Companies have spawned seemingly every conceivable critter into a topwater bait—from frogs and rodents to flying mammals, birds, and even turtles. While some lures achieve instant notoriety for their ...

Nothing thrills like a topwater bite, and whether you're fishing during the early morning feed or prospecting a midday shade pocket, the right topwater bait often tempts the biggest fish. The question ...

You already know there is no more exciting and satisfying way to catch a bass than with a topwater lure, but which one is best, when and where? The following list highlights the five most universally ...

Lake Erie, Dale Hollow Lake, and the St. Lawrence River are just a few locations in the U.S. that grow giant smallmouth. These are iconic places to fish, but to truly be effective on those waters, you ...

Catching fish on top-water lures can be so exciting that some anglers would rather catch one fish on a top-water than two or three down deep. Lures that splash and dance across the surface are ...

New year, new gear. It's officially 2026 and we're committed to bringing you even more bass fishing gear guides this year. We had a goal to step up the fishing content at the beginning of last year, ...

From an Alaskan guide coming out of retirement for one more shot, to must-have topwater bass baits, to the best soft plastic baits, these stories captured our Sports Illustrated fishing reader’s ...

There are lots of standard lures that produce big bass – everything from tiny forward-facing sonar minnows to 10-inch worms to deep diving crankbaits – but if you want your double-digit to be truly ...

Freshwater anglers have lots of topwater options. In the bass game especially, those looking for surface eruptions can dip into practically any lure genre and find the perfect bait to call up a hog.