[bojon01]

I like to fish top water plugs for reds and trout, but wondering what retrieval techniques other people use. I tend to just steadily walk the dog back to me and repeat. Should I pause some, retrieve slow or fast? I have several top water plugs, so how do you guys decide which one and color to throw?

 

[Neilslure]

I fish a spook and a pop-r mostly for topwater, always have both tied on from April to November. Some days they will eat the paint off of one and not touch the other. To me, color isnt real important on a topwater plug with the exception being very clear water, I will also change the feathers on my pop-r depending on the situation, if I am fishing around bream, I make sure to use chartruse feathers.

With the spook I usually start out just walking at a steady pace. If that doesnt work, I will slow down my walk, even stopping it for a few seconds at times. If I am around fish busting shad and not getting bit, I will walk it, then reel it straight about 10 ft and the go to a slow walk, sometimes that will buy a fish or two.

With the pop-r it is pretty much twitching and pausing with varying cadences and speeds. A pop-r can also be walked similar to a spook.

 

[Scott Hobbs]

I just wallk the dog on that style of bait. I do not stop, just a steady cadence. I do keep another rod rigged with a white jerk shad, just a hook,no weight. In the event a fish swipes at the bait and miss i cast that out nd let the bait fall, then slight twitches. At times fish hit a bait to stun it, then come back and eat it.

 

[jab0106]

both good suggestions. also, dont be afraid to run the dog. i have had stellar days in clear water summertime where they would not hit unless you worked it as fast as possible, but then they would annihilate it.

 

[trigger22]

Walk fast, slow, steady, erratic, and sometimes make very long pauses in between. You have to find out what they want on a given day. Color doesn't make s difference with topwater, that's there to catch the fisherman.

 

[RouseD]

I mainly use a B Donk a Donk. I use them on a medium/light rod with a slower retrieve than most, in a walk the dog manner with good success. The 1st time I tried for speckled trout, I used this method with a pause, and caught several trout, but the pause hasn't been as effective since then. I know it can work at times. I get lucky sometimes and catch speckled trout off of piers with top waters. One of my largest trout was caught this way around noon.
Try whatever method suits you, but don't be afraid to change it up when the fish aren't eating.