By Larry Larsen
Page 2

"A strong cold front blew in, and I invited a friend to go with me," relates Dearman. "I told him we had been catching lots of big fish on topwater baits. It got down to 29 degrees that morning, and the fishing was slow. We didn't catch anything until 2 o'clock, when it clouded up. Then, we went back over the most productive area where I had been catching bass the days before, and they just chomped 'em!"

Dearman, a seven-time Bassmaster Classic qualifier, credits a new outboard with his increased productivity with topwater baits. The winner of the 1993 Sam Rayburn B.A.S.S. Invitational is running the new innovative Johnson FICHT Outboard. The fuel-injected engine is quieter than any OMC has ever produced, and that, Dearman contends, translates into more productive shallow-water fishing.

"Often, I'll have to move across a shallow flat for a couple of hundred yards to reach the best topwater structure in a back bay," he says. "With this new FICHT, I can sneak up on the fish. Stealth is important when you're after any bass that may move to the surface to grab a topwater plug.

"Another big advantage of this outboard to topwater fishermen is that all engine oil is burned completely, and there is no surface residue left," Dearman points out. "When I'm on a shallow topwater pattern and fish an area, I will often move away for an hour or two to let the spot rest. Then, I'll come back and catch more fish in that same area.

"An outboard that leaves an oil slick or film on the water leaves pollution that can blow into a weedbed and quickly turn off shallow-water fish," adds the 16-year national tournament circuit competitor. "I believe that surface film can shut down an active topwater bite. The new quiet, clean-burning Johnson FICHT not only allows me to move in, out and back into the same shallow area; its much better fuel efficiency allows me to run all over a big lake like Rayburn and fish the abundant shallows without having to worry about running out of gas."

According to Dearman, some of the best spring topwater fishing areas on Rayburn are Needmore Point, Harvey Creek and Caney Creek. These creeks have lots big grass flats that can be very productive for topwater anglers.

"I like to fish the chugger as fast as possible, with short hops," he explains. "I just really chug it along with a 6-1/2-foot medium-action rod that has a tip that helps you cast and work it properly. I usually start off fishing it fast, then slow it down until I can find a cadence that they will bite.

"Nacogdoches is another tremendous topwater lake that yields big fish," Dearman adds. "Fishermen there catch a lot of fish in the 6- to 8-pound class, and occasionally one weighing in the teens. The small city lake was stocked with Florida bass about 12 years ago, and it has some trophy-sized fish in it. The fishing pressure is light, and the topwater fishing around the hydrilla and other weeds can be great.

"In schooling fish, a chugger that you can throw far may be productive," he says. "Often, schooling fish will come up far away from you, so a heavy chugger allows you to make extremely long casts to reach them. We work the chuggers fast across the top of the water. A clear bait is probably the best color to throw at schooling fish."

Jay Yelas agrees. "I'd have to rate Sam Rayburn, especially the lower end, as one of the best topwater lakes I've ever fished," he says. "The lower three quarters of the lake from three miles north of the Highway 147 bridge all the way to the dam has the clearest water, and that's where the grass is found. That's where you'll have your best topwater action.

"In 1996, the water was real low, and the lake was down about 11 or 12 feet. As a result," he continues, "the grass was in 6 or 7 feet of water or less, and the water was very clear because we hadn't had any rain. Those conditions made it absolutely ideal for a wonderful topwater bite in the spring."

The professional's favorite topwater baits on Rayburn are chuggers and round-nose walking-type plugs. When the fish are schooling or when the topwater bite gets a little tough, Yelas recommends going to a Tiny Torpedo. Usually, though, the bass taken on these little surface plugs won't be as big as those typically caught on other topwater baits.

Yelas' preferred "color" for clearer waters is often the clear model. He opts for a shad pattern if the water is somewhat stained. A third option is a plug that incorporates a bullfrog with a white-belly paint scheme.

Plug fishing peaks about mid-April. It's the time of year in the spring when the tremendous mid-day bite is often overlooked, according to the professional.

"The fishermen go out and fish topwater baits early until the sun comes up, and then they throw them late," says Yelas. "But my absolute best spring fishing on Rayburn is on a mid-day topwater pattern. I've had some wonderful catches of big bass. Even if it's sunny and calm, you can catch some big fish.

"They're either going to be on the inside weedline where the bream are spawning or, if the water's up, around the buck brush," he explains. "They like to hang out around the bream beds until about June first. Even though the bass spawn earlier, the bream commence spawning in April and the bass hang out in the shallow water to feed on the panfish. Concentrate on the shallow wood cover if you can find it."

Another type of water that can offer good topwater action in a low-water year is a big, sandy flat with sparse or patchy grass; a broken-up weedbed with some sandy holes in it is where bass like to hang out, according to Yelas.

The avid bassman has fished the lake over 300 days since 1989 and has caught Rayburn largemouth up to 8 pounds on his topwater fare. He's made numerous catches of bass in the 5- to 6-pound range. Catching large bass on a topwater bait is what Yelas, who lives just one mile from the lake, calls one of his "biggest thrills," continuing that springtime offers the best quality fish, while summer may offer better quantities.

"The surface action is just a blast," he points out. "Rayburn is simply a great topwater lake, and you can get surface action from spring through fall. I would, however, rate the spring as the best overall because you get such good quality bass!"

For information on the Rayburn Fishing Schools or guide service, contact Will Kirkpatrick at: Rt. 1, Box 138 DC, Broaddus, TX 78929 or phone 409-584-3177.