The bad news is that catching bass on surface lures always seems to involve missing out on some sleep. Whether it is an early start or a late finish, if you aren’t feeling like a zombie, then the chances are you aren’t getting up early enough or staying back late enough to see the best of the fishing.

Most of my better trips involve a 3.30am start. At least, that’s when the alarm goes off and I drag myself out of bed. Then we hook up the boat and head straight for the lake. The drive out takes about half an hour so by 4.30am we should be on the water.

Usually it is still dark by the time we make our first casts, but that doesn’t matter. The fish are quite adept at finding lures in the inky blackness. This is particularly so when it comes to surface lures like fizzers which make a bit of commotion for the fish to home in on. In fact, the fish love this time of the morning and will probably be sitting right up near the surface, just waiting for an unlucky insect to crash land nearby.

Even small bass love Fizz Sticks

That’s what makes this type of fishing so exciting. The fish are ready and waiting for the opportunity to feed and you are giving it to them and you just never know when the next hit will come. One second you are quietly working the lure back to the boat, the next thing you know a fish smashes your lure off the surface and sends a shot of adrenaline straight to your heart. It may be too dark to see it happen, but one thing’s for certain, you will sure hear it (and feel it) and the experience is as addictive as any drug!

Black is a great colour in surface lures.

The good news is, this type of fishing is available to anyone who lives near bass water and can be had on almost any budget. You don’t need a big boat or fancy gear and I catch a lot of fish out of an old fiberglass canoe I purchased second hand for a couple of hundred dollars.

You don’t need expensive gear to catch bass on surface lures.

Fishing with fizzers is dead easy. All you do is cast them out and let them sit for 20 or 30 seconds (or as long as you can stand). Once there are is no more surface disturbance to be seen, give the lure a small jerk to make it bob around and send out some more ripples. If it still hasn’t been eaten, work it back slowly to the boat in a series of gentle flicks and pauses.

Bass of this size will really get your heart racing when they hit your surface lures

Don’t try to make too much fuss, just get the blades turning over and the lure jinking around a bit and you are on the right track. If you are ever in doubt about what you are doing, then s-l-o-w d-o-w-n some more. Nobody ever sacred a bass away by working their lure too slowly or by leaving it sit still for too long.

Selecting the right outfit for this type of fishing is a straight forward process. A light spinning rod which can handle 4 kilo line and a smooth threadline reel in the 1000 – 2500 size is about perfect.  Spool your reel with 4 or 6 pound braided line and attach a metre or so of 4 kilo fluorocarbon as a leader. To the end of your leader add a small, strong clip and you are ready to attach your lure.

Metallic gold is another great colour for surface lures

Speaking of which some of the very best bass lures for this type of fishing are surprisingly cheap and probably waiting for you in your local tackle shop right now. For example, Trollcraft Fizz Sticks are great bass lures, particularly during the hours of darkness. Their long slender body with a propeller front and back makes them highly attractive to the fish. They have a great hookup rate and best of all they sell for not much more than $5 each. Black or gold are great colours.

Once the sun comes up, the slightly smaller Fizz Tails are often a better option. Being more bite sized, and with just a single propeller at the rear they won’t put off even the most wary fish. These are a great lure for quietly working the edges of the weedbeds and are absolute killers when Christmas or cane beetles are about. Blacks, golds and greens are all worth trying.

They may be cheap, but all Trollcraft lures are pressure tested to the equivalent of 150’ and they are strong enough to handle even the biggest bass with ease. They even carry VMC hooks so you know that they won’t let you down when 50cm plus fish are involved.

Catching bass on surface lures is child’s play once you know how and have the right gear

So there you go, some of the most exciting fishing you will ever do is probably waiting for you right now. All you need is a spinning outfit, a handful of Trollcraft lures and a willingness to miss out on a bit of sleep. Go on, set the alarm and get out there on the water this summer.