Of all the ways there are to fish for largemouth bass, topwater fishing has to rank as the most exciting of all. Heck, even if you don’t catch a bass, the mere thrill of witnessing one blow up on a topwater plug is enough to keep a man coming back for more.

Perhaps that’s why just about every savvy bass angler in Texas will have one or more surface scratchers in his tackle box right now and have at least one rod rigged and ready to go. When it comes to bass fishing with topwater plugs, the fall months are hard to beat.

So, what is it about fall that makes bass look up?

There are a couple of factors involved.

First off, September is generally when Texas starts getting hit with cold fronts, most of which are relatively mild.

Although the initial fronts of the year don’t create any drastic changes in surface temperatures, they do alter them slightly. This attracts roving schools of shad to the upper layer of water and the predatorial largemouth will be quick to follow.

Textbook seasonal patterns indicate the shallows are the best places to throw a topwater plug during fall. But don’t make the mistake of putting all your eggs in one basket and spending all your time banging the banks.

Some of the best fall topwater fishing to be found will take place over deeper water, say 12-18 feet. This holds especially on lakes like Sam Rayburn, Toledo Bend, and Fork, all of which contain an abundance of hydrilla.

Obviously, not every hydrilla bed on a given impoundment is going to hold concentrations of bass. Instead, the fish will hold in localized areas.

What I look for in a grassbed are little points, indentions or other oddities that make a spot stand out from everything around it. Long, narrow guts that cut a path through a grassbed can be good, too.

In either case, I’ll fish predominantly along the outside edge of the grass and make a constant effort to keep my boat positioned in such a manner that I can keep my lure working parallel with the vegetation. I like fishing topwaters in still water rather than choppy, but that’s merely a personal preference.

As you probably already know, topwaters come in an assortment of shapes and sizes. They take on several different appearances and make a variety of noises.

Some topwaters wiggle to simulate a wounded bait fish. Others are constructed with a cupped nose that digs into the surface and creates the infamous ‘plop-plop-gurgle-gurgle’ racket, which irritates bass to no end. Furthermore, there are topwaters that dart from side to side, fizz, bubble, sputter and buzz.

One of my favorite topwater plugs to throw in the fall is the Zara Spook by Heddon. When worked correctly, the ‘Spook’s “dog walking action can be downright deadly on bass. The key is to keep your rod tip pointed at the water and make rhythmic twitches while reeling at the same time. A little practice and you’ll be walking the dog like a pro in no time.

Since the Zara Spook is a fairly large lure, it naturally tends to draw the attention of larger fish. The biggest bass I’ve caught on the bait thus far weighed close to eight pounds, but fish in the three to six-pound range come quite frequently when the the conditions are right.

Another excellent choice this time of year is Luhr-Jensen’s PJ Pop. This bait is substantially smaller than the ‘Spook and boasts many of the same physical characteristics as the Rebel Pop-R. It has a cupped nose, two VMC trebles and a bucktail trailer made from durable mylar.

As mentioned earlier, I prefer fishing topwaters when the surface is relatively calm. By no means is that to say you can’t catch bass on surface scratchers when the wind is blowing. You can. But still water is where my confidence is at. Needless to say, it’s been pretty good to me thus far.

In addition to being a bass catchers, topwater plugs also are excellent “fish locators.” If you catch two or three fish out of small area on a topwater and miss one or two others, be sure an make a mental note of where the spot is. That way, you can go back a while later and invariably boat a few more fish with a bottom-bumper such as the jig or plastic worm or possibly even a spinnerbait.

As the case with any another facet of bass fishing, it’s critical that you utilize the proper tackle (rod, reel and line) in order to get optimum results out of a topwater plug.

Never use a heavy-action rod for topwater fishing. Instead, go with a medium-action rod that has a fairly light tip. I say this because it is a natural tendency to set the hook as soon as the strike occurs.

With a heavy-action rod, you’ll jerk the bait away from the fish or rip it out of its mouth. The medium-action rod and flexible tip will give the fish a second or two longer to inhale the bait, which will ultimately result in more hook-ups and a heavier bag at the end of the day.

My personal preference for topwater fishing is a six-foot Shimano “Convergence” rod (graphite/fiberglass composite) matched with a 6.1:1 Chronark reel and 14-pound Trilene XT monofilament.

Topwater fishing is by far the most exciting method for catching largemouth bass. It’s a seasonal type of pattern that on occasion will work all day long. But overall, it tends to be most productive under low light conditions when the water temperatures are mild, because this is when the fish apt to get active and roam near the surface looking for something to eat.