Top pairs and bad kickers, any advice?

This is my first post, so go easy if this is embarassingly basic...

What do people do when they flop top pair with a bad kicker? The problem is this tends to only happen in the BB when I've checked with J-4 or similar trash, which leaves me out of position for the hand. I tend to lead at the flop, especially if there's a potential flush draw or similar, as I want to protect my hand. Are people happy to give up on small pots like this and wait for a blank to hit on the turn before betting? Or if you bet and get called, do you consider yourself beaten and check/fold the turn?

I feel like I can burn up a lot of chips trying to protect bad hands, only to find I was losing all the way.

Any help gratefully received...

[djoyce003]

I usually take a stab at the pot on the flop, but shut down if I get any action at all.

I usually lead with top-pair, and check fold later streets if unimproved. But this very much dependant on the board. If theres a lot of draws out there and I only get called, I might think I have the best hand. But usually I have no problems letting go if I get action.

[subzero]

This is how I play it (full ring). I'll assume everyone limped preflop. If a few players (three or less) see the flop, I play it like I have a good kicker. I'll bet 3/4 pot and expect to take it down most of the time. Sometimes I'll even check-raise to induce a bluff from a LP player. If I'm called, I'll have to use my reads to determine how to proceed. It's a tougher situation if I'm raised, but I can always fold at that point.

If several players (more than three) see the flop, TPWK is more difficult to play. On a weak-tight table, I may take a stab with a 3/4 pot bet. Sometimes I'll check and if it gets checked around, I'll take a stab on the turn. Of course draws are a concern. I don't like betting a draw heavy flop with TPWK, OOP against several players.

[Morrek]

Especially against weak/passive opponents (very common for me) I like check/fold flop and bet turn with TPNK, because if I bet and they call I still have no idea where I am and feel like I have to bet again to protect my hand against straight/flush draws but they usually showdown TPGK and I've burnt a reasonable amount of chips on a crap hand.
However if I check flop and it's checked around, I feel a bet on the turn gets called by worse pairs than top pairs aswell, so I'm more likely to be ahead than if I bet the flop.

[fuzzbox]

No need to protect a hand that doesnt figure to be much good. OOP with TPNK on a draw-heavy board multiway doesnt give you much equity, so just check-fold fairly often.

Less players, and maybe you can consider betting, but its not really worth a whole lot, and is more likely to cost you money than to make you money.

[Komodo]

If many have limped and board is draw heavy, then I think check/fold migth be best. Best case scenario is probably a 50-50 against a good draw. If there is only a few limpers and table is tigth, its probably correct to take a stab at it.

[kitaristi0]

At the lower limit tables, I'll just fold against 3+ opponents (ok, some special situations may rise when i'll bet). There's no need to get involved with a mediocre hand, when just waiting for the goods pays off big.

[gunslingner]

check/fold