Newbies to bass fishing wonder what the secret is to catching their elusive quarry. The right mix of picking the proper location, understanding the season of the year, and using the appropriate lure all lead to hooking largemouth bass with consistency. Beginners might find chasing bass during the hot summer months with top-water popping lures to be among the easiest strategies for catching largemouths.

Hot Summers Mean Top-Water Action

When the summer months are very hot, largemouth bass are going to feed with more consistency than in the fall or spring thanks to a seasonal-induced faster metabolism. Plus, all those insects that come out in the summer provide natural buffet for predatory fish. As bugs fly out over a lake, quite a few of them end up landing on the surface of the water. Bass are going to hit these insects over and over again. This type of activity is most common as the sun rises and sun sets. In the middle of the afternoon, bass hide closer to shore to stay out of the sun. At dawn and dusk, however, the action is going to be fast and furious.

All that top-water action creates a feeding frenzy someone new to fishing may take advantage of. A good surface lure helps with this cause.

Employ a Popper Lure

There are quite a number of top-water lures a good fishing tackle shop sells. For the newbie, a top-water popper is recommended. These lures float on the surface and represent injured minnows. While being reeled in, the lures make a popping sound on the water thanks to an opening at the mouth area. The popping sound draws the attention of bass that are already feeding on the surface.

Execute Proper Casting and Reeling

Simply casting out a popper on the water and reeling the lure in as fast as possible is not workable. Injured minnows do not swim super-fast on a lake's surface. The lure should mimic struggling prey. Casting and reeling in the following manner yields more hits on the line:

• Upon casting, allow the popper to sit on the surface for a few seconds. Let the splashing of the landing settle a bit. Tug the lure slightly so it makes mild popping sounds on the surface.
• Crank a few notches on the reel. Allow the popper to skim across the water for six or seven inches and make the necessary popping sounds.
• Let the popper for settle in place for a few seconds. Then, crank again.

Basically, you want some stoppages so the bass is able to actually hit the line. Slowing and stopping makes this easier. Your bass fishing ends up being more enjoyable as a result. Talk to experts like Berry's Bait & Tackle Ltd for more information.