The BEST Topwater Baits for Fall Bass Fishing (And When to Use Them)
What are the best topwater baits for fall bass fishing—and when should you throw each one?
Fall is one of my favorite times of the year to catch bass on topwater, especially during October and November. In this video, I break down four of my favorite fall topwater baits and explain the specific conditions where I choose each one.
We cover walking baits, plopper-style topwaters, buzzbaits, and hollow-body frogs—and why each one excels in different types of water, structure, and cover.
MY 4 FAVORITE FALL TOPWATER BAITS:
WALKING BAIT
Walking baits are one of my favorite choices for covering water over structure. I especially like them around long tapering points, main-river bars, secondary points, bluff banks, and other areas where their drawing power can bring bass up from deeper water.
MY FAVORITE WALKER: Evergreen Shower Blows: https://bit.ly/4hWcmWo
PLOPPER-STYLE BAIT
A plopper-style topwater is an excellent choice for covering water along steeper banks, docks, and areas where bass may be sitting deeper. I especially like this style of bait when I need more drawing power to call fish to the surface.
MY FAVORITE PLOPPER: Berkley Choppo https://bit.ly/4nWQtIZ
BUZZBAIT
Buzzbaits are one of my favorite fall choices for shallow, dirty water. I use them in the backs of creeks, around channel swing and transition banks, wood cover, laydowns, bushes, stickups, and other shallow targets.
MY FAVORITE BUZZ: Boogerman Buzzbait https://bit.ly/467PLkl
HOLLOW-BODY FROG
Fall is an excellent time to fish a frog around grass. As hydrilla and other vegetation begin thinning underneath the mat, bass and baitfish have room to move while still having overhead cover. That’s when a hollow-body frog can be an incredible option.
MY FAVORITE MAT FROG: Berkley Swamp Lord https://bit.ly/45DECc8
In this video you’ll learn:
• The best topwater baits for fall bass fishing
• When to throw a walking bait
• When to throw a plopper-style topwater
• When to throw a buzzbait
• When to throw a hollow-body frog
• How water depth affects topwater selection
• How water clarity affects topwater selection
• How I fish topwater around grass, docks, points, bluff banks, and shallow cover
• How I choose between a buzzbait and plopper-style bait
What’s your #1 topwater bait for fall bass fishing? Let me know in the comments.
#BassFishing #TopwaterFishing #FallBassFishing
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What are the best topwater baits for fall bass fishing?
Four of my favorite fall topwater baits are walking baits, plopper-style baits, buzzbaits, and hollow-body frogs. The best choice depends on water depth, clarity, structure, and cover.
When should you throw a buzzbait in the fall?
I especially like a buzzbait in shallow, dirty water. Backs of creeks, channel swing banks, transition banks, laydowns, bushes, stickups, and other shallow cover are excellent places to fish one.
When should you throw a Whopper Plopper-style bait?
I prefer a plopper-style bait when fishing steeper banks, deeper water, docks, or situations where I need to call bass up from farther away.
When should you throw a walking bait for bass?
Walking baits excel when covering water over structure such as long tapering points, river bars, secondary points, bluff banks, and defined grass edges.
When should you throw a frog in the fall?
A hollow-body frog is one of my favorite choices around dense fall grass mats, especially when the vegetation begins thinning underneath while still providing overhead cover.
00:00 Best Topwater Baits for Fall Bass Fishing
01:28 My 4 Favorite Fall Topwater Baits
03:36 When to Throw a Walking Bait
05:53 Walking Baits on Bluff Banks
06:08 When to Throw a Whopper Plopper
06:41 Plopper vs Buzzbait
08:25 When to Throw a Buzzbait
08:57 Buzzbaits in Shallow Dirty Water
09:38 When to Throw a Hollow-Body Frog
10:16 Fall Frog Fishing Around Grass Mats
11:02 Choosing the Right Fall Topwater