There's Always Time To Fish
  
Topwater Time!

Part 2

Top water is arguably the most exciting type of fishing there is in the mountains. The explosive strike, water spraying everywhere, fish coming out of the water is not something that happens when you’re dragging a Carolina Rig or Flipping. We talked about my favorite fall baits last week so let’s talk about what to fish them with and where. 

Tackle for top water, or any technique, really is a personal choice. Some people use $300 dollar rods and $250 reels while others use cheap rods and $50 dollar reels. I really have a hard time spending 500 bucks for a rod and reel but if you do then great.

I use a Shimano Sellus rod and a high speed baitcasting reel. This set up runs me about 100-125 dollars depending on if it’s on sale. The rod is technique specific and handles 85-percent of  top waters just fine. It does have some tradeoffs, but all rods do. I stick with a 6.3:1 reel and find it plenty fast enough to handle all the top water fishing I do.

Choose the medium action

What do you look for in a top water rod? I really like a medium to medium heavy power and medium action. I like rods with a medium mid-section and soft tip. The medium heavy allows you cast both standard size and large top waters and gives you plenty of power to turn fish. The medium mid-section is important because it’s where the rebound is in the rod. The mid-section is where the snap and return happens that really works the bait well. The soft tip plays a part, but mid-section is key. If it’s too stiff it will over work your baits, if it’s too soft the baits will be sluggish and respond poorly. The soft tip allows you to cast accurately and absorbs some of the shock of close hook sets.

My Sellus fishes Pop-R’s, props and Spook Jr’s very well, in fact it’s the best popper rod I’ve ever used. This rod is very accurate with lighter baits and medium weight line. I said it had tradeoffs and here are the major ones. I find that the accuracy is off when casting the heavy



Nice largemouth on a walking bait from Storm

baits like the Sammy or Gunfish. I also don’t care for throwing buzz baits on it because of the softer tip and mid-section it has. If you’re throwing the bigger top waters like Sammy’s, Super Spooks or Pencil Poppers you need to go with a heavier rod. Something in the 7-foot medium heavy range should be ok.

As for the reel, I use a 6.3:1 ratio. I have used this speed reel for about 8 years and it is a good reel speed, but is 8 years old. When I get a new one over Christmas break it will be a 6.3:1 as well. For 90-percent of top water fishing a 6.3:1 reel will be perfectly fine.
Faster reels may help you get the bait back to you quicker and make a few more casts, but the difference is negligible. Also, if you use your top water reel for jerk baits too, then a 6.3:1 is perfect because it really works well with jerk baits. Casting accuracy and distance are really more important than retrieve speed. If a reel is hard to cast and doesn’t respond well when you set the cast controls; then find a new reel for top water fishing. It is critical that a reel will cast smoothly and a long way. 

Line is important! You would think that’s a no brainer, but people often overlook their top water line. First, Monofilament has been king for a long time. Why? It floats. A floating line keeps the bait high on the surface and doesn’t hinder the action. Unless you’re fishing in some heavy cover, your mono doesn’t have to be overly abrasion resistant.
Second, stay as far away from Fluorocarbon as you can. It is a great line for most everything except top water. It sinks and therefore it pulls the nose of your bait underwater and kills the action. The only exception would be for buzz bait fishing where the speed of the bait keeps it on the surface.


My favorite knot for leaders

Finally, braided lines are the future.  Guys who have switched to braid and used it for a while swear by it.  I tend to over work most top waters with it. I can’t seem to make the subtle little pops, splashes and gurgles as I can with mono. It’s because I don’t use braid and haven’t learned how yet. Braid is really the next logical step for top water fishing. Braid floats, is super strong, has almost no stretch and is quite
abrasion resistant. It casts very well and lasts forever.It can make you a better topwater fisherman, IF you use a mono leader. The lack of stretch in braid allows you to set the hook from the next county over, but it also rips baits out of fish’s mouths. The lack of stretch tears baits through the skin on the hook set and during the fight. A length of mono leader from two to four feet helps prevent this, as does a softer rod. The leader also keeps the bait from sliding past the braid and fouling the front hooks. This happens because mono is stiffer than braid. The mono leader also provides a measure of protection for line-shy fish. Clear water fish can see the braid, but the mono leader tends to less visible.


Another must for effective fishing

Fly floatant for your topwater line!

Two little tricks to help with topwater fishing is fly floatant and Blakemore Reel and Line Magic. This gel is designed to help dry flies float longer and it works great when topwater fishing. I put it on a cloth and run my line through the cloth as I put it on my reel. This helps keep my line floating just a little longer.



If want to fish and need some advice or a guide then contact my good buddy Austin Neary. He is a serious stick on Glenville Lake and all WNC Mountain lakes. Austin fishes the BASS College Series, and after a third place finish at the Eastern Regional at Watts Bar, Tennessee he competed in the National Championship Tournament on Lake Chatuge. Reach him at Dream Catcher Guides

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