Fishing Charter: Topwater Tips

Recreation & Sports Blog

Fishing charter trips can be an exciting adventure for the entire family. If you book a fishing charter trip this Spring or Summer, looking for an opportunity for topwater action can be well worth the investment.

Here are some topwater tips to try on your fishing charter excursion.

The Cast

Topwater angling is all about covering water and making accurate casts. When you're prowling for topwater action on a fishing charter trip, your casting technique can make a big difference.

• Aim: many fishing charter trips that involve topwater tactics focus on finding schools of feeding fish "busting" on the surface. When you encounter this type of feeding frenzy, your natural inclination can be to throw your topwater plug right into the middle of the action.  This impulse, however, can spook the fish and/or result in strikes from smaller fish. If you can instead cast your topwater plug beyond the school and put your bait in the middle of the mayhem you will be more likely to keep the fish unaware of your presence for longer.
• Location: one of the biggest mistakes made by clients on fishing charter trips involves locating productive targets. For topwater fishing, this often means throwing at a specific spot instead of focusing on a more productive area. For instance, if you're approaching a point or creek mouth, locating your topwater plug so that it spends more time near the moving water and/or shoreline puts your bait in the strike zone for far longer.

The Retrieve

Topwater fishing can require both finesse and power. This can be particularly true when it comes to retrieving your topwater plug.

• Rhythm: most topwater lures are designed to mimic a wounded baitfish struggling near the surface. To make your presentation more realistic, you need to match the rhythm of your retrieve to what the fish are looking for. For instance, when the weather is colder or the fish are seeing more pressure, a slower cadence might trigger strikes; on warmer days and/or when you're fishing in a less pressured area you might find that a faster retrieve helps trigger the bite.
• Patience: one of the hardest parts of topwater fishing can be having patience when a fish blow-up your lure. Although you might want to haul back on your rod and try to set the hook when a fish strikes your topwater lure, this decision can yank the bait out of the fish's mouth. If you can wait until the fish tightens the line, your hook-up percentages can drastically improve.

For more information, contact a fishing charter near you.

2 February 2022