Top water tactics for explosive summertime muskie action.
One of the first times I brought my wife muskie fishing I set her up with a Top Raider surface bait. They are easy to cast and even easier to retrieve. She was getting the hang of throwing the bigger muskie baits and her figure 8’s were coming along nicely too.
We hadn’t been out long when I noticed the tell-tale ‘wake’ behind her bait and I calmly told her she had a follow and to just keep reeling and be ready to do a figure-8. As her bait approached the boat, with the muskie just inches behind it, it became apparent that she had a true monster muskie following her. I’ll never forget her reaction as the giant fish came boatside – a perfect combination of excitement and fear. Despite a well executed figure-8 the fish didn’t hit but it was an experience that will replay in my mind forever.
SUMMERTIME, TOP WATER TIME
Although topwater baits can work early in the season and again in the fall, they are most effective during the warm water period of the summer months. July and August are the prime months for topwater fishing across the muskie belt in northwestern Ontario.
Classic conditions for breaking out surface baits are during calm water periods at dawn and dusk. When the lake looks like glass and the sun is low in the sky it’s hard to beat the appeal of a surface lure. Having said that, after years of experimenting with topwater fishing for muskies, I can honestly say there’s not a bad time of day to use them. In fact, I’ve seen them work during all conditions, including windy and overcast, sunny and cloudy, day and night. I have so much confidence in top water fishing for summertime muskies that I insist someone in the boat is throwing one at all times.
THE BIG THREE
The top three types of surface baits for muskie are prop baits, walk-the-dog baits and creepers. One or two different baits from each category will cover all your top water muskie needs. Let’s take a closer look at each type.
Prop baits such as the Top Raider, Pacemaker and Psycho Sister are probably the most common kind of surface bait. They feature a rotating prop section, usually at the tail end, that cuts through the water with a ‘plop-plop-plop’ sound, mimicking a swimming bird or small mammal. Prop baits are easy to use with a simple cast-and-retrieve action. Speed is the most important factor to consider. Too fast just isn’t effective and too slow isn’t either. A medium pace is the best way to describe the right speed for a prop bait.
Walk-the-dog baits for muskie are the same concept as the smaller versions that are popular for bass, like the Zara Spook, except they are much larger. Made of wood or plastic these baits are heavy and cast a mile. Typically 9-to 12-inches long they move a lot of water and make a lot of noise as they ‘walk’ from side-to-side. This action is created from a constant twitching of the rod tip. It takes a bit of practice to get good at it but its well worth it as these baits get a lot of attention from muskies. I’ve never seen a muskie attack a bait with such vicious anger as I’ve seen with this style of top water bait. Popular kinds are the Weagle and Phantom Viper.
Creepers are characterized by their metal arms or wings that extend off each side of the body. When retrieved, the bait tips from side-to-side as each arm contacts the water. It creates a unique sound and action that muskies can’t ignore. The tendency is to want to retrieve them very slowly, however creepers also work at a faster pace.
THE NITTY-GRITTY
Top water baits have a lot of appeal to fishermen and muskies alike. They are easy to use, virtually snag proof and best of all they catch fish. Muskies see them as an easy meal but even if they don’t eat, they love to follow, making them excellent search baits for locating fish. Identifying follows is unique with top-water baits as the follow can be detected long before the fish is visible near the boat. Look for swirls behind surface baits and most of all the ‘wake’ that’s created when a muskie swims just under the surface behind your lure. It’s literally a rolling wave that follows your bait. Consider it a ‘you gotta see it to believe it’ phenomenon. Strikes can be vicious on top water baits and the muskie literally sets the hook itself during the strike. Other times, they barely slurp the lure from the surface of the water without much commotion at all. The tendency with all top water baits is to react with a hookset at the first sight or sound of a strike. The key to success, however, is to wait until you feel the weight of the fish starting to load up your rod before setting the hook. Newbie’s are better off to not even watch their lure during the retrieve to avoid setting too early. If a fish misses the lure, just keep reeling at the same pace – don’t stop!
Muskies also love eating top water baits on the figure-8. You can keep the bait on the surface or plunge the bait under with the tip of your rod and continue the 8 under water. I’ve caught a lot of muskies under the surface with top water baits in the figure 8. This summer give top water fishing for muskies a try. Not only is it effective but it’s the most thrilling way there is to catch a muskie.