Walking The Dog

I have recently started using topwater lures for the first time ever and have been reading whatever I can find via Mr. Google about 'walking the dog' with these lures. Last weekend I was trying out the technique (using a Patchinko) based on my understanding but don't think I was getting it right - it was more of a hopping lure than a side to side motion.

Is it much more difficult to 'walk the dog' with a longer spinning rod (my rod is 10' 10") and when using braid? (I've read somewhere that a short rod and mono are essential to getting this action from the lure).

Also, can someone tell me are other lures like the Tide Minnow and Maria Chase top water lures that should also be fished with a similar 'walk the dog' action, or can they just be retrieved at a speady speed?

If anyone has a good link for this style of "luring" it would be appreciated. To date my top water fishing has been using Chug Bugs only following the advise in "Hooked On Bass".

lots of info plus a video can be found here: http://www.ausfish.com.au/vforum/showth ... p?t=123125
Hope this helps.

Hi I like to do a bit of surface walk the dog lure fishing and use a 8 ft and braid with mono leader and have had some good sucess with it. The action you described by the Patchinko seems about right from what your saying. I have used it a bit and I also like using the luckycraft sammy range.

Check out you tube for some videos about walking the dog

Lots of factors will influence how easy or hard it is to work the lure. Some lures are easier to walk than others, cross winds make it difficult because of line belly, its easier in calmer seas, etc

In general, hold the rod at 90 degrees to the direction your line is going and use very small twitches of the rod tip. Using braid makes this easier as there is no line stretch.

Bit of practice and try a few different lures.

Try to get hold of a Heddon Zara Spook or Super Spook in the 4.5in version (not the "Junior" version). That's one of the easiest walk-the-dog lures. Its also one of the original of the species.

Thanks for all the responses.

@The Austrian: That link to the ausssie fishing site is an interetsting read. Took me a while to figure out what they were talking about with 'barras' (barracuda), I thought it was aussie slang for bass first

Glad to hear one can walk the dog with braid, I thought maybe you had to have mono to have the line floating on surface. I think it's probably a lot harder to control though with a longer rod, I'll prob. try with my shorter 9 foot spinning rod next time.

I've never seen the Spook lures on sale here, are they only available online?

I've never seen the Spook lures on sale here, are they only available online?

I've never bought anything from them, but www.monstertackle.co.uk seem to stock them.

I also saw them in a shop somewhere here, can't remember where though. Worth keeping an eye out for.

I've never seen the Spook lures on sale here, are they only available online?

I've never bought anything from them, but http://www.monstertackle.co.uk seem to stock them.

I also saw them in a shop somewhere here, can't remember where though. Worth keeping an eye out for.

Thanks teacher I'll probly pick up a couple online and see how I get on.

Got my first bass off the surface end of last year.Cant beat it when you see a fish come up and take the lure in one almighty splash.I used a dexter mackerel green popper.I intend to fish surface poppers quite a lot this coming season and I have recently bought a patchinko to try as well.

Thanks folks, not had a bass of the top yet - but I will this year!!