On a still November day, I slowly slide my boat along the marsh shoreline, as I peer over the top of my friend Hudson standing on the casting platform. We have found ourselves on a guide’s day off and while most are due to bad news from the weatherman, this one is most certainly not. Any guide with a good financial head on his shoulders would feel guilty for not booking a day like this. Slick water and blue skies are what clients pay the big bucks to see, and pushing someone around today might land you a customer for life. Luckily, we have the built-in excuse of calling today a “scouting day” which helps us to justify our decision and allows our desire to fish outweigh any guilt we may have. 

Scanning the off-colored water, I notice a color change 40 feet off the bow. Before I have time to say anything, Hudson is casting a black gurgler style fly he has dubbed “the nightmare shrimp” in that direction. The fly lands perfectly and one large pop confirms our suspicions as a bull red levitates off the bottom and materializes beneath the fly. Another twitch and the fly disappears into an exploding blur of water, white lips, and a copper back. 

I wish this scenario was how all topwater redfishing played out, but anyone who has tried to catch bulls using this method knows they aren’t all as cooperative and that certain conditions make for better opportunities. If you want to try Louisiana redfish on topwater these factors need to be considered. 

The first is time of year. As the temperatures drop in the fall and winter months, large redfish move into the marsh to feed. I have had good topwater fishing throughout this time frame but would say my most consistent topwater days are in the early season. If you find fish that are active in this early season warm water, they seem more aggressive and ready to move to chase bait.

The next is fishing to schools vs singles. This is closely related to time of year as the early season typically has more bulls schooled up. If you find one of these schools, especially floating out in deeper water, it can be hard to keep them off your popper. Seeing these fish climb over each other’s backs to compete for your fly will make you wonder if they are starving. Singles, while they require a more precise presentation, will also readily eat on top if in the right mood.

Another factor to consider is the water clarity. We find bulls in a wide variety of water types ranging from chocolate milk to seemingly crystal clear. The off-colored water can work to your advantage by forcing the bulls to come look for the sound of your fly. However, there is a certain point where the water gets so muddy it hurts you. Often times we find large schools of tailing fish in this silty water and you can’t buy a bite on topwater. These fish are not looking up and are instead waiting for a shrimp to swim right in front of them. I’ve had clients cast a gurgler for 20 minutes into a school in dirty water with no luck. After giving up, their first cast with a subsurface fly is usually inhaled almost immediately. 

After deciding the conditions are good enough to try throwing topwater, now you have to worry about making the fish eat the fly. When fishing subsurface flies in Louisiana, the fly simply needs to cross the redfish’s eyes and look alive. However, when you decide to fish up top, the fish can become finicky and make it harder to trigger the bite. Let’s consider some of aspects of your technique. 

First is the size of your “pop” or strip. When fishing topwater, it’s important to have an understanding of how to make large disturbances that produce a lot of noise as well as more subtle twitches. If the fish is deeper in the water column or simply hasn’t noticed your fly, a large pop is used to get their attention. Often, this is achieved by making a strip while simultaneously moving the tip of your rod down and away from the fly. This rod motion is smaller but similar to the way a plug fisherman might work a baitcaster. Once the fish has noticed your fly, you now have to make him commit. My favorite way to do this is to transition to smaller strips of 3-4 inches one after the other. Many fish like this steady chug across the top of the water and the smaller strips don’t create a huge disturbance that spooks the fish. 

In the video above you can see that a big strip when the fish is closing in almost spooks the fish off the fly. The steady chug afterwards gets him to eat.

Although I like the smaller steady strips, every situation is unique, and some fish require a different type of retrieve. You’ll have to read the reaction of the fish and let them tell you whether you need to speed up, slow down, or pause. The fun of topwater is the cat and mouse of watching the body language of the fish and learning what will make them commit. The more games of cat and mouse you put yourself in, the more you will get a feel for what will make them eat.

Another important aspect of fishing topwater is to not give up on a fish. Many times, people will see the fish miss the fly or spook off the fly and think their opportunity is over. These fish are not the most efficient topwater eaters and many times they seem to freak themselves out when they miss a fly or get to close to one. However, if you can still see the fish get your fly in front of them. They will still eat even after they spook. 

 I often find myself steering clients away from using poppers unless conditions are ideal for the simple reason that we won’t catch as many fish when compared to subsurface flies. It can be frustrating watching a big fish sink away from your fly or come up and nose it without eating. I’ve had people throw the popper at a couple of fish without getting a bite and immediately want to go back to a sinking fly. However, if you’re willing to stick it out and accept that you aren’t going to catch every fish, the added challenge can be incredibly rewarding. Besides, the sound and visual of a big bull red clobbering a piece of foam and feathers off the top of the water will likely make you forget all about the others you missed.