#1 Topwater Lure Mistake During The Fall
- By: Pat Ogletree
- on
We’ve got to STOP making this topwater lure mistake during fall.
Fall is one of the best times of the year to hit the water and get tight lines.
Temperatures drop and the fish become active hunters, so we need to change what we’re doing too.
Take a look!!
#1 Topwater Lure Mistake During Fall [VIDEO]
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I’ve been seeing lots of posts and comments in the Insider Community that indicate some anglers are having difficulty getting strikes on topwater so they set it aside and don’t fish it.
Before you try other lures over topwater, here are a few things you can try to trigger some strikes.
The #1 topwater lure mistake during the fall is using the SAME retrieve we had been using in spring and summer.
This is especially prevalent in walk-the-dog style lures like the Moonwalker.
Slowed Retrieve
Your standard summertime retrieve is a steady cadence with a bit of a quicker pace.
This retrieve is excellent when fish are actively feeding in the twilight periods during summer.
But the water temperatures are way down in the fall compared to the summer.
When water temperatures drop, fish aren’t motivated to actively chase down bait as they would in the summer.
All you need to do is slow down the cadence of your twitches.
Give your lures about a twitch every second or more depending on what those fish want.
By slowing the retrieve down just a bit, it gives those larger fish more of a reason to go after this bait.
This retrieve also works great on those super sunny summer days when the sun is at its height.
Don’t hold yourself to only one type of retrieve for topwater lures.
Injured Baitfish Retrieve
Moreover, topwater lures are mainly designed to simulate an injured baitfish or an easy meal.
Injured baitfish are not moving very fast across the surface.
In truth, they barely move and stop here and there and maybe erratically twitch in another direction.
That’s exactly what you want to try to mimic with your topwater lure.
Another retrieve for the fall is to cast out your lure and work it slowly as described before.
But, add some pauses here and there.
Then you can vary the number of pauses and the timing of each pause as well.
You should continue to shake things up until you find what the fish are dialed in on.
Actively Feeding Fish Retrieve
The last retrieve is my go-to if I see trout feeding on the surface in the fall or springtime.
First, cast the lure out, give it a couple of twitches, and let it sit there for a few seconds.
Then reel it straight in towards you, give it a couple of twitches, and let it sit.
You can vary the speeds and time up.
This simulates a baitfish trying to scurry off across the surface.
Conclusion
Before you decide to switch to a subsurface lure, change up your retrieves and try something different.
Then you can know for sure the fish do not want topwater on that day.
Don’t keep using the same topwater lure retrieve all year round.
Do you have any other questions about topwater lure retrieves??
If you know someone who wants to learn more about the #1 topwater lure mistake during the fall, please TAG or SHARE this with them!
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Hi Pat thanks for your help. Caught my first fluke today will post it shortly, thanks again Mike
Hi Pat I’ve been a member for about 3 months now been looking at several videos. Just wanted to ask if you could zoom in on the lures when explaining the retrieval ,thanks still being skunked Mike
Thanks for your membership Michael!! I will definitely try in the future to zoom in closer when I can. A lot of times with the GoPros we use the footage will get grainy on a zoom.
Solid video thank you
Thank you Todd!!
Great advice. I will try this.
Thank you Bob!
thanks will do this
Let us know how it goes Ronald!
Thank you for the tips Pat… I remember a few years back when you were trying an experiment fishing top water lures all the time!
No problem Rick!!
I fished nothing but topwater from January 1 through December 31 that year, learned a lot doing that.
Wow!! Nice trout. Thanks for the tips Pat.
Glad you liked it and thanks for watching!
Congrats on that boss trout! I need about two or three of those next time I get out!
Thanks Steven!! That’s one for the books!
Thanks for the tips Pat!
I’m gonna try them next time…
Let us know how it goes!
Thanks Pat!
No problem Al!!