Topwater 2023

[Billy]

So glad the top water game is starting on the west side. Water temp was 65 degrees a foot below the surface yesterday compared to 60 degrees a week ago. Landed 6 fish in the evening, the first one right when @rotato came rowing up to the area I was working! Had a couple of other swirls that didn’t commit, all in all a great outing. Biggest were around 17 inches with fat bellies. Should only get better the next month or so…View attachment 64669View attachment 64668

heck yeah!

 

[N. Metz]

Fished a popper for the first time of the season last night for 15 minutes and had a good eat right away but pulled it right out of it's mouth. It always takes me a few fish to get in the rhythym.

 

[Billy]

Fished a popper for the first time of the season last night for 15 minutes and had a good eat right away but pulled it right out of it's mouth. It always takes me a few fish to get in the rhythym.

Pause....Bass Master hook set

Easier said then done

 

[Yard Sale]

On the board for 2023. First time out, river is still high and cold but the fish are in. The longer I waited between twitches the better I did, which is really hard for me.

 

[mcswny]

QUESTION: what’s your leader formula for poppers?

 

[Billy]

SA tapered bass leader to 15 pound Maxima.

 

[Divad]

On the board for 2023. First time out, river is still high and cold but the fish are in. The longer I waited between twitches the better I did, which is really hard for me.

View attachment 65042

I like the fly pattern, as much as I love popper heads sheet foam is always in abundance. Nice smallie too!

 

[Matt B]

On the board for 2023. First time out, river is still high and cold but the fish are in. The longer I waited between twitches the better I did, which is really hard for me.

View attachment 65042

Nice goin', and that hook looks stout enough to land you that rando incidental topwater sturgeon, too.

 

[mcswny]

Nice goin', and that hook looks stout enough to land you that rando incidental topwater sturgeon, too.

Not sure if you’re joking or not, but the sturgeon have been taking something on the surface in this back bay I’ve been fishing

 

[Yard Sale]

Nice goin', and that hook looks stout enough to land you that rando incidental topwater sturgeon, too.

Yeah, taken out of my old striper fly box. Big hooks keep the little fish away!

 

[Matt B]

Not sure if you’re joking or not, but the sturgeon have been taking something on the surface in this back bay I’ve been fishing

I was definitely joking before but it just got rill serious son.

 

[mcswny]

I was definitely joking before but it just got rill serious son.

I have no clue what they were taking. I hooked into one on my 7 weight and it jumped about 1’ from the bow of my commander. You could hear my yelp from across the bay thinking it was going to land in my boat.

 

[Bugmeister]

Yesterday after work I roped some little SMBs with the smallest popper pattern I have. I could see a big “Billy Approved” largemouth lurking under some structure, but couldn’t get it to take anything on the surface - big, small, medium, etc. I was juuuuuust about to crack the code (maybe - basically was going to switch to subsurface) when I got gently booted by a city employee. Turn out the area I was fishing is considered part of the marina. Whoops? I usually fish it from my kayak so was not aware of the rules. Further, it isn’t posted anywhere.

Planning to hit it a lake tomorrow a.m. on my kayak.

 

[Fishues]

QUESTION: what’s your leader formula for poppers?

I use about 4 foot of straight 20 pound maxima. Never found them to be leader shy and it turns that big popper over just fine. I fish a bass “booby” fly subsurface on a sink tip with about a 2-3 foot straight 20 lb flouro leader and haven’t found them to be spooked by the short leader either.

 

[ColinShots]

I was definitely joking before but it just got rill serious son.

I have no clue what they were taking. I hooked into one on my 7 weight and it jumped about 1’ from the bow of my commander. You could hear my yelp from across the bay thinking it was going to land in my boat.

I seen it happen. It was crazy. I also had a sturgeon on in the same bay. Took me for a decent ride before it spit out the fly/got himself unhooked.

 

[Matt B]

Well I at least got on the board today with one small Larry landed on a black popper. I had a few other chances but wasn’t able to keep ‘em on.
Nice morning.

 

[IHFISH]

I believe I crossed paths with you this morning. Thanks to you and your friend for sharing the water. I left early because of that leak I mentioned. Got this one right off the bat and then just one little guy right before I left.

 

[Matt B]

I believe I crossed paths with you this morning. Thanks to you and your friend for sharing the water. I left early because of that leak I mentioned. Got this one right off the bat and then just one little guy right before I left.

Nice meeting you and yeah of course, it’s not like we own the water! Glad you had some action before you had to jet, and hope you get that leak fixed soon. It wasn’t exactly on fire for us so you may not have missed much.

 

[Long_Rod_Silvers]

Missed one good one on the popper this AM at @Zak home water. Switched up and pulled in a few on subsurface. Still need to get on the topwater board for 2023.

 

[rotato]

The submerged wood was holding a few last evening