Top Water in November?

Scott Patton Fishing

Top water in late November!

Mid November is the time of year when the water temp will dramatically start dropping. Getting down into the fifties degree mark. A lot of anglers would never think of using top water. I know from experience that it can really get a lot of bites and some giant bites from some feeding Largemouths.The shad will be shallow and the bass know this. I have had days when I would be fishing a jig, crankbait or a spinnerbait and only be getting a few fish. Then switching to a top water and fishing the same area, then Wow I would get some of the most aggressive strike ever!

I will still be in the backs of the creeks. And I will fish any visible cover. I use my costa sunglasses to help me see under water stumps, brush piles, anything that might hold a bass. One bait that works for me and is easier to search for bass is a buzzbait. I will fish it slow this time of year, I also like to use a big blade with say a ¼ ounce. The reason I do this is the big blade churns a lot of water and with the 1/4ouce weight/head the bait can be fished a lot slower, and this can be the key to keeping the bait in the strike zone a little longer! The water temps are in the fifties here and keep in mind that the bass are cold blooded and there body temp will be the same temp. Also if fishing clear water I will use a 1/8 buzz bait with a small blade and don’t let this small bait fool you! It will catch a lot of good quality fish.

Now when fishing the 1/8 ounce buzz bait I will fish it on 12 lb monofilament BPS line. Casting it on a spinning, or a bait casting rod. For the ¼ ounce with the large blade I use 17 to 20 lb test monofilament BPS line on bait casting rod.

Other top water baits I like are a Sammy or the top gun. I fish these baits on the same line as the ¼ ounce buzz bait, targeting the same cover.

Fishing grass beds at this time of year can be awesome if its available in the given lake you are fishing. One thing that I know is there will be a lot of bait fish including shad and bluegill or bream. There is a lot of food and cover for the bait here, not to mention it can insulate the water on those really cold nights, keeping the water just a couple degrees warmer. This may not sound like much but it is to the fish!  The lake levels will be down at this time of year so the grass should be matted up on the surface due to the lower water levels. I love fishing a top water frog when I run into these conditions. I will usually fish it on the matted grass barely twitching and dragging the frog in small intervals. Sometimes on warmer days the fish will be on the edges of the grass, and on colder days fish it in the thick areas, remember fish “slow”! the fish will suck or explode on the bait as it is sitting there. I like a 7ft to 7ft 6inch heavy action rod here and I use BPS braided line! The braided line here will help you hoist these fish out of the thick mats of grass.

Scott Patton fishes the ESPN Bassmaster tour and is a guide on Kentucky Lake and is sponsored by Bass Pro Shop, Nitro boat, Tracker Marine, Mercury, ZOOM, Costa, Blue grass lures

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