There aren’t too many techniques more exiting than fishing with top-water baits. There are a few ideal candidates that are consistently willing to hit top-water baits, but in my opinion, smallmouth bass , AKA bronze backs, are the ideal species for this approach. An angler is often left speechless when one of these bronze beauties destroys a top-water offering.
Their aggressive nature coupled with their compact, muscular frames makes the smallmouth bass one of the most popular game fish in Ontario. Their fighting abilities leave other fish species in the dust and even the little guys will give you run for your money and their acrobatic abilities can sometimes embarrass the best gymnasts.
To be completely honest, I would rather take one top-water smallmouth over three smallies using any other technique. I had smallmouth hit top waters so hard that I thought a cinder block was dropped on top of my lure. Other times the hits are a little more subtle, but more often then not, the fish will defiantly let you know that your lure put it in a nasty mood. Catching smallies on top-waters is one thing, catching them when the lights are out is a whole new ball game.
I generally start fishing around 11:00 pm, when it is completely dark. You primary sense at this time is your sense of hearing. You must listen to ensure your lure is working properly and you have to pay attention for explosive strikes. My favourite lake for this type of fishing is far from any major roads or towns. The only noise on the water at this time comes from your lure, or possibly other creatures causing commotion on the waters surface; they probably won’t last long. I don’t like the sun and heat. Smallmouth bass don’t seem to like it too much either. The nighttime offers me a chance to hookup with some fish that become almost impossible to catch during the heat of the day.
Your primary concern at this time should be safety. If fishing from a boat, ensure all your safety gear and lights are in working order. You must bring a powerful reliable flashlight and probably a backup. Wear your life jacket and let others know how long you plan on staying out and the locations you plan to fish.
I like to plan out my excursion before I go out. I know exactly what spots I will be fishing that night. I recommend that you are familiar with the body of water before you go out as hazards in the water may be impossible to see during the night. Since it can be almost impossible to see, you must use a quality flashlight or spotlight to get to your spot, plus I suggest purchasing a head lamp that will allow you to tie hooks, remove lures from body, and remove lures from fish with ease. I had the unfortunate opportunity of having a hook imbedded in my finger when Mother Nature turned the lights off. It was the front treble of a tiny torpedo. The worst part about this ordeal was a 6 pound smallie was attached to the rear treble of this tiny torpedo. Had this fish decided to try to free itself, it would have taken me much longer to type this article. Thankfully it held perfectly still while I performed minor surgery on myself.
When I go out at this time, I know I will be fishing strictly top-waters. I tend to pack light and try to avoid as much clutter as possible in the boat. I usually only bring one rod and a handful of artificials in a small plastic box. Some other essentials are a pair of pliers, a camera for those trophy fish, a headlamp as mentioned above, and a landing net if you prefer.
I approach the areas I will be fishing as silently as possible. Often I will shut off the motor and paddle to get closer to my spot. If you have an electric motor, all the better. There are two main spots I like to focus on while targeting midnight bass on the lake I fish most. The first area would be adjacent to a major drop-off. This lake ranges from 0 – 6 feet along most of the shoreline. At about 60 feet from shore there is a quick drop-off to water about 25 - 30 feet deep in some locations. We position ourselves at the end of the drop-off and cast towards the shore. This way we are able to fish a variety of depths with a single cast. We find that the fish move towards the 0 – 6 foot range after the sun goes down. These fish can be found anywhere along this drop-off during the day. The bottom is a sandy/rocky bottom with scattered boulders, sparse vegetation and some timber in the 0 – 6 foot range. We usually find smallmouth bass feeding in the shallow water from evening until the next morning, and find that they move to deeper water during mid-day. Find the feeding flat on your lake with access to deeper water, and I am sure you will hit fish. Retrieving a top-water over a weed bed is also a sure bet.
The other spot we like to fish is along a large cliff. Not all lakes have this feature, but a lot of Canadian Shield (and nearby) lakes do. The face of the cliff where we fish goes straight into the water at 90 degrees and is about 60 feet deep in this location. There are all kinds of nooks and crannies in the cliff face where the fish like to hide. The odd thing is that we don’t often catch too many fish here during the day, nor the morning or early evening. The night is another story. The biggest bass from this lake usually come from this spot. I have seen several 5 pounders and a couple 6 pounders come from this location. We usually get really tight to the cliff and try to cast parallel with the cliff. Every fish I have seen caught here has come within 5 feet of the cliff face. Get to know your lake and hit those traditional smallmouth spots at night. Not all lakes have the above features, but I am sure your lake has its own features that produce fish.
Setting the hook can be the biggest challenge for some when it comes to top-water fishing. The general rule is not to set the hook until you feel a weight at the end of your line. It may be hard not to react when a fish splashes at your bait, but you must learn to resist the temptation. We had fish strike a lure several times before it was finally hooked. One time the result was a 5+ pounder, so please be patient.
For this type of fishing I usually stick with 8–10 pound monofilament line. I prefer 10 pound test for this application as it gives me that extra bit of strength in case I need it. During my experience while fishing midnight smallies, I have never noticed a hook up difference between lighter and heavier line. If they can see the line during the night, it certainly doesn’t bother them. While on the topic of lines, I also prefer to use a floating monofilament line. The floating line will allow you a much better hook set and you will be able to work the lure more effectively than with a sinking monofilament line. Also, keep slack line to a minimum for a better hook set. Remember to set the drag accordingly while fighting fish.
I prefer fishing with a mid-sized spinning reel for this type of fishing coupled with a 7 foot medium action rod with a fast-action. The fast-action will allow you to make more solid hook sets. As far as selection lures goes; popper baits, propeller baits, cigar baits (walk-the-dog), and a variety of others all have their time and place. Jitterbugs are an old favourite and I have seen them produce a pile of fish. My personal favourite is the Heddon Tiny Torpedo. I also happened to land my largest midnight smallmouth on this lure, but I have also hooked into many fish with this lure. Baits such as the Chug Bug have also produced a lot of fish. Some nights the fish prefer a lot of commotion, some nights you must work the lure more slowly. When the fish want something a little more subtle, I tend to reach for a jointed floating rapala. Slowly, and I mean slowly retrieve this lure to give it an incredible snake-like action that drive fish nuts. There is defiantly no sure approach in this type of fishing. If the fish are not hitting on a slow retrieve, try a fast retrieve. Some guys wait for up to a minute to start working the lure before it hits the water, others reel in right away. Play around with a variety of retrieves, and believe me the fish will let you know what they want that night. I am not too much stickler on colour. I enjoyed success with both dark and light coloured lures. The bottom of the lure is what the fish sees; keep this in mind when purchasing new lures.
It took me one outing to get hooked on nighttime smallmouth bass fishing. The combination of acrobatics, freight-train hits, and monster bass has to makes nighttime top water fishing the ultimate adrenaline rush. Smallmouth bass are a top contender for Ontario’s finest sport fish. There is no better way to exploit and appreciate a smallmouth’s behaviour than fishing for them on top with the lights out. If you do choose to target these fish at night, I suggest you speak with your doctor first, a weak heart won’t last long.
Paul Posluszny
