Page 71 - South Mississippi Living - November, 2023

Get On Top of the Action as Bass Go on a Rampage
To feed, bass habitually move into the shallows, making the fall
an excellent time to throw topwater baits. Nothing quite compares to a big fish exploding on a floating lure. Actually, bass don’t really “hit” lures. They open their huge mouths and inhale. They suck things in like a powerful vacuum cleaner, but that still makes quite a commotion.
“Topwater baits are fun to fish,” states Dean Rojas, a professional bass angler. “It’s all visual. We can see the fish and tell how big they are. In the fall, I like to throw topwaters around grass and wood.”
Many anglers like “walk-the-dog,” or walking baits. These hefty baits sail long distances, making them excellent lures to throw when searching for fish. By flicking the rod with short jerks, the bait runs with an enticing zigzag action across the surface that simulates a wounded baitfish. Experiment with different retrieves.
“At times, bass want something thrashing on the surface,” Rojas advises. “At other times, they want something more subtle gliding through the water. When it’s slick calm, I usually use a walking bait. When there’s a ripple on the water, I usually throw a propbait or chugger to cause more of a commotion.”
Poppers or chuggers displace water with curved nose surfaces. When jerked, they gurgle on the surface, making quite a ruckus. Toss a popper to a likely spot and let it sit until the concentric ripples fade. Then, jerk the rod to make it disrupt the surface. Keep repeating. Bass tend to blow up on these baits.
Propbaits come equipped with small propellers on the nose, rear or both. The blades thrash the surface. The harder one jerks a rod, the more noise propbaits make.
“Not too many people still use the old propbaits, but they can
still catch fish,” says John Murray, a professional bass angler. “I use propbaits for calling up fish. A propbait makes a different noise than a walking bait. I’ll throw a big propbait way out next to a point and just twitch it twice to make some slashing sounds. Then, I let it sit. In a heavily pressured lake where everyone is throwing walking baits, a propbait is a good choice to try because bass probably haven’t seen many of them.”
Propbaits can significantly disrupt the surface, making them outstanding lures to throw in murky water, a common condition for many Mississippi rivers. Work propbaits like poppers or retrieve them with a steady buzzing action. Propbaits can also provoke vicious reaction strikes even from non-aggressive fish.
“A propbait is an excellent bait to use around grass,” Rojas comments. “I rip it and then let it sit. I only move it six to eight inches so it stays in the strike zone longer. I’ve also had success just steadily reeling propbaits. They make a ‘V’ in the water almost like a buzzbait. I’ll try different retrieves until I find out what the fish want to hit that day.”
Among the oldest and simplest bass lures ever invented, topwater baits remain popular because they still catch fish and they always palpitate one’s heart like few other lures can.
Becky Smith admires a bass she caught.
November 2023 | 71