Some Great Tips For Top Water Fishing: Destination... Smallmouth Bass

I was smallmouth bass fishing on the French River in northern Ontario about five years ago when my fishing partner and I stumbled on a pattern that was deadly not only on that trip, but has been ever since. If these factors are taken into account, smallmouth bass are always caught. I would assume the same pattern would hold true anywhere that smallmouth swim, but I know it holds true on the French River.

Before I get into the actual factors, lets discuss top water lures. Although this is largely about personal preference, and what has worked for you in the past, any top water lure up to about four inches in length has been effective. Frog and minnow patterns are our favorite, but again this is largely up to you. Popper types lures seems to work better than propeller types as well. Now let's get into the specific factors that you need to look for in order to have a great time catching smallmouth bass on top water lures.

No Wind - The water needs to be like glass for the pattern to be most effective. Mornings and evenings are usually the best time to find calm conditions. The point is that it's imperative that the water is like glass.

Weeds and Broken Rock - The most effective area's are those area's where weeds and broken rock come together. Both area's are okay by themselves, but when they come together…..watch out.

Shallow Water - The water depth couldn't exceed ten feet. It's also helpful if there's deep water close by. Four to ten feet is always best (at least on the French).

Silence - This might sound obvious, seeing as how we're talking about fishing, but being quite is even more important in this situation. When the water is as still as you want it to be, there's no background noise to camouflage the noise that the angler may be making. Being quiet is imperative in this fishing situation.

If you can bring these four conditions together, you'll have as much fun catching fish as you ever have in your life. And the beautiful thing about this is that in any given week, you can bring these conditions together almost every day. As I mentioned, mornings and evenings are going to be your best bet. Have fun; I know that you will.