Keep it Simple Stupid (KISS), our favorite acronym for fishing and one long embraced by bass fishing legend Roland Martin. Wired2fish spent a morning with Martin for a lesson in the basics of fishing topwater poppers, specifically, the top 4 factors that lead to consistent success.
TACKLE USED
- POPPER – Lobina Ricos: http://wired2.fish/RicosPopper
- ROD – Favorite Pro Series Casting Rod, 7’3″ Heavy
- REEL – Favorite Fishing Soleus Casting Reel, 7.3:1
- LINE – Bass Pro Shops XPS Hyper Braid 8, 30-pound
- Make long casts. Big, mature bass are wise and often boat shy. Long casts with topwater lures increase your odds of tempting surface strikes. Martin uses a 30-pound braided mainline to help maximize casting distance to well over 100-feet.
- Fish during low-light periods. While bass feed on top at all times, generally speaking, you’ll have the most success during periods of low light such as dawn, dusk or overcast days.
- Use in warm water. Water temperatures in the 70- to 80-degree range are prime for topwater bass fishing. Insect hatches draw hoards of baitfish to the surface with bass following closely behind.
- Use in clear water. A topwater bait excels at expanding strike windows, especially in clean water. There’s no question that they excel in all water clarities, but similar to jerkbait fishing, seeing the bait is a major trigger.
