Ron's Catch: Prop Baits for Aggressive Bass
We all know that fishing topwater lures in the summer can be fun. Who doesn’t love watching bass explode on the surface crushing your lure? There is a certain level of excitement and rush an angler gets when a fish strikes a topwater lure that is unmatched by any other bait.
There are a lot of surface lures to choose from. They all have a time and place for when they excel.
Topwater poppers, walking style lures, frogs and buzzbaits are all summertime favorites, but don’t overlook the prop style lures. The prop style lures spit water as they move across the surface which looks like an injured or fleeing baitfish, frog, or even small rodent or baby duck. The noise and commotion will draw quick attention to any bass looking for an easy meal.
Prop baits such as the Yo-Zuri 3DB Prop allow you to cover water quickly and trigger strikes from the most aggressive bass. A prop design lure is a simple cast and retrieve which allows you to cover water very fast while popper style lures or walking baits require a slower retrieve and cadence.
The blades on a prop bait can vary in size which dictates the amount of water the bait throws, speed control, and the sound the lure produces. You will want to experiment with the different 
prop baits to find out which suits your fishing conditions.
In addition, I recommend throwing a prop bait over submerged vegetation or any clean surface since the prop blades need to turn for the lure to perform properly. Fishing surface grass, heavy cover or lilly pads is not an ideal choice because the blades and hooks will get wrapped up right away which can prevent the lure from working correctly.
For equipment, I highly recommend throwing this surface lure on a 7”2 to 7”4 Med Heavy Baitcasting Rod, 7:3:1 Baitcaster reel paired with 50lb Seaguar Smackdown braided line. I use the Duckett Fishing Micro Magic or Pro Series Baitcasting rods. This is the perfect set up for power, allowing for solid hooksets when making long casts. I also use a Duckett Fishing 360 or 400 series Baitcaster reel. The gear ratio will allow you to retrieve line quicker which maximizes the number of casts on the water while maintaining the power and control needed to successfully land more fish.
Pick up a prop bait at your local Shoppers Supply store and see how the prop bait can catch you more fish this summer. Fish On!
