How To Land More Fish On Topwater Lures (Avoid This Common Mistake)
- By: Tony Acevedo
- on
A swing and a miss!
It’s so exciting seeing a fish blow up on your topwater lure…
But it’s so heartbreaking when you realize that they missed…
You were so close!
Now, this could have happened because of bad luck, but it also could have happened because you made a simple mistake that many anglers make.
During the adrenaline rush of seeing a blowup, it’s hard not to make it, but after you’ve done all the hard work of finding fish and getting them to strike, you definitely don’t want to do this and lose out on a fish.
Check out the video below to see what this mistake is and make sure you’re not doing it so you can land more fish.
Enjoy!
#1 Topwater Lure Mistake [VIDEO]
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When you see a fish blow up on your topwater, your first reaction is probably to set the hook.
However, many fish miss on that first strike and if you set the hook and they’re not on, you’ll rip your lure a few feet away from them and most likely ruin your chances of landing them.
Instead, you need to keep working your lure until you feel pressure on the line telling you that they’re for sure on.
Then you set the hook.
And yes, the fish may swipe at it a few times before they’re hooked up, but you need to be patient.
Doing this will help you land loads more fish.
Have you made this topwater lure mistake?
Have any questions about fishing with topwaters?
Let us know in the comments below.
And please TAG or SHARE this with someone who sets the hook too early!
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STOP WASTING TIME ON THE WATER!
Do what the “SMART ANGLERS” are doing and join the Insider Club.
Here’s what you’ll receive today when you join:
- Weekly fishing reports and TRENDS revealing exactly where you should fish every trip
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- Exclusive fishing tips from the PROS you can’t find anywhere else
- Everything you need to start catching fish more consistently (regardless if you fish out of a boat, kayak, or land).
Enjoyed your video. One thing I would like you to mention is pinching your barbs. Trout, Redfish and Snook are all catch and release so why stress them even more? As long as there is no slack in the line the fish stays attached. My Trout are released w/o my ever touching them by turning the hook upside down with long nose pliers. Thanks, Capt Roy
Great video Tony, I noticed you had treble hooks on that plug that you caught the redfish on that will increase your hook up ratio. Sunday morning I was working a top water plug with single hooks on it and they kept blowing up at the plug but kept missing the hook set. But it was exciting to see them chasing the plug but sad that I couldn’t stick one or two. ????
Thanks John!
Yes I have definitely noticed a difference in the hook-up ratio. However, it is mainly because smaller fish will be harder to hook on inline hooks than larger slot/over slot sized fish. On many small fish you see hooked on treble hooks, they are usually hooked on the side of their face/mouth from the treble hooks. Hard for inline hooks to do the same.
That was great – soo true .. I catch myself sometimes with a fast cadence because I may not be paying attention or just excited because I see ace
Toon out there and know there’s fish. I definitely gotta check out the shop and order some stuff! That’s cool 40 percent off !!! You guys rock ! Thank you !
When in doubt, slow it down! Thank you for the great feedback David!
Another great lesson with crystal clear footage and explanation. Thanks Tony you always do a great job!
No problem William and thank you for the awesome feedback!
Leave the lower alone and sometimes the fish will come back and hit it again and don’t pull the rod let the fish hook himself
Greets, Joe.
Brought up to know, if the point is not masked and the hook is sharp, it is never necessary to “set the hook”.
If the fish grab and turn away, they self hook.
If they feel the hook, it will hold.
Don’t understand the issue.
Correct, sticky hook with minimal barb.
I never fish with masked hooks so I never have to drive it through the bait.
Enjoy the bite, let it develop.
Rgds.
Malcolm Hayward.
Thank you for the feedback Malcolm!
Hey Tony,
Great video. Really clear and easy to see what you were saying.
I’ve changed my top-water lures from treble hooks to “J” hooks and I feel that I’m not getting the same action as I did with treble hooks. I have actually taken a few lures and removed just the front treble and left just the back hook. Any suggestions???????
Thanks Gary!
What size hook and which lure are you using? I haven’t seen any difference in action when replacing the hooks. If you go too big on the replacement hook you may see some change in action. On the super spook jr. I use 2/0 inline hooks from Owner.
AAAAAHHHHHHA, I think You found the problem. I think I used a 3/0 or 4/0. Thanks for the help Tony
Tony, have you switched back to treble or do you also go with single hook on front and back of top water lures?
I go back and forth between trebles and in-line hooks. I have Savage Gear Grip Trebles on the lure in this video which I have been testing out:
https://www.saltstrong.com/articles/savage-gear-savage-grip-treble-hook-review/
Good stuff in there. Topwater 101, don’t set the hook unless you see your line move or feel the weight of the fish. But I have to admit, the closer to the boat and the more viscous the strike the harder it is to resist that impulse.
Haha yep! I always suggest looking elsewhere while retrieving the lure so you’re not looking directly at it. We’ll have a tendency to yank the lure as soon as we see a blow-up. Also, seems like most of the strikes come within the first few twitches or right near your feet.
I purchased a new top water to use in the ICW in Sarasota and Nokomis. It’s a “No Live Bait Needed”. What’s your experience and opinion of this lure if you have tried it?
Hey Rick!
I haven’t used them yet, but I’ll be sure to check them out!