If you were to poll bass anglers, the overwhelming majority would likely claim a topwater bite as one of their favorites. It wouldn’t be hard to imagine a bass angler sitting in his living room recliner in December, waiting to go fishing. The chances are that the daydreams involve topwater baits at some point. Ish Monroe, the Bassmaster Elite Series and FLW Tour Pro from Hughson, Calif. is an avowed shallow water junkie. With that in mind, topwater is always a part of his program. Did I say always? I did.
Monroe is such a believer in topwater baits that he keeps one at the ready any time his Ranger is in the water – and that includes the winter months. “A bass will take a look at topwater baits in cold water,” he said. “It may not be the approach I take when trying to catch my limit, but it is definitely something I can get one or two bites to put me over the top.”
Monroe said that he has a plan for including topwater baits in the winter, and a series of lures that he turns to in order to try and get a big bite. He also revealed that he has caught topwater fish in water as cold as 47 degrees, so he knows they work.
Bigger is Better
Monroe said that size matters when thinking of topwater fishing in the cold weather. “Remember that I am looking for one or two bites, so I don’t want to waste my time with a small profile bait,” he said. “I want a big, slow moving plug that makes a giant fish believe she is going to get a big reward for her effort.”
With that in mind, the Hughson, Calif. pro turns to one of four baits, and they all have a profile to create big strikes. His first choice is a Rover 128 by River2Sea. The Rover is a big walking plug that can be worked fast or slow, but makes a commotion either way. Tied with the Rover, but for a little different scenario is a Snag Proof Phat Frog; he likes this around weeds and trash pockets. He chooses a buzzbait if there is some chop on the water from wind, and finally, if the bait is smaller or the conditions are slick; he goes with River2Sea’s Bubble Pop 88, a lager than average sized popping bait.
“All of those baits have a profile that produces big bites,” he said. “If I’m going to commit to a topwater for one or two extra bites, then it has to be worth my while.”
When?
Monroe said that he can’t put an exact time when the water temperature and the sky conditions are perfect for topwater bites, but he has a few things that he considers when trying it. “I have to have a limit,” he said. “If I’ve gotten to where I think I can through conventional wintertime tactics; it’s time for a gamble.”
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