ESPN Saltwater

The big pod of redfish looked like a school of mullet with their heads sticking out of the water. But these reds weren't sucking plankton off the surface, they were slurping down frenzied baitfish like spaghetti noodles.

While mass confusion ensued in the water, in our boat a course of action was clear. Simultaneously, we fired topwater lures to the compact cluster of feeding fish. Within seconds surface explosions assaulted both lures.

"A double hook-up on big reds with topwaters — it doesn't get any better than this!" exclaimed Mike Frenette as he wrestled with a big red that challenged his light tackle. "They always strike like someone dropped a concrete block into the water.''

Anglers don't often see huge pods of redfish crashing into bait in shallow water. But even a solitary red suckered in by a topwater and the subsequent explosion is one of the attractions for thousands of anglers learning about the excitement of redfishing.

Anglers with polarized glasses can combine the tactics of bassing and hunting by stalking shallow reds on flats and shorelines.

"It's like hunting," said Toby Duet. "We hunt redfish around coves and points. Redfish wait in ambush under cover with their backs up against the grass. They wait for something to come along so they can kill it and eat it."

"I like to look for redfish around broken, grassy areas along a shoreline," said Capt. Danny Duet, a Redfish Cup competitor. "Redfish like to get in shallow marsh ponds and follow shrimp just as shallow as they can get. They will slink into the flooded grass of a submerged island and ambush bait."

Redfish have voracious appetites and will eat almost anything: crabs, shrimp, mussels, menhaden, croakers and mullets. Mullet, in particular, have a bad habit of sticking their heads out of the water when they feed on surface plankton. Therefore, any topwater bait that imitates a mullet might tempt redfish.

Ranking among the most popular and effective saltwater topwater lures, "walking baits" closely resemble mullets swimming near the surface. These baits zigzag from side to side with a "walking" motion. Some examples of walking baits include Top Dogs, She Dogs, Super Spooks, Frenzy Walkers, Spit'n Images, Skitter Walkers and similar baits.

The key to working walkers is to create a continuous side-to-side motion by holding the rod tip downward and making short, brisk flicks of the wrist. They work best when a cadence is achieved without stopping, but sometimes a slight pause might provoke a curious fish to strike.

"I keep it working side to side constantly, but slowly," said Capt. Phil Robichaux who guides near Lafitte, La. "Some people try to jerk or twist it, but that doesn't give it proper action. The action comes from short pops with the wrist. Sometimes, I walk the dog for a little while and stop. Let the fish determine how to work a bait."

Rattles and clackers built into these hollow lures mimic the grunts of croakers and work best during calm conditions or when redfish are aggressive.

Another asset of topwater walkers is that they cast long distances allowing an angler to cover considerable amounts of water.

A 2- to 3-foot shock leader of 30-pound test fluorocarbon will provide extra strength and using a loop knot will enhance the side-to-side action.

Poppers and chuggers are another type of topwater which feature concave mouths. When jerked, these lures cause considerable commotion by popping, chugging or gurgling.

Some examples include Pop-Rs, Knuckle-heads, Chug Bugs, Skitter Pops, Frenzy Poppers and Spitfires.

These baits are good choices when wind and wave ripple are too much for a walker or when redfish are not aggressive. Pop it once and let the bait remain motionless until the ripples fade. Then, repeat the maneuver. By popping and stopping with slow, deliberate movement, anglers can keep these baits in the strike zone longer than walking baits.

Prop baits can be another topwater consideration. They come equipped with propellers that churn the surface when moved. The harder they are jerked, the more noise they make.

Anglers can also retrieve them with a steady motion, almost like a floating buzzbait. At times, the repeated buzzing by a prop bait across the nose of a lethargic redfish might provoke a strike.

On choppy days or in murky water, many anglers use prop baits such as Tiny Torpedoes and Devil Horses, because they make such a noticeable disturbance.

However, if all of the walking, chugging and ripping is fruitless, maybe a subtler presentation is in order. While technically not a floating topwater, a weightless Texas-rigged soft plastic jerkbait worked frantically across the surface can offer the same excitement as a topwater.

No matter which topwater you choose, should a redfish rush your lure with that telltale "vee" wake, don't stop the retrieve. Mullets and other baitfish experiencing the last seconds of their lives don't take a breather, they flee as fast as they can.

Instead, keep working the bait steadily or perhaps even increase speed and exaggerate its erratic motion, mimicking a baitfish fleeing for its life. Redfish are infuriated by "fast food" trying to escape and stopping the action might make the fish suspicious or confused causing it to lose interest.

Sometimes redfish miss the lure when they strike.

"With their down-turned mouths, redfish are not built to attack baits on the surface, but they do," Frenette explained. "They have to stick their heads out of the water or roll on their sides to eat a surface lure. Sometimes, they lose sight of the bait and miss, but they usually come back and hit it again with more power."

If a redfish takes a swing and a miss, keep working the bait steadily, or perhaps a bit faster, to enrage the redfish. Often, the same fish or another red will strike the lure again. If they continue to miss the topwater bait, follow up with a soft plastic on a jighead.

Few fishing techniques offer more excitement than topwater baits and it's a great way to stay on top of the action.