Favorite Topwater Lures

[SaltyBob]

Some folks on this forum and another fishing forum have recommended Heddon Super Spook, Jr. topwater lures, specifically in the Bone color. I think I’ve read that fish can’t actually see colors, only shades of grey. I’ve also read that it is best to use dark colors in dark light conditions and lighter colors in bright light conditions, like full sunlight. If this is correct it would be my guess that the
bone-colored lures would be fine in full daylight. But, since I like to use topwater lures at dawn and just before, when there is very little light, I’m thinking at those times the bone-colored Super Spook, Jr. wouldn’t be as effective as ones that are darker in color. Anybody have any opinions about this?

[guido4198]

Spook Jr. in "Silver Mullet" color has been a REAL WINNER for me when fishing early. When the Trout are working the topwater hard....I use one that has the trebles removed and replaced with J hooks to keep from tearing up too many fish. It gets multiple "hits" on every cast. I don't keep Trout, so whatever I catch is going back, regardless of size.
Red and white Skitterwalk has also been pretty good. Never tried the bone color.

[Moondawg]

Some folks on this forum and another fishing forum have recommended Heddon Super Spook, Jr. topwater lures, specifically in the Bone color. I think I’ve read that fish can’t actually see colors, only shades of grey. I’ve also read that it is best to use dark colors in dark light conditions and lighter colors in bright light conditions, like full sunlight. If this is correct it would be my guess that the
bone-colored lures would be fine in full daylight. But, since I like to use topwater lures at dawn and just before, when there is very little light, I’m thinking at those times the bone-colored Super Spook, Jr. wouldn’t be as effective as ones that are darker in color. Anybody have any opinions about this?

I've used and tested all the topwaters in the book due to the fact that I make them. Personally I think the heddon super spook Jr. has a terrible action, I'm not saying it doesn't catch fish it just doesn't move well in the water.

Fish actually do see in color (most fish) and choosing a lure has many factors that come into play. First off, light behaves differently in water than it does air so different colors travel at different wavelengths. Your darker colors such as green and blue travel further in the water as long as there is light whereas your brighter colors such as red and yellow etc which are your longest wavelength are absorbed by the water at shallower depths. Fishing topwater you don't have to worry about this too much but I always tend to use greens and blues in brighter conditions (more natural) and always when fishing deeper spots. I use red, yellow or orange etc.. when the water isn't so clear at shallow depths. I've tested multiple belly colors on a lot of different lures and I've found that silver is the best overall color.

[SaltyBob]

Thanks for that information, Guido. Sounds like a good idea. What size j hooks do you use? That not only would do less damage, but the j hooks are easier (and safer) to remove than the treble hooks.

[Permit Rat]

I've used and tested all the topwaters in the book due to the fact that I make them. Personally I think the heddon super spook Jr. has a terrible action, I'm not saying it doesn't catch fish it just doesn't move well in the water.
.

If you're trying to do something other than walk the dog, on very flat water, I agree. The forerunner of all the Heddon Spooks, was the Pflueger Ballerina, a wooden plug about the size of the Spook Jr. The eye of this plug came directly out of the center, not offset underneath like the Spooks. In fact, I believe that the original Spooks had the center eye as well, until the fresh water bass fishermen got after them. All those old Pfleuger wooden plugs were beautifully painted with scale patterns et al. I have often thought about re-drilling a spook to have a center eye. I know they would work better if there was a ripple on the water. Ballerinas were extremely popular in the northeast for schoolie stripers and of course bluefish.

But back to the topic, as with others, my favorite is the Spook Jr. in light or dark shades, depending on the light conditions. If the water has a significant ripple and especially if there are mini whitecaps present, I switch to a chugger-style plug for more noise than the waves are making.

[Oysterbottomboy]

go with the advice on the spook jr, experiment with colors, every region and conditions are different and certain colors work. chart body w/ black head is a good one too.

The money you save on the spook makes it an even better deal IMO.

[Lunch Money Surf]

Super Spook!

Best action IMO and casts like a doggone bullet.

Here's a trick: remove the front hook altogether and replace the back two with VMC 1/0 trebles. The little bit of extra weight in the back makes the ***-end sit down in the water a little and improves the action. Nice glides when worked slowly, and nice "tail kicks" when worked faster. Removing the front hook also eliminates the dreaded 'front hook hooking the leader' phenomenon.

[FS Jeff]

Not sure there's any science to the dark-water, dark-lure assumption, despite the fact that those in my trade (outdoors writing) have perpetuated this belief for decades. I've tried various shades of black-purple-gray-etc. in low light, but honestly I seem to get more bites on light-colored (bone, white, pearl, whatever) plugs. The whole idea of a dark lure showing more of a silhouette at the surface seems kind of weird when you think about it--white, black, either way, it's a solid object blocking the light. But then again, surface-swimming baitfish evolved with light-colored bellies for a reason... if a black belly made them less obvious to predators, well, they'd all have black bellies!

Do the fish want to strike what's most natural-looking, or what's easiest to see? Or, do they want to strike the "odd man out"?

Certainly we've all seen trout and snook rise to inspect a swishing topwater lure, then fail to strike, so it's obvious there's some primative decision-making going on. . . in other words, there's probably more to a topwater strike than simply a reaction to the water disturbance and sound.

Good topic for discussion, and I'm hardly prepared to say I have the final, authoritative answer.

[SaltyBob]

Lunch Money my Super Spooks, both Junior and Senior, only have two treble hooks, not three?

[Lunch Money Surf]

Lunch Money my Super Spooks, both Junior and Senior, only have two treble hooks, not three?

Then maybe I've got the Super Duper Spook or something... hang on let me check