Low-light conditions are ideal for poppers. In direct sunlight, bass often hunker down to stay cool and hidden – but when the risk of exposure is lower, they’ll move into shallow water to feed. Cloudy ...

In the heat of summer, I go back to my early days of fly fishing as a teenager. An elderly uncle, Demp Ramsey, taught me the art of fly fishing in the summer of 1977. Demp was his given name, but ...

THE FLY LINE straightens out 3 feet above the water, and the popping bug hits the pond with a pleasing splat. I see the popper try to roll over, which tells me I have a bit of twist in the leader that ...

A good topwater smash is one of the greatest experiences in fishing. Dozens of surface lures on the market can make them happen, but few are more popular or user-friendly than a popper. They come in ...

Years ago, in a fit of pique over a dud fishing trip to Wisconsin, I wrote a column belittling the lowly bream. My feelings were hurt after having made a long trip for walleyes and northern pike and ...

If you don’t know how to fish with poppers and get the most from these lures, now’s the perfect time to learn, as the topwater bite is in full swing and will stay good through summer and into fall.

Are the Dogwood or Magnolia trees in your state in bloom? That's a good sign that the bass are becoming active. Spring and topwater action for bass go hand in hand. Here's a how-to to get you started.

The classic hair popper is as much a work of art as it is a lethal fish catcher. Courtesy of Brandon Bailes Surface flies made of tightly-spun deer belly hair have been catching bass for more than a ...

There’s a lot to like about bass, but my favorite thing about them is their willingness to crush a topwater fly. They’re one of the most surface-oriented game fish – and, while trying to raise a fish ...