Let's talk Buzzbaits

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Tag Watson on July 21, 2010 at 6:22am

I am a huge fan of black buzzbaits in vegetation. Just a confidence thing. I certainly throw other colors, but unless the water is pretty clear I find myself starting with black on most occasions. Regarding styles, you may need to experiment to see which one is the hot ticket at that time. Personally, I like the Cavitron, Revenge, Strike King Double Take, River2Sea Crystal Buzz and Booyah Counterstrike. Most days, the fish seem to show a preference towards a certain style/sound/retrieve speed, etc.

Good choice of the braid in the vegetation/heavy cover. However, if you are going to use a heavy power rod, I would recommend using a rod that has a mod or mod/fast action vs. a fast or extra fast action. Due to the no stretch properties of the braid, the mod action will help allow the fish to eat the buzzbait a little better and also keep them pinned better during the ensuing battle.

Good luck!

Permalink Reply by Spencer Durand on July 21, 2010 at 12:20pm

I think im going to buy a few Black, black and red, And black and blue.

How often do you use the double bladed buzzbaits?


Tag Watson said:

I am a huge fan of black buzzbaits in vegetation. Just a confidence thing. I certainly throw other colors, but unless the water is pretty clear I find myself starting with black on most occasions. Regarding styles, you may need to experiment to see which one is the hot ticket at that time. Personally, I like the Cavitron, Revenge, Strike King Double Take, River2Sea Crystal Buzz and Booyah Counterstrike. Most days, the fish seem to show a preference towards a certain style/sound/retrieve speed, etc.

Good choice of the braid in the vegetation/heavy cover. However, if you are going to use a heavy power rod, I would recommend using a rod that has a mod or mod/fast action vs. a fast or extra fast action. Due to the no stretch properties of the braid, the mod action will help allow the fish to eat the buzzbait a little better and also keep them pinned better during the ensuing battle.

Good luck!

Permalink Reply by Tag Watson on July 21, 2010 at 1:00pm

If you have a budget in mind, I would recommend going with a few different sizes/styles vs. different variations of black. I believe 3 or 4 colors will suffice. Black or any variation (black/red, black/blue), a translucent (smoke/baitfish) type skirt, a bright color (white, chart, chart shad, chart/white, limetreuse) and possibly a natural sunfish type skirt like the Revenge Bluegill (just because it's too sexy not to throw).

I use the double prop buzzbaits a fair amount. There are inline double prop buzzbaits like the Booyah Counter Strike and R2S Crystal Buzz as well as double arm/double prop buzzbaits like the Strike King double take. A big difference in sound and surface commotion with these three baits. I like them all in certain situations. Let the water clarity, water temp, light conditions, fish activity level, weather, surface chop, cover, etc. dictate which sound/disturbance seems most appropriate to start with. Unfortunately, it is rarely an exact science when selecting the best buzzbait for the day or hour. The best advice I can give is to make sure you have a couple different sizes/styles of double and single prop buzzbaits and continue to experiment.

Spencer Durand said:

I think im going to buy a few Black, black and red, And black and blue.

How often do you use the double bladed buzzbaits?


Tag Watson said:

I am a huge fan of black buzzbaits in vegetation. Just a confidence thing. I certainly throw other colors, but unless the water is pretty clear I find myself starting with black on most occasions. Regarding styles, you may need to experiment to see which one is the hot ticket at that time. Personally, I like the Cavitron, Revenge, Strike King Double Take, River2Sea Crystal Buzz and Booyah Counterstrike. Most days, the fish seem to show a preference towards a certain style/sound/retrieve speed, etc.

Good choice of the braid in the vegetation/heavy cover. However, if you are going to use a heavy power rod, I would recommend using a rod that has a mod or mod/fast action vs. a fast or extra fast action. Due to the no stretch properties of the braid, the mod action will help allow the fish to eat the buzzbait a little better and also keep them pinned better during the ensuing battle.

Good luck!

Permalink Reply by Spencer Durand on July 21, 2010 at 5:38pm

How bout to the Frog buzz baits. Seen those a few time. Ever try em'?


Craig Taylor said:

Man, once you get a solid fish on a buzzbait, your hooked on buzzbaits for life! IMO long casting distance is one of the key factors with successful buzzbaiting. 7'6" rod with the action Tag mentioned will get the job done. Of corce if you are in reel thick stuff, be careful with how long the cast is. Also, don't get me wrong, pitching buzzbaits can be very fun.

Along with switching colors, it helps to experiment with different sizes. Typically I start with 1/2oz. and I will say for me 7/10 times I end up staying with that. You can get great casting distance (i use brade too) with 1/2oz. You can burn or crawl it on the surface when needed and you can also very the pitches (sounds) the blade makes. Obviously the faster you go, the higher the pitch and the slower you, go the deeper the pitch. Following color, the sound the buzzbait makes is my main focus. That aspect of buzzbaiting is the most overlooked I think.

When I downsize, I go to 1/4oz. I only really do this when it is nice and calm (rain or shine), not getting that many blowups, too many short-strikes or even just followers. The smaller bait will usually provide a smaller blade that will make a over all higher pitch. Dropping to 30lb brade helps casting control too. I go to 3/4 oz on windy days or when the rollers are out. When it is reel stormy on a summer or early fall day, I will use these on open water weed lines. Weed lines that are showing and ones that are 2"-5' from the surface are my prime targets.

Tag mentioned great brands to go with. Try them. My favorite however is the Time bomb buzzbaits you can find in Shell stations, Texaco stations, 76's. I know it's silly but I'm being honest. I use the newer brands yea, but those little things put fish in the live-well!

Permalink Reply by cody hampton on July 22, 2010 at 12:51am

Like the Zoom Horny toad and stuff? If so i have used those kinds of baits a lot and love them, not only do they work like a buzzbait, you can throw them where buzzbaits would get hung up, like thick matted weeds and stuff. For the Horny toad i use my flippin stick, which is 7ft 9in, but has a soft tip so i can throw them pretty well and make long casts, I use a 4/0 or a 5/0 EWG Gama hook which works well. The Horny toad has more of a subtle noise, while the Strike King Rage Toad spits a lot more water and has a more high pitch noise like a regular buzzbait.

Spencer Durand said:

How bout to the Frog buzz baits. Seen those a few time. Ever try em'?


Craig Taylor said:

Man, once you get a solid fish on a buzzbait, your hooked on buzzbaits for life! IMO long casting distance is one of the key factors with successful buzzbaiting. 7'6" rod with the action Tag mentioned will get the job done. Of corce if you are in reel thick stuff, be careful with how long the cast is. Also, don't get me wrong, pitching buzzbaits can be very fun.

Along with switching colors, it helps to experiment with different sizes. Typically I start with 1/2oz. and I will say for me 7/10 times I end up staying with that. You can get great casting distance (i use brade too) with 1/2oz. You can burn or crawl it on the surface when needed and you can also very the pitches (sounds) the blade makes. Obviously the faster you go, the higher the pitch and the slower you, go the deeper the pitch. Following color, the sound the buzzbait makes is my main focus. That aspect of buzzbaiting is the most overlooked I think.

When I downsize, I go to 1/4oz. I only really do this when it is nice and calm (rain or shine), not getting that many blowups, too many short-strikes or even just followers. The smaller bait will usually provide a smaller blade that will make a over all higher pitch. Dropping to 30lb brade helps casting control too. I go to 3/4 oz on windy days or when the rollers are out. When it is reel stormy on a summer or early fall day, I will use these on open water weed lines. Weed lines that are showing and ones that are 2"-5' from the surface are my prime targets.

Tag mentioned great brands to go with. Try them. My favorite however is the Time bomb buzzbaits you can find in Shell stations, Texaco stations, 76's. I know it's silly but I'm being honest. I use the newer brands yea, but those little things put fish in the live-well!

Permalink Reply by Spencer Durand on July 22, 2010 at 12:57am

No more like these.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3wDkOe50B60/SLYODlGCSdI/AAAAAAAAAJA/94YUr...

cody hampton said:

Like the Zoom Horny toad and stuff? If so i have used those kinds of baits a lot and love them, not only do they work like a buzzbait, you can throw them where buzzbaits would get hung up, like thick matted weeds and stuff. For the Horny toad i use my flippin stick, which is 7ft 9in, but has a soft tip so i can throw them pretty well and make long casts, I use a 4/0 or a 5/0 EWG Gama hook which works well. The Horny toad has more of a subtle noise, while the Strike King Rage Toad spits a lot more water and has a more high pitch noise like a regular buzzbait.

Spencer Durand said:

How bout to the Frog buzz baits. Seen those a few time. Ever try em'?


Craig Taylor said:

Man, once you get a solid fish on a buzzbait, your hooked on buzzbaits for life! IMO long casting distance is one of the key factors with successful buzzbaiting. 7'6" rod with the action Tag mentioned will get the job done. Of corce if you are in reel thick stuff, be careful with how long the cast is. Also, don't get me wrong, pitching buzzbaits can be very fun.

Along with switching colors, it helps to experiment with different sizes. Typically I start with 1/2oz. and I will say for me 7/10 times I end up staying with that. You can get great casting distance (i use brade too) with 1/2oz. You can burn or crawl it on the surface when needed and you can also very the pitches (sounds) the blade makes. Obviously the faster you go, the higher the pitch and the slower you, go the deeper the pitch. Following color, the sound the buzzbait makes is my main focus. That aspect of buzzbaiting is the most overlooked I think.

When I downsize, I go to 1/4oz. I only really do this when it is nice and calm (rain or shine), not getting that many blowups, too many short-strikes or even just followers. The smaller bait will usually provide a smaller blade that will make a over all higher pitch. Dropping to 30lb brade helps casting control too. I go to 3/4 oz on windy days or when the rollers are out. When it is reel stormy on a summer or early fall day, I will use these on open water weed lines. Weed lines that are showing and ones that are 2"-5' from the surface are my prime targets.

Tag mentioned great brands to go with. Try them. My favorite however is the Time bomb buzzbaits you can find in Shell stations, Texaco stations, 76's. I know it's silly but I'm being honest. I use the newer brands yea, but those little things put fish in the live-well!

Permalink Reply by P.J. Koshi on July 22, 2010 at 6:27pm

There was once a buzzbait with a slight frog influence called a Dilly. I had one that caught so many fish it got completely mangled and I can no longer get it where I did originally and I heard it's not made any longer. I am a big fan of the B2 double buzzer with the floats white and chartruse.