Generally you cast topwater lures near cover. A common technique is to retrieve the lures in quick jerks with short pauses in between. You will get the most luck with topwaters in shallow water in the morning and evening.

Many bass tournaments have been won with topwater fishing lures in shallow water! In this entry we want to discuss a couple of the most popular surface baits that even the pros won't leave behind.

Arbogast Jointed Jitterbug

The Fred Arbogast Jointed Jitterbug has been often called "most action-packed topwater lure available". The Arbogast company produces some of the best baits available to professional and amateur anglers and the Jitterbug is no exception. The splash on the surface of the water created by the jointed tail will attract large fish from afar and not just bass either. Musky and pike have been caught on this lure just as often I'm sure. Read the latest Fred Arbogast Jointed Jitterbug Review.

Heddon Crazy Crawler

The Heddon Crazy Crawler is another oft-used lure by professional anglers. The Heddon name attached to the lure should tell you something right off the bat. Heddon is been around a long time and boasts some of the top used lures to date.

The Crazy Crawler is a great lure to use for even beginner topwater anglers. No special technique is required, it has crazy action without any extra effort on your part. You can just cast and retrieve. Try going slow and then speed up if you don't see strikes. After the cast, wait until the rings are gone before retrieving. Upon landing is often when the strike will occur. Read the latest Heddon Crazy Crawler Review.

Heddon Zara Spook

The Heddon Zara Spook produces a side-to-side action that bass and pike can't resist. It can be used even when the water is a bit choppy or if there is rain disturbing the surface of the water, because of the great action created.

For even more action to attract the big game fish, anglers often look to the "wounded" variety of the Zara Spook. The Wounded Zara Spook comes equipped with propellers on the front and back ends creating a ruckus on the surface of the water. It mimics prey that has been injured, and in the wild predators sniff out the weak and attack with a vengeance. Read the latest Heddon Zara Spook Review.

Related posts:

1. Vintage Heddon Topwater Lures
2. Heddon Crazy Crawler
3. Heddon Zara Spook

Vintage Heddon topwater lures are among the favourites of many professionals and rookie anglers alike. Some of the top Vintage Heddon topwater baits include the Heddon Tiny Torpedo, the Heddon Lucky 13 and the Heddon Zara Spook.

Vintage Lure Guide Deals on eBay

US $29.74 Vintage Fishing Lures Tackle Guide Heddon Dowagiac Etc

US $33.96 Vintage Pflueger Fishing Lures & Reels $$ Guide 1881-Up

US $14.97 Vintage Fishing Lure ID$ Guide V3 Horrocks Ibbotson Etc

US $15.29 2008 Warmans Vintage Fishing Lures Price & ID Guide

The vintage Heddon Tiny Torpedo does well with a slow stop and go type retrieval. After pulling it in a bit, wait until the rings are about three feet from the lure, then pull in a bit more line, and repeat. Or, you can work it like you might work a buzzbait with a steady retrieval. No matter if the water is nice and calm or it has a bit of a ripple, toss the Tiny Torpedo in and you'd be hard pressed not to have a story or two to tell.

The Heddon Lucky 13 is a lot bigger than the Tiny Torpedo. It doesn't have a prop attached, has three large treble hooks dangling from it's body and has a deep concave face. When on calm water, try popping it along slowly or pick up the pace a bit when the water is choppier.

Whichever of the vintage Heddon topwater lures you use, you will see, they still catch fish today like the day they first came to the fishing scene.

Vintage Heddon Lures For Sale On eBay

US $27.50 HEDDON WILDER-DILG SPOOK MINTY VINTAGE FLY TROUT LURE

US $3.00 VINTAGE HEDDON 210-R SPINNING FISHING REEL

US $9.00 VINTAGE heddon baby zara PIKE BASS FISHING LURE TACKLE

US $6.27 VINTAGE heddon TINY CRAZY CRAWLER FISHING LURE TACKLE

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1. Heddon Lucky 13
2. Heddon Torpedo Lures
3. Topwater Family of Bass Lures Buying Guide

What Does The Bass Food Chain Mainly Consist Of?

You will find bass where the baitfish are. Minnows and other batifish are what the bass generally eat. OK, that's not news, where can the baitfish be found? Keep following the food chain. The baitfish feed on the Zooplankton which feed on Phytoplankton. So, let's find out where the patches of Zooplankton or Phytoplankton are and we'll find out where the bass (or other game fish) are spending there time. We could go as far as "creating" these patches ourselves and the fish will come to us! (more on that shortly)

Locating the Phytoplankton usually involves just finding areas of direct sunlight close to the shore, especially where there is a lot of green algae. Look at those spots, and if the water appears "stained" with a dark green or even black colour, you are likely witnessing a patch of Phytoplankton! And what's happening there? A feeding frenzy and some hungry bass! Also, if you are able to locate lush patches of vegetation along the shoreline with some water runoff, those are the perfect conditions for Chlorophyll to grow. And where there's Chlorophyll, there is Phytoplankton.

You may also stumble across patches of Zooplankton when you are checking around for the dark green and black stains. The patches of Zooplankton aren't always in obvious locations like the Phytoplankton. They are tough to see from above the water but if the lighting conditions are just right you may see a large mass of what look like snowflakes dancing around, dubbed the "dancing snowflakes" by fishermen in the know. These spots are so hot and teaming with game fish that some serious anglers actually go the extra mile and buy specialized cameras that can look underwater for these dancing snowflakes!

Now, as mentioned, there is a way to actually create "patches" of Zooplankton. In fact, you can often make them 10x larger than what you might expect to see normally. It's too much to get into in this article but just know it can be done! If you want to find out more about it click here to read all about this secret technique. No need for the specialized cameras or the luck of stumbling across one when creating your own.

So, if you are on the lookout for these patches, or you create your own, you can be sure your fishing will be kicked up a notch or two. Happy fishing!

Related posts:

1. Topwater Family of Bass Lures Buying Guide
2. Steps To Texas Rig Plastic Baits
3. Heddon Zara Spook

The Texas Rig is one of the most versatile of bass lures. You can fish it at any depth that you want, over top of any structure and right through the thickest of weeds. You can fish it at any speed that you want or just let it sit just below the surface and watch the bass come up from underneath to swallow it up! You can use different sized worms and other plastic baits like lizards and crawfish. You can use scent or leave it as is. You can add varying sizes of weights or leave the weight completely off. Often, when it's windy or you want to fish deeper water, you will include a bullet sinker of a larger size.

How To Tie A Texas Rig

1. Start by buying a Texas rig kit to be sure you have everything, then get your hands on some proven rubber worms.
2. If you plan to add weight to the lure, a bullet sinker works best. Some people will clip a sinker to the line. When using a bullet sinker, insert the line through the pointed end of the sinker.
3. Now, tie on an offset hook using your favourite knot. Use a hook with a sharp point since it must penetrate the body of the plastic bait as well as the mouth of the bass. Also, use a hook size that matches the size of the bait, in other words, use larger hooks for larger baits and smaller hooks for smaller baits. For example, when using a 6" worm, a size 2/0 hook is often used.
4. Poke the hook through the top of the bait. Go in about 1/4" as shown in the image below.
   
5. Turn the point of the hook and thread it through a bit so it pokes out of the side of the head of the bait.
6. Now slide the bait towards the eye of the hook. While you are sliding, twist the bait so that the point of the hook is facing the bait. Now the eye of the hook will be right at the top of the bait.
7. Now poke the hook through the body of the bait. Keep in mind that you want the bait to hang relatively straight so you will need to bend the bait a bit to hook it a bit lower down. When it pokes through the bait should lay straight. If it's a bit bent, don't worry, fish will still attack it, plus it may add a bit of action to the lure.
8. Now bury the hook point below the surface of the body to create a weedless setup. Generally the straighter you made it in the previous step, the less weeds will cling on to the lure while it's being fished. Take a look at the end result below.
   

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1. YUM Dinger
2. YUM Money Minnow
3. Topwater Family of Bass Lures Buying Guide