Troy Smutka loves fishing topwaters for diverse fish species in summer.

My son, dad and I were fishing a mid-sized central Minnesota lake in early July. With a bright, sunny, post-cold front morning with a northwest wind of 10 to 15 mph forecast, we planned on working live bait rigs with leeches and minnows, and jigs with soft plastic minnows and paddle tails, along the outside weed edge in 10 to 12 feet of water. We had only caught one small pike on the jig and paddle tail in our first 20 minutes of fishing, but we were seeing a lot of baitfish and gamefish activity at the surface along the weed line.

As a rule of thumb, I don’t usually fish topwaters on a sunny, breezy, cool morning. The sun was over the treetops, and it was bright. We were near the sheltered, northwest corner of the lake, but still had a pretty good ripple on the water. I have learned over many years that you must do what the fish want, not what you think is best. So, we switched to topwater baits, moved up on top of the weed line where all the activity was taking place, and proceeded to catch a couple dozen nice-sized largemouth bass.

I love fishing topwater baits for largemouth and smallmouth bass, as well as sunfish and crappies. I even do some topwater fishing for muskies and pike. All these species are ambush predators that often feed up, so topwater baits are a natural fit to get them to strike.

Summer is the time to break out the topwater baits. In my home state of Minnesota, I usually start fishing topwater baits frequently when the water temp gets into the upper 60s. This often occurs in late June, and I fish them right through August and into September, depending on water temps.

Early in the topwater season, I am usually targeting bass in water depths of under 8 feet. I work topwater baits over hard bottom inside of the weed line for bass, as well as over the tops of mid-depth weeds like cabbage, coontail, curlyleaf pondweed and even milfoil while looking for post-spawn bass. I target shallow to mid-depth rocks with topwater baits in late spring and early summer for bass. If you have smallmouth bass in your lake, they can be found here, but largemouth often use these rocks and the warmer water associated with them as well.

As the water warms into summer conditions, I still check these shallow and mid-depth areas very early in the morning, looking for fish scattering over the flats for an early breakfast. When the sun gets higher, I move to the outside weed edge, and cast topwater baits up onto the weed line, bringing the baits over the weeds and then over the deep edge. Bass will come up higher than you might expect for a topwater bait, provided the conditions are right. I have had largemouth come up in 18 feet of water along a deep weed edge to slam a topwater bait, and routinely get smallmouths to come up from 12- to 14-foot-deep rocks and completely breech on a topwater bait.

Some conditions are better times than others to fish a topwater bait for bass. I generally like early in the morning or in the evening. If it is cloudy or hazy, topwater action will continue further into the morning or start earlier in the afternoon. Many people associate topwater fishing with dead calm conditions. While this is a great situation for topwater fishing, you can still get an active bite at the surface with some ripple on the water.

When it is very low light or very calm, I like a popper-style bait like the Rapala Skitter Pop. If it is a little brighter, or there is a ripple or even small waves on the surface, I switch to a prop bait like a Rapala Skitter Prop, or a buzzbait for bass. These baits create more water disturbance, making it easier for fish to find them in brighter conditions or with more wave action.

I have two rod/reel/line combos ready to go for fishing topwater baits. For poppers, prop baits and twitch baits, I go with a 6’6” to 6’9”, medium-power, fast- or extra-fast-action rod, paired with a medium-speed reel. Spinning or casting gear will work. The medium rod length allows me to make long casts but still point the rod down towards the water to pull, snap or jerk these baits. The stiffer rod tip of the fast- or extra-fast-action, combined with the reel spooled with 10-pound-test Berkley Fireline no-stretch superline, assures that all of my arm and wrist action make it to the lure.

For a swimming lure like a buzzbait or Jitterbug, I go with a 7’ to 7’6”, medium-power rod with a moderate or moderate-fast action with 10-pound mono. I swim these baits back to the boat with the rod tip up at a 45-degree angle. The softer rod with line that stretches more assures the fish pull this moving bait into their mouths before the rod loads up, creating more consistent hookups. I use a small crankbait snap tied to the Fireline for quickly changing baits.

Don’t overlook fishing for panfish with topwater baits in summer as well. Crappies and sunfish schooling above or just off weedy reefs or points are feeding up on minnows and insects. When it gets warm, calm and bright, insect and minnow activity picks up at the surface, and pannies are there to take advantage of the feast. I again look for no wind, or a light breeze for this bite, due to the small size of the topwater baits I am presenting.

My favorite lure for enticing panfish up to the surface is the Rapala Ultra-light Pop. It is a 1.5-inch version of the Skitter Pop and comes in several colors to match light conditions. When pulled forward a few inches on a relatively calm lake surface, this bait pushes water forward and makes a chugging sound. Sunfish and crappies, looking up for minnows or insects, can’t resist coming up and slurping in this bait.

I like to use ultra-light spinning gear for chasing pannies on the surface. I use a 6’6” to 7’, St. Croix Panfish Series rod paired with an ultra-light Pflueger President spinning reel, spooled with 4-pound-test Berkley Fireline. I splice 8 inches of 6-pound test fluorocarbon to the Fireline and tie on a tiny Fast-Snap for quickly changing baits. The fluorocarbon leader is stiffer and more abrasion-resistant than the Fireline and helps prevent tangles on casts and abrasion from rough sunfish mouths, as well as the occasional small bass you will catch on these tiny poppers.

One final tip for fishing poppers or prop baits for bass or pannies: The strike usually comes when the bait is sitting still on the pause. Don’t set the hook when you see or hear a strike; you will likely react too quickly and pull the bait away from the fish. Let the fish pull the line tight and load up the rod.

Give topwater fishing a try this summer when the conditions are right.

You’ll find plenty of helpful summer fishing tips in the summer issues of MidWest Outdoors. Subscribe on our website.