Inshore Fishing With Topwater Lures…..An Explosion Waiting To Happen

When it comes to making your fishing trip a greater challenge, there are many options to explore. You can start with changing your approach by sight fishing or even fly fishing. Both options come with a learning curve and with many factors that require a greater level of expertise. However, another challenging yet fun approach is fishing with topwater lures. While it takes a specific environment and a certain level of cashing skill, it’s rewarding.

Now I know nearly every angler has a few top water lures in their tackle box. For most of us you can find those lures in the bottom of the tackle box or even on the workbench back home, not having made the lineup like the scores of Carolina rigs or soft plastics you brought. These are the lures that caught our eye in the tackle shop. We then had a vision of ourselves casting this big floating plug and a massive bull Redfish hitting it as the hour-long fight ensued. The reality is that we used it twice and pitched it into the bottom of the tackle box with the rusted hooks and 5-year soft plastics, thus giving up on the concept of topwater fishing.

Let me tell you that the topwater lure can be powerful if used correctly and in the right setting. There are those overcast days when the fish have some difficulty seeing the baits, and a topwater can generate enough disturbance to get the fish to attack, and Redfish love to attack. This is especially true at points where the water is moving well. It gets even better when the bait is breaking the surface. They’re likely running from a predator like a Redfish. If you see that bait coming around the corner or see a small island or creek, a Redfish is probably not far behind. Then, cast and pop it a few times and see what happens, and when it does happen, it will be a shock. Be sure your drag is set properly so that an instant hit doesn’t break the line. Remember fishing this way you’ll be catching an aggressive fish attacking the bait rather than one that just swam up and swallowed the bait. In most cases, your bait is larger than the bait fish those Redfish have been chasing. He knows that, and he’s ready for a sudden fight.

Now, go out to the garage, find your topwater lures, and rig them up for your next trip. Have fun!