John Lorenzo

Here's an article I wrote a few years ago for the KFWA newsletter.

Kinzua Topwater Fishing





What’s your favorite type of fishing? One of my favorites and one of many other fishermen is topwater! What person doesn’t like a huge blowup on a topwater bait? Those sudden violent strikes can make your heart race and your hands tremble. Those feelings are part of why we fish right?
The Allegheny Reservoir, or more affectionately known as Kinzua, is a favorite of anglers looking for a great topwater bite. Smallmouth bass, northern pike, and white bass are the three main targets for Kinzua topwater anglers. The reservoir has a healthy population of all three species and all three can be found throughout the lake. Smallmouth are probably the most numerous and the most sought after of the three fish. We will talk about location, equipment, and time of year to catch these species.
The topwater bite on Kinzua usually starts in mid-May and lasts through mid-October. Water temps need to be 55 and rising in the spring and atleast 50+ degrees in the fall. Prime topwater fishing occurs anytime the water is above 60 degrees.
Generally speaking during late May and early June and again in late September through October, smallmouth are shallow and near visible cover. Shallow warm bays, where smallies spawn are the places to look in the spring. A popper type bait will bring bites from smallies when they are shallow. Work it different ways; pop it slow, fast, and often times just pop it and leave it sit for long periods. Smallies that are shallow this time of year will smash baits near their spawning beds or their newly hatched young. Summer is a time of scattered smallmouth action. They can be found just about anywhere this time of year. Often times they will suspend out over deep water or off a main lake point waiting to ambush schools of baitfish. Don’t be afraid to cast over deep water and look for bass busting bait and throw into the frenzy. Poppers work well but my favorite during the summer is a walking stickbait type of lure. A Zara spook is a good example of this kind of bait. They can be hard to work but with a little practice just about anyone can “walk the dog” with one. During the fall just about anywhere on the lake can produce bass on topwater. When the water reaches 60 degrees I generally look shallow first then deeper main lake areas second. A good method of fishing in the fall is to just cover as much water as possible. A fast moving popper bait works best here but zara spooks always seem to bring strikes from bigger fish.
Pike will be found shallow during the spring. They prowl the shallow bays looking to feed up after they spawn. Pike are voracious feeders at this time attacking just about anything that moves. During the summer pike can be found shallow and deep. Look for them near any sort of wood cover. They will use downed trees anywhere they are found and they also use our Christmas tree reefs heavily during the summer. On the main lake and the Kinzua arm look for freshly fallen trees with lots of branches and even leaves. Pike love to use these trees as ambush points. A buzzbait worked over downed trees and Christmas tree reefs will bring violent strikes from these “water wolves”. In fact for pike, I like to throw nothing but a buzzbait, usually 1/4 to 3/8 oz sizes. They just can’t seem to let one go by without smashing it from below. Any color or style seems to work well. Fish them slow or fast, it really doesn’t seem to matter. Another fish that also likes buzzbaits are muskies! Fish for muskies just as you would for pike, except possibly use a little heavier line size.
White bass are another fun fish to catch on “top”. They can be found in basically the same places as a smallmouth throughout the year. I like to fish large 8 to 10 foot deep flats in the summer for them. Chances are when you catch one of these fish, others are nearby. They like to travel in schools. Anywhere from a handful to twenty or more can usually be found in a group. Often times, you can catch a bunch in a hurry, when you run into them. Popper type baits and small 1/8oz buzzbaits are best for these fish. Walking stickbaits are just too big for their smaller mouths.
As for equipment for these fish; I generally use the same rod for all three. I like a 6 ½ to 7 foot rod spooled with atleast 14lb test line. Longer rods enable you to cast farther and cover more water. I like baitcasters but spinning reels will work, especially with the newer braided type lines. Larger diameter mono lines don’t work well on spinning reels but the braids work very well. I don’t use a steel leader when fishing for any of these fish. The pike generally don’t get the whole buzzbait into their mouth so you won’t need a steel leader. I feel leaders just take away from the action and castability of the baits. Use trailer hooks on the buzzbait if you like them. I use them occasionally when I feel the fish are striking a little short. So in recapping: for bass I like popper baits and walking stickbaits, for pike buzzbaits exclusively, and for white bass popper baits and small buzzbaits.
Remember that bass season is closed during the spring but pike and white bass are open during this time. Catch and release bass fishing is legal in PA. I generally release everything I catch but if I’d like to keep some for a fish fry I keep the white bass. They are very prolific and are very tasty. Smallmouth are just too fun to catch and take too long to get very big to take home. Better to leave them go and catch them again later. Big pike are also hard to come by, so if you must, keep a smaller one just over 24 inches and let the bigger ones go. I hope this helps anyone wanting to try some exciting fishing on “our” Kinzua. It can be a fun way to spend the day.