Fishing From Bottom to Top

Capt. Chris Martin
Bay Flats Lodge, Inc.
www.BayFlatsLodge.com
Port O’Connor/Seadrift

I had made several empty casts along an area shoreline while fishing the other day, when finally the water boiled underneath my surface plug.  That is when it happened.  The lure was abruptly attacked and was sent sailing two feet into the air.  As the lure settled back upon the surface of the water, I still had not witnessed any citing of the attacker.  Instead of making the readily predictable knee-jerk reaction form of a hook set, I simply let my lure sit motionless while I counted for eight seconds.  While never taking my eyes off the lure, I slowly made one slight "twitch" with the rod tip.  And that was all that was needed.  The trout had been studying its prey and had been waiting for the bait to make its next move before striking out with a deadly blow.  Suddenly, I had gone from a flying top water lure to a now seemingly unforgiving fight with a six pound trout.

There are few things as exciting as watching a hungry trout or red fish annihilate your top water lure. No matter which top water you choose, they all have one common characteristic in that the strikes that they tend to trigger are generally heart-stopping in nature.  The fish usually explodes upon the bait, sending water everywhere and instilling in the angler an almost irresistible urge to instantly strike back.  Don't do it!  Wait!  Wait until you feel the weight and resistance of the fish, and then set the hook. Believe me when I tell you that it is much easier for me to tell you to do this than it is for you to actually do it, as the natural reaction is to instantly attempt a hook set immediately upon seeing the blow-up.  In this instance, practice will certainly always lead toward perfection.

With the warmer months now upon us, and with surface water temperatures now climbing almost daily, we are already experiencing some very good surface water action.  The "prescription for success" when using top water lures is to remember that whenever you are chunking a top water lure, it is important for you to immediately analyze things as they are happening.  Here is how you can apply that prescription to your next top water fishing trip.  As soon as the hook is set, the first thing that I immediately attempt to determine is just how well the fish is hooked as a result of my set.  I take special note of where the hooks of the lure have settled within the body of the fish, as this dictates the type of bite I am experiencing.  I have found there to be basically three different types of bites - the Territorial, the Feeding, and the Curiosity bite.  With a Territorial bite you will notice the lure hooks to be on the side of the fish's face.  But, a Feeding bite lands the hooks inside the fish's mouth or deep inside their throat.  And in a Curiosity bite, the hooks are generally found to be on top of the head, the back, or the stomach of the fish.  Early-on detection of which type of the three bites you are experiencing will also allow you to determine exactly how much pressure you will need to apply when reeling in the fish.