2026 topwater starts with a BANG! 🀠

Billy

Big poppa
Staff member
Admin
Short hike in and I reached the holy land:

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The marsh was alive with waterfowl as I set to work finding any signs of warm water fish:

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The water was low, murky, weed filled and cold. It's easy for doubt to creep in. I didn't take a water temp but my guess was 48-50 degrees based on other water.

I had crushed on trout the day before and I was starting to convince myself I probably should have went after them again. But I was out there so I may as well kick around and see what I can find!

About 45 minutes passed without a sign of life. After awhile I tied on a new popper:

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As I kicked along looking for any signs of life my eyes focused on a small school of gils following me in the tube as they often do when it's warmer.

When the baitfish are active the bass should be too I told myself. I shot out a cast as far as I could. The popper pictured above has a new head that I've never tried before. As I was admiring the sound and movement of my new fly for the first time the water suddenly exploded in a jaw dropping blowup. This is what I live for. I set the hook and the fight was on. She wanted the weeds but I wanted her more.

Let's fucking go!

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Bucketfreaking mouth:

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Hell yeah!

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With new focus I went to work popping to the left and popping to the right.

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Was a very fun day with a bunch to hand!

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Got a new lucky tshirt!

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Can't wait to get back out there!
Billy
 
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Rad man!
 
Damn love it! Take me fishing! Beautiful pics!
 
Oh HECK yeah!!

Is that a homemade popper head?
What's with the fuzzy look to it?
That fuzz is because I took out at a different spot which required 25 feet of trucking through cattail muck🀣

The heads are called gnarly heads:

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I tried a liquid fusion coating which didn't last. Probably go back to 30 min epoxy. The heads are pretty neat. Still in testing phase...πŸ˜ƒ
 
Wasn’t top water but a nice by catch that shocked the heck out of me last week. I had heard that there were some in the little lake but had only seen and caught trout until last week.
Thats a great bass! Did you happen to get a length/weight? What did you get her on?
 
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