Skitter Walk
Dig out the Rapala Skitter Walk if you really want to have some fun. This bait is great to catch monster smallmouth bass. Largemouth love it too, but when the smallies are chasing baitfish, it really shows it's stuff! The Skitter Walk is best used between late spring and the fall cool down. Like all top water lures, dawn and dusk are always good times but that is not limit of this lure. Look for hot muggy stable weather when there isn't a lot of wind. You can't have a lot of waves but if there are, go to the Skitter Pop . If you wake up and say “man it's going to be a hot one”, head to the lake and get ready for some great top water action. You want to look for underwater flats in and around large weed beds, and rock islands. Fast dropping shorelines with boulders and large weed beds, as well as sunken islands are also good spots. Start by covering the shallow water near shore, over the tops of sunken islands, and close to the edge of weed beds. After head to the deeper water adjacent to these structures. When the bass are stacking up in the first 10 feet of the water and chasing bait is when you will have the best results. Stand off from the structure a ways and cast to the shallows. At the end of the cast keep the rod tip up and snapping it straight back quickly while reeling at the same time. It should look like you are directing traffic with your rod. Pay attention to the lure to make sure it darts from side to side and keep the rod in line with the lure. You can't be drifting too fast with the Skitter Walk to make the “walk the dog” action. As the lure gets close to you, point the rod tip at the water and whip it downwards to keep the action going. After working the shallow water, fan cast to the deeper water to target bass that are running bait just off the main structure. There could be as much as 40 feet of water out there but the fish are high in the water to feed. If you can see the strike coming, don't slow down or speed up. Maintain discipline and keep that cadence going. It's hard to do at first, but that is what gets the strike. For short strikes or bumps on the lure, slow down and add a pause once in a while. You will need to do a little experimenting with the speed of the retrieve.
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