(Editor's note: The following is the latest installment in a series of fishing tips presented by The Bass University. Check back each Friday for a new tip.)
Randy Howell may have distinguished himself forever by winning the 2014 Bassmaster Classic, but he has one thing in common with even the average weekend bass angler – he can’t resist the thrill of a topwater bite.
But the thrill alone doesn’t put fish in the boat, money in the bank or trophies on the shelf. A topwater bite can be notoriously fickle and stingy, so he’s keen on making sure that he maximizes its effectiveness. As a result of a few tweaks and some careful tackle planning, he’s “gotten as close to 100 percent as I can,” he reported.
That starts with his Daiwa Tatula rods and reels, which at about $150 apiece present an affordable price point for many anglers. He likes longer and stiffer topwater rods than many of his peers. A long cast is critical, he explained, especially with schooling or feeding fish that often seem to be “just out of reach.” Dating back to his guiding days, he recalled that many anglers sacrificed bites simply because they couldn’t cast far enough. His 7’2” and 7’4” Tatula rods help him achieve the necessary distance. In order to get to the next cast quickly and to catch up with streaking fish, he employs an 8.1:1 gear ratio reel, which brings in 37 inches of line per turn of the handle.
He’s also a big fan of braided line for every application except for small poppers and buzzbaits, for which he’ll use mono. He tailors his braid to the size of the bait, using 55-pound test for bigger poppers and 70 for his big walking baits.
His popper of choice these days is the Livingston Walk N Pop 77, a half-ounce model that he feels improves upon the old Rebel Pop-R P70. Size matters more than color, he believes, and the big lure moves a lot of water to attract fish in both clear and muddy conditions, and everything in between. He fishes it on braid, but ties on a No. 10 SPRO power swivel to which he attaches 18 or so inches of 17- to 20-pound shock leader. He fishes it fast, but noted that “the older you get, the longer you can let it sit.” As a general rule, he goes slower in the spring and faster in the fall, but will experiment to determine when the bass aren’t following that rule.
No matter which topwater he throws, Howell likes to replace his front treble with a red Daiichi treble hook. He’ll change hook sizes frequently to adjust how the lure sits or to account for smaller/bigger fish, but no matter what he puts on it’s always a round-bend rather than an EWG. In addition to changing out his trebles, he’ll also frequently replaces subpar factory split rings with beefier versions. A big bass will find the weakest link in your chain, and that’s often the split ring, he explained, while advising that anglers should use the biggest replacements they can fit on the hook hangers or eyelets without impeding the lure’s action.
If you want to learn some of Howell’s other tidbits that have contributed to his topwater mastery, including his preferences in homemade prop baits and why he puts a buzz toad on the back of his buzzbait, check out his full video, available only by subscribing to The Bass University TV.
