Your key to fall, winter success
By Steve Price

When autumn arrives and waters start cooling, most bass fishermen head to the backs of tributary creeks where they work spinnerbaits around shallow, visible cover. It's often a reliable and productive pattern, but it's not one tournament pro Davy Hite really enjoys

He's just as likely to be fishing points, bridges, or even wide open flats with a topwater lure.
"Topwater fishing is usually thought of as a very fragile pattern because it depends a lot on weather and light conditions," noted Hite, winner of the l999 Bass Masters Classic world championship, "but it's actually one of the more reliable patterns for this time of year because the bass are feeding so actively. The best part is that the open water flats where topwater fishing can be extremely good seldom draw the crowds of anglers that the creeks do.

In the autumn when bass tend to be suspended and feeding on large shad,
Hite likes a big, noisy topwater lure, as opposed to the smaller poppers he frequently uses in spring. He believes the larger lures not only imitate big shad, they also irritate bass into striking out of aggression.

"Usually, one of the primary keys to successful topwater fishing is working your lure slowly and deliberately." the South Carolina pro explained. "But in fall and even in winter, sometimes a fast retrieve actually works better. A lot of times the type of strike you have will tell you how to retrieve. A very light hit usually means the fish aren't aggressive, so a slow retrieve is better. But when you get a huge blasting hit that looks like an explosion, you know the bass are really aggressive and you can probably retrieve even faster than you were."

The fact that bass usually tell you the way they want a lure retrieved is one of the most important lesson to learn in topwater fishing, emphasizes Hite. In extremely clear water, bass may want the lure sitting absolutely still for several seconds before they'll hit. Other times they may actually want it skipping and jumping across the surface.

"Start by retrieving slowly, then gradually get faster and then try a stop-and-go until something clicks," he said. "Just remember, there are no specific rules for when one certain retrieve will work better than another."

Wide, clear flats with scattered brush or standing trees are among Hite's favorite autumn topwater areas. The very best flats are those that have a deep water channel nearby this is one reason other spots like points, bridge abutments and riprap shorelines are also good.

"When you have a flat with scattered trees or bushes, you have specific targets to cast to," said Hite. "At the same time you know when to slow your retrieve or even stop it. Most of the time topwater fishing involves a lot of blind casting across open water where you don't know when to change your retrieve."

Bridge abutments and riprap walls also offer excellent topwater opportunities in the fall, primarily because of their deep-water access, With the bridges, lures can be cast upstream and retrieved downstream as close as possible to the concrete structures, while riprap can be fished by working lures from shallow to deep as well as across corners. Once a depth is established, parallel casting may also be productive if fishing a lot of shallow laydowns or perhaps a flat covered with stumps, Hite may switch from a chugger or popper to a buzz bait. In the autumn, especially, removing the buzz bait's skirt and replacing it with a plastic shad-like trailer often produces more and better quality fish.

Interestingly, topwater lures can also be used in the winter months, although few anglers do so. The key to success this time of year is finding shallow, green vegetation, especially moss, he said.
"If you find a shallow cove or a quiet tributary where the bottom is filled with greenery, be it moss, hydrilla, or something else, you can probably catch bass there with a topwater lure," he said. "This is when a noisy, 'Walking,' lure retrieved slowly but with a lot of noise may bring some vicious strikes, and from quality bass, too.

"The advantage you have fishing a topwater lure this time of year is that very, very few fishermen ever do it."

Because the best topwater fishing at any time of year takes place in clear water, Hite believes bass hit surface plugs as much by sight as by noise. For that reason he uses darker lures on cloudy, overcast days, and shad-like colors on sunny days. In windy conditions he uses larger lures that create more commotion, including prop baits.

"If you can't decide which lure to use," said Hite, "I recommend starting with a small popper and gradually working your way up to a larger lure. With each one, you can also vary your retrieve, too.-
"I think that's one of the reasons I really enjoy topwater fishing. You not only have a lot of lure choices but also a lot of retrieve options, as well."