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Heddon Lucky 13
Cotton Cordell Pencil Popper
Rebel Lures Original Minnow
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 ability to catch a fishermen’s eye instead of an actual fish, a hardened core of new and old faithful designs have earned respect for their ability to do their job, which is catch fish, and do it well.
Because we are so fascinated with topwaters, we took a long, hard look through past generations of surface baits and picked out the 25 of the best topwater bass lures to present you here.
Best Topwater Bass Lures: Reviews & Recommendations
1. Rebel Pop-R
Specs
Style: Popper
Length: 2-1/2″
Colors: Ol’ Bass, Bone, Clear, Fire Tiger, Foxy Momma, Foxy Shad, Silver/Black, Silver/Blue, and more
Pros
Trusted lure
Can be worked fast or slow for different actions
Easy to cast
Cons
Paint may wear quickly
is a lure that almost every other topwater chugger is measured against. After over 30 years of production, the Pop-R continues to be an angler favorite and a go-to for countless freshwater fishermen. You can work it quickly across the surface to mimic a panicked baitfish, or barely twitch it to imitate forage that’s struggling to stay alive. The Pop-R earned its stripes while helping professional bass anglers rack up prize money, but it’s just as deadly on northern pike and walleye cruising under the water’s surface in the evening.
2. Heddon Baby Torpedo
Specs
Style: Prop towater bair
Length: 1-1/2″
Colors: Bullfrog, brown crawdad, baby bass, clear, black shore minnow, black shiner, and more
Pros
Propeller creates big splash
Can be fished fast or slow
Perfect for schooling fish surface feeding
Cons
Lure is ineffective when prop doesn’t work
While anglers judge most topwater bass lures by their ability to catch largemouth, the Heddon Baby Torpedo
has earned a curious reputation as a smallmouth slayer. The sound, motion, and vibration from its stern-mounted, rotating propeller simply attracts fish if you work it along shallow rocky shorelines where smallmouth often congregate. In moving water, the Torpedo makes a commotion in even the fastest-flowing rivers where giant smallmouth lie in wait for a hapless meal. You can work it with short twitches and pauses, or steadily retrieve it for an action that’s similar to a buzzbait.
3. Rapala Original Floating Minnow
Rapala Original Floating Minnow
Specs
Style: Floating minnow
Length: 2″
Colors: Sliver, gold, blue, perch, rainbow trout, firetiger, yellow perch, shiner, and more
Pros
Mimics wounded baitfish well
Can be fished as topwater or sub-surface
Variety of applications
Cons
Lip has been known to come of easily
Floating minnows are in a class of their own when it comes to topwater lures, and certainly none have a better resume than the models from Rapala. The company’s Original Floating Minnow
is a versatile lure you can run just under the water’s surface, or weighted to get deeper in the water column. However, there’s no better way to watch a Rapala get creamed by a fish than when it’s fished on top. A few flicks from your rod tip generates a wounded minnow action the Rapala is renown for—just wait and watch for the strike. You’ll know when it happens.
4. Arbogast Jitterbug
Specs
Style: Frog-like popper
Length: 2″, 2-1/2″, and 3″
Colors: Black, perch, frog/white belly, wounded coach dog, wounded perch
Pros
Gurgling action
Easy to cast
Very noisy
Cons
Screws have been known to pullout
For decades, the Arbogast Jitterbug
has proved itself as a fish-catching machine at any hour of the day, but it’s recognized most as being one of the most productive after-hours topwaters of all time. Bass and other gamefish are attracted to a steady, loud presentation at night. The Jitterbug has a double-cupped lip that produces a loud, rhythmic cadence, and causes the lure to sway from side-to-side during the retrieve. Predator fish hear the commotion and feel the vibrations from the cup lip through the water, and it’s hard to for them to resist. The Jitterbug is effective for bass, northern pike, and even muskie.
5. Heddon Zara Spook
Specs
Style: Spook
Length: 4-1/2″
Colors: Bullfrog, white red head, natural leopard frog, natural perch, black shiner, and more
Pros
Amazing walk-the-dog action
Variety of colors
Perfect for freshwater or slatwater predatory fish
Cons
Small learning curve to learn walk-the-dog action
is literally the bait that invented the “walk-the-dog” action, which is not an accomplishment to take lightly. While dozens of other lure manufacturers have since copied the action, the Spook remains a go-to surface lure for a large number of anglers. It’s size and weight are great for a steady, consistent, side-to-side retrieve and you can work it through countless scenarios. It’s equally effective in close-quarters or fished over thick weeds as it is on open water near schools of baitfish. What’s more, the Zara Spook is highly effective at catching a variety of species in both salt and fresh water and not limited to black bass, stripers, pike, and musky.
6. Storm Rattlin’ Chug Bug
Specs
Style: Popper
Length: 2-1/2″, 3-1/4″
Colors: Metallic silver black, bass, metallic silver blue, silver shad, gizzard shad, and more
Pros
Super loud
Teaser tail hook
Has some weight for longer casts
Cons
New version not as durbale
Some topwaters have a sound and action that’s all their own, and the Storm Rattlin’ Chug Bug
is once such lure. The Chug Bug can spit, dart, chug, walk-the-dog, and of course, rattle, in the water. You can mix the combination of motions and sounds by varying the speed of your retrieve, and the frequency and power of your twitches and pauses. The Rattlin’ Chug Bug has a weighted tail that helps with extra-long casts so you can quickly cover as much water as possible. You can use it to catch a variety of gamefish in both fresh and saltwater.
7. Mike Shaw Slammer
Specs
Style: Jointed-popper
Length: 7″, 9″, 13″
Colors: Multiple colors
Pros
Made for big fish
Good for any predatory fish
Durable
Cons
None
While it may seem like a curious addition to this list, the Slammer played an integral part of the 1990s swimbait craze, and it is, after all, a topwater lure. The Slammer is also a big-fish bait. Handcrafted by legendary lure maker Mike Shaw, the profile and lip design cause the lure to swim with a natural action and create a wake on the surface. Shaw originally designed it to catch the largest bass in world, but anglers hunting musky, pike, stripers and lake trout quickly adopted it. What’s more, Shaw builds each lure to handle punishment from the largest predators.
8. Creek Chub Knuckle-Head
Specs
Style: Jointed-popper
Length: 5″
Colors: Baby striper, bone flash, chrome blue/back, sliver black/back, threadfin shad
Pros
Good double-jointed action
Flash tail
Realistic design
Affordable
Cons
None
The Knuckle-Head from Creek Chub
is one of a few truly original topwater baits in a world of copycat designs. This lure
has a single joint between the body and head, which is actually patented, that helps create a sound and motion that’s completely distinct from any other bait on the market. The Knuckle-Head’s cupped mouth pops and chugs while the body is free to swim back and forth like a natural biatfish. It’s a well-built lure that can take a beating, which is why anglers fishing everything from largemouth in the fresh, to redfish in the salt, use it regularly.
9. Lucky Craft Sammy
Specs
Style: Spook-like topwater bait
Length: 4-1/8″
Colors: Aurora black, bone shad, chartreuse shad, lake murray clear, MSMJ herring
Pros
Walk-the-dog action
Maintains a horizontal posture
Very noisy
Cons
Walk-the-dog action can be tough for beginners
While dozens of topwater baits on the market have a “walk-the-dog” action, Lucky Craft’s Sammy
stands out. Creating an effective side-to-side action requires the right combination of lure size, taper, and weight, and Lucky Craft found the perfect formula with this lure. In addition to an impressive motion, Lucky Craft built the Sammy with internal glass rattles that increase the range it can attract fish, and while the Sammy is a largemouth bait at heart, it’s become a personal topwater favorite of East Coast striper anglers.
10. Smithwick Devil’s Horse
Specs
Style: Dual-prop towater bait
Length: 4-1/2 inches
Colors: Yellow black stripes, tiger roan, white black stripes, sliver shiner, bullfrog, and more
Pros
Sleek, long lure
Dual propellers produce noticeable splash
Casts well
Cons
Might be worth replacing the hook
Another classic that has seen its share of imitators, the Smithwick Devil’s Horse
remains a proven fish-catcher. Both of the lure’s front and rear props are adjustable so you can tweak them to make the bait move slower and throw more water, or bend the props back for a quieter, less chaotic retrieve. The Devil’s Horse has been proven as a standout topwater for giant pre-spawn largemouth, but it’s just as effective at catching smallmouth in moving water any time of the year. It also has a huge underground following among Northeast anglers targeting walleye in shallow bays after dark.
11. Lunker Lure Buzzbait
Specs
Style: Buzzbait
Length: 4-1/2 inches
Colors: Threadfin, black red splash silver, white silver, chartreuse/anodized grn, and more
Pros
Affordable
Tournament-proven lure
Multiple colors
Cons
Paint may come off fast
Another original that inspired a thousand imitations is the Lunker Lure Buzzbait. Few lure designs, if any, can boast the lunker-catching, tournament-winning reputation of the Buzzbait. Even with a market flooded with surface baits, the original Buzzbait continues to be a part of every respectable bass angler’s tackle box. It’s still winning its share of high-level bass tournaments and is undoubtedly the number one choice of fisherman who prefer a traditional buzzbait design without extra frills like multiple blades, tandem hooks, or other accents.
12. SPRO Bbz-1 Rat Swimbait
Specs
Style: Mouse
Length: 3-1/4 inches
Colors: Brown
Pros
Great night time bait
Easy to cast
Replaceable tail
Cons
Expensive
Knowing how fond trophy bass can be of swimming rodents, Spro set out to create the most lifelike swimming rat on the market. With the help of pro-staffer and well-respected lure designer Bill Siemantel, Spro hit the mark with the Bbz-1 Rat
. The square bill and single-jointed construction of this surface lure allows for a walk-the-dog action on a simple, straightforward retrieve. The Bbz-1 Rat stays afloat during pauses and it leaves a subtle wake in its path that perfectly mimics the movements and disruption of a swimming rodent. A big fish bait, Spro builds the Bbz-11 Rat so it’s super-tough and can endure abuse.
13. Booyah Bait Company Pad Crasher
Booyah Bait Company Pad Crasher
Specs
Style: Frog
Length: 2″, 2-1/2″
Colors: Swamp frog, leopard frog, cricket frog, bullfrog, albino frog, night train
Pros
Weedless design
Easy to cast and work back
Interior weight and solid hooks
Cons
Legs are long and might need to cut to avoid miss strikes
A hollow-bodied, rubber-legged topwater frog fits a specific niche in the bass world because it’s hard to find a lure that can work through the absolute thickest vegetation, or splash into tiny holes between lily pads—but that’s exactly the Pad Crasher’s claim to fame. The Pad Crasher
has a super-soft, collapsible body that quickly exposes a double 3/0 hook when attacked, giving anglers the best possible chance for a hook-up in conditions that often cause other lures to foul. But this lure isn’t just for bass. If you’ve been thinking about taking up fishing for invasive snakeheads, make sure you take plenty of Pad Crashers when you go.
14. Cotton Cordell Pencil Popper
Specs
Style: Pencil Popper
Length: 4-1/2″, 6″, 7″
Colors: Chrome black, chrome blue, pearl yellow, white red head, green mackerel
Pros
Great lure for striped bass
Allows for long casts
Great motion in water
Cons
Almost $10 per lure
Cotton Cordell’s Pencil Popper
is a long-time favorite among the East Coast striped-bass crowd, which alone warrants recognition. However, the Pencil Popper’s utility stretches far beyond the salty shores of the striper coast. On inland waters, it’s a great lure for catching northern pike, musky, and trophy largemouth bass. The lure’s weight displacement helps catapult it on extra-long casts to cover wide swaths of water. On the water, the added weight forces the lure to sit with its tail below the surface, creating a bobbing target that is hard to miss.
15. Rapala Skitter Pop
Specs
Style: Topwater skitter
Length: 5″
Colors: Firetiger
Pros
Makes a lot of motion
Cupped head helps displace water
Casts far
Cons
Expensive ($16.25)
While it’s a relative newcomer to the fishing scene, Rapala’s Skitter Pop
has earned the right to be on this list. Its balsa wood body is combined with a unique, cupped plastic lip that produces one of the loudest spitting actions you’ll find. It’s a versatile popping-style bait that you can work with a consistent walk-the-dog action, or barely twitch it across the surface. Built to withstand abuse and with corrosion-free components, you can use the Skitter Pop to catch a variety of freshwater and saltwater gamefish.
16. Rebel Pop’n Frog
Specs
Style: Popping frog
Length: 1-7/8″
Colors: Bullfrog, cricket frog, leopard frog
Pros
Throws a lot of water for good motion
Two treble hooks for small lure
Three colors
Cons
Will get snagged in thick vegetation
is a little different from most other frog designs on the market because it lacks a weedless component. On the other hand, it has a super-realistic paint job that’s the spitting image of a juvenile frog. The Popping Frog’s lifelike colors are complimented by its concave face that chugs and spits water in a walk-the-dog motion across the water’s surface. Work it adjacent to weed and lily beds where predators often hunt for meals along the perimeter.
17. Savage Gear Hard Mud Minnow
Specs
Style: Spook-like hard bait
Length: 4.5″
Colors: Olive
Pros
Walk-the-dog action
Durable
Looks like wounded baitfish
Cons
Only one color
is the fourth and final purebred “walk-the-dog” bait on this list, but its intricate design helps it produce a great amount of movement with little effort. That means you can walk the bait on a fast retrieve without losing control of it, enabling you to quickly cover more water and create a commotion that agitates fish. Inside the lure there’s a special rattle chamber that emits a unique sound that vibrates and resonates through the water. As with everything Savage Gear does, the finish on the Hard Mud Minnows are incredible, replete with 3-D eyes and textured scaling.
18. Rebel Lures Minnow
Specs
Style: Topwater crankbait
Length: 1-1/5″, 2-1/2″, 3-1/2″
Colors: Bass, fire tiger, silver/black, silver/blue
Pros
A versatile lure for many different species
Lip gives it great action
Affordable
Cons
Not very durable
Once again, one of the most innovative, game-changing lures designs in the history of angling is a topwater. The Original Rebel Minnow
literally changed the way companies designed and produced fishing lures. The lure is simply a flat-out, fish-catching legend. Few baits are so highly effective at duping such a wide variety of gamefish. Anglers targeting stripers, monster rainbow trout, walleye, pike, musky, and of course, trophy largemouth, should have several variations of this amazing lure in their tackle box.
19. Arbogast Hula Popper
Specs
Style: Popper
Length: 1-1/4″, 1-1/3″, 2″, 2-1/4″
Colors: Perch, frog/white belly, coach dog orange belly, black-belly yellow tail
Pros
A big cup that throws a lot of water
Very loud
Ten colors
Cons
Only one treble hook
has been around for over 60 years and inspired hundreds of other topwater-lure designs. It has a cupped face that scoops up mouthfuls of water with every short jerk of the rod tip, producing a loud “bloop” sound and bubble trail in the water. The loud, deep sound regularly triggers even disinterested bass to strike—and the strikes are vicious. The Hula Popper’s skirt adds flare and more movement to the lure, it has a terrific fish-attracting color scheme, and while the two exposed treble hooks don’t make this a weedless bait, your hook-up percentage will be high.
20. Cotton Cordell Red Fin
Specs
Style: Topwater crankbait
Length: 4″, 5″, 7″
Colors: Bone, chrome black, chrome blue, gold, rainbow trout, smoky joe
Pros
Works well with a twitch pause retrieve
Great lure for a variety of freshwater and saltwater fish
Two strong treble hooks
Cons
Can be hard to cast due to lightweight design
The Red Fin from Cotton Cordell
is another multi-species gem of a bait that can produce a variety of surface actions just by changing the speed of your retrieve or twitching your rod tip. It leaves one of the best wakes I’ve seen any bait ever make and it has duped just about every species of freshwater and inshore gamefish. The Red Fin is a staple for striper, largemouth, and redfish anglers, among others.
21. Yo-Zuri 3DB Popper
Specs
Style: Popper
Length: 3″
Colors: Prism silver black, prism frog, prism ghost shad, prism shad, prism ayu
Pros
Suited for a pop-and-stop or walk-the-dog retrieve
Internal 3D prism
Flashy and loud
Cons
Hooks may not last
takes a traditional popper design and infuses it with high-end components and a detailed prism finish. The injured red eye on the popper imitates a distressed baitfish and the patented rib design on the body of the bait produces more vibration in the water compared to traditional poppers. The seven available 3DB patterns all have a prism finish that catches and reflects light, sending off more than ample amounts of flash, and if a fish doesn’t see the lure, the bait creates enough splash and vibration that any predator lurking nearby will certainly hear it.
22. Heddon Lures Crazy Crawler
Specs
Style: One-of-a-kind topwater bait
Length: 2-3/8″
Colors: Yellow hornet, bullfrog
Pros
Metal wings create a disturbance on the water
Great for night fishing
Two treble hooks for increased hookups
Cons
Metal wings can break off
The topwater world has numerous incarnations of “crawler” and “creeper” style baits that are intended to catch everything from bass to muskie, and all of them can trace their roots to Heddon’s Crazy Crawler
. Known for its ability to catch big fish, anglers have used the Crazy Crawler for over a half a century. Its unique design creates a wild surface commotion and you can fish it in virtually any water condition. The metal wings splash from side-to-side, making a rhythmic churning of water that entices some of the most violent strikes you’ll ever encounter.
**Read Next: 20 Essential Topwater Fishing Lures
**
23. Heddon Lucky 13
Specs
Style: Popper
Length: 3-3/4″
Colors: Bullfrog, red head, baby bass
Pros
Great popping motion
Three treble hooks
Three great color schemes
Cons
Hooks may bend easily
is an unsuspecting bait with a proven track record for catching multiple species of fish. The Lucky 13 is more of a chugger than a popper, and it emits a deep, resonating sound that is unlike any other topwater popper or gurgler. It’s effective around structure or along weed lines, but the Lucky 13 really shines around schooling gamefish in both fresh and salt water. Anglers have used it to catch largemouth and smallmouth bass, northern pike, speckeld trout, redfish, and white bass, among many other species.
FAQs
Q: What time of year do bass eat a topwater?
Depending on where you are, bass will usually eat topwater baits year-round. Although, summer months tend to produce good topwater action, especially in the early morning and late evening.
Q: Should I use braid or mono for topwater?
Braid is the preferred line choice when fishing topwater lures. Braid has little to no stretch in the line, and this helps bury the hook into the mouth of the fish. It also helps when pulling fish out of thick vegetation.
Q: Can I use topwater tactics during the day?
Yes, you can fish topwater baits during the day, but the best time to fish topwater lures is early in the morning and late evening.
Why Trust Us
For more than 125 years, Field & Stream has been providing readers with honest and authentic coverage of outdoor gear. Our writers and editors eat, sleep, and breathe the outdoors, and that passion comes through in our product reviews. You can count on F&S to keep you up to date on the best new gear. And when we write about a product—whether it’s a bass lure or a backpack—we cover the good and the bad, so you know exactly what to expect before you decide to make a purchase.
