Mastering Mid-Summer Smallmouth: Topwater Tactics & Gear
A Season Made for Surface Strikes
Few bass experiences rival the pure thrill when using topwater smallmouth tactics. In the heart of summer—when Mille Lacs Lake in central Minnesota holds steady at 72 °F—smallmouth rise willingly, and every cast can erupt into chaos. Cloud cover, warm humidity, and light wind create just enough chop to keep fish comfortable while still letting you see the whole show.
Cadence: The Invisible Trigger
Whether you’re “walking the dog” with a Skitter V or teasing a popper in place, cadence is everything.
- Jump/“Walk-the-Dog” baits (e.g., Skitter V) excel with a steady, rhythmic reel-handle speed: tick-tick-tick.
- Poppers shine when you mix an attention-grabbing “blooop” with long pauses—often the only way to convince neutral fish to sip.
- Experiment. Fast, continuous retrieves can mimic fleeing shad on southern reservoirs, while stop-and-go tactics produce better in cooler northern water.
The Surface Edge & Submerged Structure
The lake’s surface forms one giant “edge,” and bass pin forage against it just as they do against any shoreline, weed line, or rock pile. On Mille Lacs, the money zone is a blend of bulrush stalks, patchy cabbage, and—most importantly—rock. Hard bottom is the smallmouth’s preferred dinner table, even when it’s hidden beneath grass. 
Four Families of Top-Water Lures
| Style | Best Conditions | Why It Works |
|---|---|---|
| Prop Baits | Windy, broken surface | Spinning blades churn water and call fish when subtle lures can’t. |
| Poppers | Glass calm → moderate chop | Ultra-versatile speed control; “bloop” mimics feeding bass. |
| Jump/“Walk-the-Dog” | Slick mornings & evenings | Zig-zag flash draws fish from distance—needs calm water for max action. |
| Wake Baits | Anytime you need a profile | Counter-weighted roll throws mirror flashes; big fish eat it and stay pinned. |
Pro tip: With a Rapala BX Wake, keep it crawling so the rolling flank flashes like a school of minnows.
Gear That Gets It Done
Rod
- St. Croix Legend Elite 6’10” Medium-Power, Fast-Action
Soft enough to keep trebles buried, yet crisp for long rolls and precise pops.
Reel
- Daiwa Zillion HD
T-Wing casting aperture, Magforce braking, and a butter-smooth carbon drag handle light poppers to beefier wake baits.
Line
- 14 lb Sufix Elite Monofilament
Mono’s stretch prevents hook-ripping surges and keeps lures riding high—both impossible with fluorocarbon and noisy braid.
Dialing in Electronics & Boat Control
High-resolution side imaging (set at 60 ft range) reveals isolated boulders and hard-bottom rises hiding under weed tops. Spot one, fire a cast, and be ready—the splashdown often draws an immediate strike.
Precise positioning matters, so a cable-drive trolling motor remains king around tight cover. Minn Kota’s Ultrex marries familiar foot-pedal feel with GPS anchor and electric-steer finesse—letting you hover on a boulder, then slip down the edge without losing the beat of your retrieve.
Mid-Session Observations
- Fish are tentative; longer pauses on poppers trigger more bites than steady walks.
- Fat but sub-trophy “fatsos” roam both bay backs and main-lake flats. Keep moving until you intercept an active pod.
- Let the lure sit after the initial bloop—count to three before twitching again. The boil you saw on your first cast often turns into a clean hook-up on the follow-up presentation.
Cutting-Edge Control: Boat Positioning That Powers Your Presentation
When topwater fishing for smallmouths, boat control becomes just as critical as lure selection or cadence. Enter the Minn Kota Ultrex, a trolling motor that has revolutionized how anglers approach structure and manage boat positioning with precision.
Spot-Lock: The Electric Anchor
With the Spot-Lock feature, you can pin your boat in place with the press of a button—even in wind or current. For topwater fishing, this means you can hook a fish, hit Spot-Lock on the foot pedal, and focus entirely on fighting and landing it without drifting off the sweet spot. Once you’re ready to resume casting, simply step back on the pedal and Spot-Lock disengages.
Autopilot & Jog Features
The Autopilot function maintains your heading on a compass bearing, making it ideal when fan-casting large open flats. If you need to fine-tune your location, the Jog feature lets you shift the boat in 5-foot increments using the remote. Combined, these tools make covering and dissecting big water a breeze.
Unique Lures, Unique Results: Why the Skitter V Stands Out
One highlight of the day was a two-fish-on-one-cast moment using the Rapala Skitter V—a lure that proves it’s more than just another walker. The secret lies in its narrow V-shaped belly, which helps it turn sharply and quickly regain its walking cadence, even after a pause.
To work the Skitter V effectively:
- Use a low rod angle and a rhythmic pop-reel-pop motion.
- The V-belly ensures the lure kicks out immediately with each twitch.
- The compact body and sharp hooks make it a high-percentage hookup bait, especially when fish are feeding aggressively or in pairs.
Though the bait is slightly smaller than many walk-the-dog style lures, this often improves hookup ratios and entices tentative bass.
Color Choices: When Bright Beats Natural
While clear water usually calls for translucent or subtle colors, smallmouth bass often prefer bright patterns, especially in sunny or slightly stained conditions. These aggressive fish are visual hunters and often key on contrast and flash more than realism.
One standout performer was the Rapala X-Prop, a prop-style lure ideal for choppy conditions or deep water. Its surface-churning blades and splash trail draw bass from below, particularly when you’re fishing over submerged rocks or weed tops.
Smallmouth Action & Soft Rod Importance
When fighting hefty bronzebacks—what the pros call “brown dogs”—a medium power, fast-action rod really earns its keep. The softer tip of the St. Croix Legend Elite 6’10” cushions headshakes and aerial acrobatics, while the powerful backbone ensures solid hook penetration and control during the fight. Combined with a high-end reel like the Daiwa Zillion HD and monofilament line, this system excels in both castability and landing percentage.
Topwater smallmouth fishing offers one of the most electrifying and rewarding experiences in freshwater angling. By mastering retrieve cadence, choosing the right lure for the conditions, utilizing boat control technologies like Spot-Lock and Autopilot, and dialing in the perfect gear setup, anglers can turn good days into unforgettable ones.
