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I am new to the board, so I appreciate your patience...

I grew up in Alabama and enjoyed great success topwater fishing for largemouth bass, but have yet to catch fish on topwater in the Northwest. I have fished Lake Washington exclusively, thus far. Any suggestions or insights are appreciated. Please help...

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Yeah, good luck with that.  Washington and Sammamish are nortoriously stingy giving up topwater bites.  You will have more luck getting a largemouth to blow up on something, however, they are few and far between on Washington.  Smallies on these lakes for some strange reasone don't really go topwater crazy.  Now go to Potholes, Chelan, Banks, the River, great places to go topwater fishing.

Mark

Thanks, Mark! Glad to know it's not just me!

Ditto what Mark says. In 30 years of fishing Washington/Sammamish I have caught less than 10 fish on top water. Potholes on the other hand have caught hundred plus on frogs, hard baits like the Vixen, Repo Man, Buzz baits, Chug bug, stuff like that.

Russ, I appreciate the insight. Looks like I need to branch out to some different lakes!

Someone, somewhere is grinning ear to ear reading that fish on WA dont pin bait against the surface on the lakes mentioned.

I'd be very careful getting it in your head that this lake this... And this lake that. You will miss out.

Snake, I am not saying that you can't get topwater fish on Lake Washington, There are productive spots on the lake for topwater actions.  They are as stated few and far between.  I have found that there are much more productive ways to fish for smallies on that lake than topwater.  With Washingtion been a predominately a smallies lake, one would do well if they put down the spook and spend more time fishing other techniques to catch fish on Washington.  That being said, I have had some great days frog fishing for Largies on the lake.  But being that largemouth are not the predominate fish, and limited habitate / area's for success, a newer angler to the lake would be better suited to learn the lake with a more productive technique. As experience and confidence grew over time on the water. Then branch out, try new things.  Fishing is about building on sucesses and gaining confidence.  I have supreme confidence in throwing crankbaits on Washington in the spring right at pre spawn / spawn time.  I wont get alot of bites though, but what I do get are the 4lb + smallie to bite.  It's not a technique I would recommend to a newer angler just learning the lake. Because you aren't going to get alot of bites doing it, and henceforth, not alot of sucess / confidence building.  Now crankbaiting after the spawn, along the grass lines is extremely productive.  A technique I would recommend during the summer to fall periods for a newer angle to Washington.  You can cover alot of water, and find alot of fish doing so.  But you will catch alot of fish in the 1 to 3 lb class doing so.  Again this would be fun for an average weekend angler, but to a tournament angler, I wouldn't spend alot of my time doing this in the summer / fall.  I need to catch 3lb + fish if I want to win a tourney there.  

  I will let my past results speak for themselves on this body of water.

Mark

  

I'm with ya all the way Mark.  Not questioning your statements, rather the way they could be interpreted to the point they don't throw a bait cause somebody said they don't work well "on this lake."   Thank you for clarifying.

I'm cynical about topwater to start with.  Don't like it.  Don't appreciate it.  I think its a low percentage play that is fun to look at.  That said, if its on, then you had better identify that, and if you need the biggest bite, it may be the only way to get it.  No matter the lake, I have one tied on essentially to rule that bite out early and throughout the middle of the day.

I'd be interested to know what Zach Chandler's take is on this.  If I recall, he has had some epic days with topwater presentations on both Sammamish and Washington, and he hasn't been fishing these lakes for 30 years, and goes into them with no pre-conceived notions. 

What say you Zach?  Have you caught more spook fish on WA in 1 day than Russ has in 30 years?

We've had some good days on WA throwing spooks.  Not sure if I've landed 10 in a day but come post spawn when the smolt get in the lake I sure as hell will have one tied on.  I will say that I've never had a great topwater bite on WA but I wouldn't call it stingy. Marks explanation of what he meant makes a lot of sense because from what I've experienced there is a large size range that hit the spook there.

On Samm I've had stupid good days on topwater.  Again, this is post spawn when the smolt get in the lake. The best days seem to have crappy weather, little bit of wind and cloudy/wet.  Best areas are where the smallies have little else other than the surface to trap the smolt against. Steep bank without many docks, it seems like the lack of structure makes them use the surface more. 

I agree hookup ratio stinks and if they aren't biting it early and often I will put it down quick, something else will work much better that particular day.



Zach Chandler said:

We've had some good days on WA throwing spooks.  Not sure if I've landed 10 in a day but come post spawn when the smolt get in the lake I sure as hell will have one tied on.  I will say that I've never had a great topwater bite on WA but I wouldn't call it stingy. Marks explanation of what he meant makes a lot of sense because from what I've experienced there is a large size range that hit the spook there.

On Samm I've had stupid good days on topwater.  Again, this is post spawn when the smolt get in the lake. The best days seem to have crappy weather, little bit of wind and cloudy/wet.  Best areas are where the smallies have little else other than the surface to trap the smolt against. Steep bank without many docks, it seems like the lack of structure makes them use the surface more. 

I agree hookup ratio stinks and if they aren't biting it early and often I will put it down quick, something else will work much better that particular day.

Rest my case

Snake is correct, a few guys are grinning right now!

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