Topwater lure + Winter

[Cny]

How well do top water lures work in the winter??

I have the rapala jointed j07 fire tiger color (its not a topwater lure but mines only sinks like 2 inches) and cast and retreiveing for about half an hour with no luck at all.

[Biz-R-OWorld]

Live Bait Rules all!!!! haha, I'm honestly not sure about your question...I'm sure someone will have a good answer for you though.

[yanks555giants]

they do not work well at all. ive found early spring they are deep. prespawn they move onto the drop of btwn shallow and deep but this is also a good time for topwter and they are active fattening up, summer is too hot and they are on that drop again or down deep but on an occasional morning or dusk is even better you can have some luck with top water, early fall top water is good again then late fall they dont even go to the drop it seems they just head deep as there is no transition

[KenH]

"How well do top water lures work in the winter??

Too general a question.
Depends mostly on what you're fishing for.

[Cny]

I target mostly bass and crappie, sorry for leaveing that out.

[KenH]

Although I don't target bass if I had to guess I'd say that in winter a topwater
wouldn't be my first choice. Certainly not after the surface temperature hits 50F.
Most bass, both SMB and LMB that I have caught on topwater has been in the warm
months.  After the water temp drops the bass will move away from the shorelines
and seek more comfortable waters deeper. If there are trout in the water they will
replace the bass in the close to shore areas. As for crappies, I didn't think they ever
took topwater except maybe rarely, but better let Uncle Crappie answer that one.

[Cny]

Idk if crappie even hit topwater either I was just wondering because I had bought some topwater lures and I'm kinda new to fishing.

[Biz-R-OWorld]

I dont think I ever even caught a crappie when it wasn't spring time....its like they disappear after June 1st lol.

[Cny]

All summer long I didn't even catch 1 crappie and in the past 2 weeks I have caught two 12in, one 11in crappie.

[KenH]

Maybe crappies move close to shore in the spring and the fall,
and spend the hot summer months in deeper water?

[new2titicus]

Went out last Sunday, very windy.  I caught one crappy five feet of the bottom i'n about 15fow with a live worm. 

[Cny]

I've caught mines about 1 1/2 feet deep from the surface on dried grass shrimp and trout magnets.

[Uncle Crappie]

Good Luck finding Crappie this time of year.But the ones you get are the bigger ones they like the inside edge this time of year but only at dusk .Thru the day is a tough bite Ive gotten a few pond crappie on  Teeny Torpedo topwater lure but just at dusk!Im not into Ice Fishing but they have a nice season I think right before the perch bite? Not that sure though .Best winter BAss bait Im sure most will agree is JIG and PIG!

[Roman G]

There is a time and place for a topwater during wintertime. Change your focus and state of mind, upgrade to a bigger topwater (the bigger the better) and set up on a good spot. Deadsticking topwaters in wintertime is a great technique. Add feathers to both hooks. If say its winter time, cold water and windy, but sun peaked out and its shinning good, find some rocks (rock pile, or rock wall) and deadstick your bait on and around that area.

[Cny]

I just bought a jar of uncle josh pork frogs, so I'm gonna try the jig and pig method tomorrow.. anyone use these before?