you will yank your bait right out of the fish's mouth when you set the hook. A medium action rod is the best fit for topwater bass fishing.
Lures
When it comes to lures, there are a hundreds of quality baits you can use for topwater bass fishing. Here are a few of my favorites.
- Heddon's Zara Spook.
- Yum's Floating Worm (with a Texas style rig).
- Zoom's Superfluke.
- Heddon's Torpedo.
- Snag Proof's Tournament Frog.
- Any spinner bait.
All these lures have their own unique presentations. When presented properly, these baits are historically known to produce quality bass.
And now for the most important tip …believe me I had to learn this the hard way after missing one of the biggest bass I had ever seen….
Here it is: Since topwater fishing is a visual type of fishing, most anglers will set the hook too soon and yank the bait out of the fish's mouth. To prevent this, do NOT set the hook immediately when you see the strike! Wait a second, reel in some slack and when you feel the pressure of the bass on the line, THEN set the hook. Good luck!
