Picking the Perfect Topwater Setup for Smallies

I love throwing topwater baits for smallmouth bass and if you spend any amount of time throwing surface baits for smallies, you want to make sure you're fishing with the right rod and reel for the job. My priorities in selecting a topwater rod for targeting smallies with traditional surface baits including poppers, walking baits (Spooks, Skitter Walks, etc) and prop baits is to find a rod that allows me to make long casts, get solid hook sets while still offering a little bit of give for when fish start digging at boat side. I really like a 7 foot, medium powered, moderate-fast to fast action rod for most of my topwater fishing. A few personal favourites include the 7'2" Fenwick HMG (HMG72M-MFX) and the 7' Abu Garcia Villain 2.0 (VC70-5). The key to these two rods is that they can handle larger baits like a big spook, yet they can still throw some of the smaller poppers like a #7 Skitter Pop or 1/4 oz Pop-R with ease. I'll go down to a slightly shorter rod in the 6'6" range when I'm using a walking bait since my rod tip is constantly pointed down for this presentation. Otherwise, I'm a big fan of the "7 footers". I'll match these rods with a high-speed low-profile bait casting reel like the Abu Garcia Revo Rocket (RV03 Rocket) or the Revo STX (RV03 STX-HS). The rationale for using the high-speed reel when topwater fishing is for me to reel in my bait super quickly if I miss a fish or if I need to reposition my bait when smallies start boiling on the surface, a pretty common occurrence in my neck of the woods. In terms of line, I like to throw topwater baits using braided line like 20lb test/6lb diameter Trilene Braid with a 3 to 4 foot lead of 14lb test Trilene XT or 15lb test Trilene Big Game. I'll join the two lines using a "Double-Uni" knot. I've found that using braided line allows me to make the longer casts that are often necessary for topwater fishing and that it also gives me more solid hook ups than I was getting with traditional monofilament. The short lead of the heavier monofilament line keeps the bait floating as it's intended and offers some shock absorption. If I'm fishing in pike-infested waters, I'll go up to 17lb test to reduce getting snipped by the toothy critters. It's no secret that smallmouth bass love crushing topwater baits. Make sure you take full advantage of every topwater strike you get by picking the right rod and reel for the job.