Nothing is more exciting than a topwater bite from a big bass. And the summer months can be a great time to get bass to come up to the surface.
The hot summer also presents some challenges for topwater fishing that will influence the lures you use and when you use them.
So let’s go over the best summer topwater lures and when to use them to catch some big bass.
Yes, the warm, summer water gives bass lots of energy and aggression.
With bluegill, bugs, frogs, and other creatures up on the surface during the summer, it is a great time to catch bass on topwaters.
There are certain weather conditions that can make summer topwater fishing a bit worse, but we will discuss those so that you know exactly how and when to throw a topwater.
Simply put, yes. Bass do hit topwaters in the summer.
To make it easier to understand and identify the right lures for you, I am going to break up the 5 topwater lures into a few categories.
During the summertime, there are tons of weeds and grass both under the water and on the surface.
Bass often hide under this vegetation to get out of the hot sun. In order to fish these areas thoroughly and effectively, you are going to need some weedless topwaters.
Note: “Gear Setup” is the ideal setup for fishing these lures, but isn’t required to fish any of them.
No lures says “summer bass fishing” like a hollow body frog. It is a staple lure in every angler’s tackle box.
Hollow body frogs are the best way to fish heavy grass, lily pads, algae, pond scum, and other summer debris that can get caught up on your lure.
It doesn’t more weedless than a frog. Just watch a YouTube compilation of frog blowups and you will be convinced.
Summer bass will hold up under the vegetation and stare up waiting for frogs, bluegill, and other prey to swim along the surface.
The bass are hidden from the hot sun and from the prey, making it a perfect opportunity to ambush their prey.
Frogs a top tier topwaters, and the summer months are a time you need to use frogs.
You have probably never heard of this lure, but trust me, it works.
The Zoo Dog is a hollow body, weedless, walking bait. It is just as weedless as the frog, but has a baitfish profile and walks the dog smoothly.
My favorite situation to throw this lure is when the weeds or grass are spread out across the surface.
Because it is a walking lure, you can cover tons of water with it, but also glide right over the patches of weeds.
The Zoo Dog is a very unique lure that presents the bass with something they’ve never seen before.
I haven’t used this lure much, but it has certainly caught me fish and is a lot of fun to use.
This lure combines the sound and vibration of a prop bait with the weedless design of a frog.
The prop itself is made of silicone so that it will not get hung up on slimy weeds like a normal prop would.
The Prop Minnow is a super intriguing lure that has an extremely high upside.
Call baits are lures that are able to “call” bass to it from farther distances. Call baits to this through vibration, sound, or splash.
When summer bass are cruising in open water, you need a lure that can call them from far away. These lures are the best open water, summertime topwaters.
There is nothing louder and more obnoxious than a buzzbait. Something about the noise ands splash of a buzzbait gets bass fired up.
They will get so angry at the lure that they absolutely crush it. Like I mentioned earlier in the article, there are some conditions when summer topwater fishing isn’t as great.
For the buzzbait, this time is the mid day when the sun is beating down.
Summertime bass are almost never in open water when the sun is high in the sky.
So tie on a buzzbait in the morning or evening when the sun is low. Bass will spread out in the water and hunt down prey.
Contrary to the Zoo Dog, a traditional walking lure will have 2 treble hooks hanging below it.
These lures are certainly not weedless, but they are loud, erratic, and trigger huge bites from summer bass.
The time of day to fish a walking bait is the same as a buzzbait. Mornings and evenings.
The two situations I will tie on a walking bait over a buzzbait are when bass are feeding on shad and when there is some wind, or chop on the water.
Prop baits are an incredibly underrated lure amongst anglers. I think one reason for this is the limited times of year when a prop bait shines.
But the bluegill spawn, during the summer, is one of these times. The chopping blades with a realistic bluegill profile drives these bass wild.
One great thing about a prop bait is that it can be fished very slowly. During the bluegill spawn, bass hang out just beyond the bluegill spawning grounds and wait to pick them off.
Cast the prop bait in this area and keep it there as long as you can. I promise you will get bit.
Also read: Best Bass Lures for the Bluegill Spawn
This lure didn’t make it onto the list because it technically isn’t a topwater lure at all. However, if you rig it a certain way, it can be fished on the surface.
The Gilly would fit into the weedless topwater category. It is a super realistic bluegill bait that triggers tons of bites.
It works great being dragged on top of grass and lily pads as well as fished in open water during the bluegill spawn.
It doesn’t create much sound or vibration, so it is best to be fished in clearer water, or when bass are very shallow.
The warm, summer water increases bass’s metabolism and gets them very active.
These active bass love crushing topwater lures. Not only is the most fun way to catch bass, but it is one of the most effective as well.
Keep these lures in mind next time you head out on the water. No matter your water conditions, one of these lures will surely produce some big bites this summer.
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