Glenn Walker says a missed topwater strike is not the time to give up. Follow up and catch that bass.

If you are planning on fishing topwaters for bass, you need to be prepared to follow up on missed strikes. I feel that certain lures pair well with certain topwaters when it comes time to follow up on a missed blow-up. Being able to do this quickly and effectively can save a tournament or a day on the water!

There are several reasons as to why a bass may miss your topwater bait: It can be that the size and/or color of your bait isn’t what they want; it may be because the bass has the goal of “injuring” your bait when it hits it; and lastly, a bass may not hook up simply because it missed the hooks of your bait.

Some popular topwater lures that anglers use and bass hit-and-miss include hollow-bodied frogs, buzzbaits and topwater plugs (walk-the-dog, poppers, etc.). With each of these topwater lure styles, I have a specific follow-up lure I like to use.

Fishing a Snag Proof Frog is a technique that I frequently use when fishing the Mississippi River during summer. This results in numerous bass catches, but also plenty of opportunities for me to follow up on missed strikes.

Depending on the time of year and density of the vegetation, a bass will have two motives for hitting your frog: to eat it, or to injure it for an easy follow-up meal. The second option is when a follow-up lure comes in-to play. The other time a follow-up lure is needed is when a bass is not able to hit the frog properly, or if you do not get a solid hookup the first time.

After a bass hits and misses your frog, there is often an open pocket for you to pitch your bait into. I choose a Texas-rigged soft plastic, such as a Zoom Magnum Speed Craw, because of its compact profile. I rig these baits on the Lazer TroKar TK133 Pro V Flipping Hook and use a 1/2- to 1-1/2-ounce tungsten weight. I want to keep my rig as low-profile as possible so it will slide through the cover and not get hung up.

Using a heavy-action flipping stick aids in increasing your hookup ratio and helps you turn a bass’s head right away so it doesn’t bury in the cover. You still want a sensitive and lightweight rod so you can flip all day and feel those bites. I rely on a Witch Doctor Tackle Oracle 7’ 6” Pitchin’ Stick paired up with a high-speed baitcasting reel. Use a high-speed gear ratio reel so you can quickly bring your bait back in after you did not get bit on the initial fall, which is usually when the bite in heavy cover will occur.

There is no need to skimp on line size in this situation; in my opinion, using a braided line is the only option, for several reasons. First, there is no stretch, so when you set the hook, you are getting a solid hookset. And two, as you set the hook, the braided line actually cuts through the vegetation and keeps the bass from tangling in the thick cover. I like to use 50- or 65-pound Seaguar SmackDown Braid in Stealth Gray so my line has a low profile in the water.

The other way I like to follow up a missed strike on a frog is to throw my Bobby’s Perfect frog just beyond the area where I had my hit, and slowly drag it across that area again, then let the frog sit still in the open hole. Many times, a bass will think that this is the injured bait it originally hit and is now wounded. This is when they will inhale it!

As you target bass with topwaters this summer, be sure and have the proper lures on hand and rigged to follow up on missed strikes.

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