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Over the years I have fished many farm and ranch ponds.
I have shared many of my fishing excursions with “borrowed” kids and good friends.

It's always been my experience you have to fish quietly
to catch some of the bigger ones.
All fish and animals are prey to predators and they have a natural instinct
to protect themselves.

A loud unnatural noise will send them to the safety of deep water
and they will not strike at anything until that fear subsides.
That is why I seldom take a noisy fisherman with me twice.

    I would have to say that top water is still my favorite approach.
There is still a special thrill working a floating plug or a hula popper
across the surface of the water and
having a largemouth rise from the depths to engulf it.
Any time I've taken someone's kid with me
and they have had the experience
of fishing with top water plugs, they have become “hooked” on bass fishing.

My favorite top water lure is still a hula popper.
I like the black color the best, For late evening or for
fishing at night.

At night a fish looking up towards the stars is seeing light above and a light
colored plug is almost invisible.
A black plug on the other hand shows up best in his eyesight.

Night fishing for bass is still high on my list.
The only sound you hear is the sound of
your plug slowly gurgling its way back to shore
and the sudden explosion of water as it is engulfed.

Then you feel the line go tight and your rod gives a sudden violent jerk.
You can't see a thing. Its all noise and feel.

Here is how I have learned to present a popper and retrieve it.
I cast and then let it sit until the circle around it is about gone.
Just like a bug that fell out of the sky and is disoriented for a bit.

I then slightly jerk it so it gives a light gurgle and let it set again.
I give it another short jerk and let it set. I keep up this slow jerk and stop until its retrieved and
then cast again.

When I get a hit I set my hook and then use the rod to my advantage.
If the fish rises towards the surface of the water I tip my rod tip down
 to try to prevent him from doing a "tail dance" on top of the water.
 This coming out of the water and shaking his mouth
usually dislodges the hook and the bass gets away.

If he heads for deep water I lift the tip up to keep him closer to the surface.
 Many novice fishermen tend to just start cranking the handle.
Trying to just force the fish in.

This not only ends many times in lost fish, but also creates extremely twisted line inside a reel.
 Setting the drag to a lighter setting prevents a lot of problems.
If a large fish suddenly turns and runs with your line for deeper water and your
drag is set too tight he can break your line.

By setting your drag lighter and using your rod
 It might take longer to play a fish out and land him,
but it also results in more landed fish, and a better fishing experience.

In the spring when the bass are spawning.
If I get a hit and don't hook a fish
Ill throw it back at that same spot over and over,
eventually getting that fish mad enough to take it.

That was a trick I learned from a 12 year old kid back in the early 70's.
Throw at the same spot until they get mad enough to take it.
It works.

    Another of my favorite top water plugs is a jitterbug. The picture shows a yellow one
with black dots. I have a half a dozen different colored ones. They also come with a weedless
hook.
Again this is another great top water plug for night fishing.
Fish are attracted to the noise and the
vibrating of frogs and bugs swimming across the top of the water.
 If they can also see it, you will get more hits.
It has been my experience to use dark colors at night and bright colors in the sunshine.
You can use the same technique as a hula popper or retrieve it slowly and steadily.
 
 

 When the water is clear of moss and other vegetation I still like to use spinners. They
create a little faster action.
A Red and white Mepps has always been my favorite. It seems to work in all light conditions.

I have owned many of them over the past thirty plus years.
Another favorite of mine is a silver Viabrax with a yellow trailer. This vibrating spinner has
caught a lot of bass for me.
If they won't strike on this spinner or a red and white Mepps, you might as well pack it up and go
home.
 I use these mostly early spring or until moss starts to form and other vegetation starts to
grow.
 
 

When the lily pads appear on the top of the water, I like to go to my version of a Carolina rig.
I use the same weight and the hook of a Carolina rig, but I like to add a few beads and a spinner
blade.
I use a clevis that I can change blades on. I use different colors, again for different light
conditions.
Sometimes I fish it slow and just let it drop down and lay there and sometimes I retrieve it
slowly like a spinner.

Doing it the first way, I watch the line on the water. When it starts to go tight I set the hook.
It's almost like bait fishing. Wait until you feel them take the worm or see the line move
and then set the hook
The summer of 2001 the fish were biting real light and you had to really watch or feel your line
and then not set the hook too hard or you would jerk it away from them.

Black rubber worms have been my favorite with a brown color next in line.
I have a fishing partner that's been out fishing me with a red and black.
I bought some of them and the one in the picture is that color.

My last fishing excursion of 2001 I ended up getting skunked.
It made no difference what I offered, I never caught a fish.
It was a different year.
I hope I never see another one like it because it was also the poorest
year for fishing I can remember.

I'm looking forward to better Bass fishing,  this year of 2002.

Kenny Konechne © 02/05/2002
 
 

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