Can you fish topwater lures around heavy cover?
Fishing topwater lures around heavy cover on Lake Norman can be an incredibly effective and often exhilarating way to target bass. In fact, some of the most explosive strikes and biggest fish come from these challenging environments. While it presents its own set of considerations, the rewards of fishing topwater in heavy cover are well worth the effort.
Why Fish Topwater in Heavy Cover?
Heavy cover, such as matted vegetation, lily pads, fallen trees, and dense brush, provides ideal ambush points and security for bass. These areas offer shade, cooler temperatures, and an abundance of prey like frogs, insects, and smaller fish. Bass often position themselves tight to this cover, waiting for an easy meal to venture within striking distance. Topwater lures excel in these scenarios because they can be presented directly over or through the cover, mimicking prey that lives in or falls into these areas.
Lure Selection for Heavy Cover:
Choosing the right topwater lure is crucial for success in heavy cover:
- Frogs and Toads: These are specifically designed to be fished in and over thick vegetation. Their weedless designs, with upturned hooks that are protected by the body, allow them to slide over mats and lily pads without snagging. The plop and commotion they create can draw aggressive strikes from bass lurking below.
- Buzzbaits: These noisy lures are excellent for calling fish out of heavy cover. The churning blade creates vibration and sound that can penetrate dense vegetation, and its single, stout hook is relatively seedless.
- Walk-the-Dog Baits (Modified): While traditionally fished in open water, some anglers modify walking baits by rigging them with single, weedless hooks to make them more suitable for sparse cover or the edges of thicker vegetation.
- Poppers (Carefully Chosen): Smaller poppers can be effective around the edges of cover or in open pockets within matted vegetation. Choose models with strong, single hooks if possible.
Essential Gear and Techniques:
Fishing topwater in heavy cover demands specific gear and techniques:
- Heavy Power Rod: A stout rod with a fast action is essential for driving the hook home through the fish's mouth and the cover. You need the backbone to pull fish out of thick vegetation before they can tangle you up.
- High-Speed Reel: A reel with a high gear ratio (7:1 or higher) allows you to quickly pick up slack and set the hook effectively when a fish strikes. It also helps in winching fish out of cover.
- Strong Braided Line: Braided line is the undisputed champion for heavy cover topwater fishing. Its zero stretch provides maximum hooksetting power, and its high breaking strength (50-65 lb test or higher) gives you the muscle to handle big fish and pull them through dense vegetation. Braid also has excellent abrasion resistance against plant stems.
- Aggressive Hookset: When a fish strikes in heavy cover, there's no time for hesitation. Once you feel the weight, deliver a powerful, upward sweeping hookset to ensure solid penetration.
- Keeping Tension: Once hooked, maintain constant, upward pressure on the fish to prevent it from burying itself deeper into the cover.
- Dragging Fish Out: Don't be afraid to use the power of your rod and reel to physically pull the fish out of the heavy cover. The strong braided line is designed for this.
- Targeting Edges and Pockets: While you can fish directly over mats, also focus on the edges of cover, open pockets within vegetation, and where different types of cover meet. These transition areas often hold active fish.
Challenges and Considerations:
Fishing topwater in heavy cover isn't without its challenges:
- Snagging: Even with weedless lures, snags can occur. Be prepared to work your lure free or, if necessary, break it off.
- Missed Hooksets: The initial strike in heavy cover can be explosive but sometimes the fish doesn't get the lure cleanly. Focus on waiting until you feel the weight before setting the hook.
- Landing Fish: Getting a hooked fish out of thick cover can be a battle. Be prepared for a tough fight and have a sturdy net ready.
Despite these challenges, the potential for landing quality bass with exciting topwater strikes in heavy cover on Lake Norman makes it a highly rewarding technique for adventurous anglers. So, don't shy away from throwing your favorite topwater lures into those gnarly-looking areas – the next explosive bite could be just a cast away!