Ice out and Silver Buddys

[justfishin]

I always leave myself open on my choice of tactics on prespawn fish. I am talking about the early season after the ice out. You northern guys know what I am talking about. One of my long time favorites and great producers for this early season is a Silver Buddie on the deep points and creek channels on the main lake. Anyone else like the Silver Buddy's this time of year?

[Triton21]

The Buddy is a great cold water lure.  I know Buddy Banks (inventor of the Buddy) who has turned the lure bussiness over to Kendall (his son).  The Silver Buddy was a favorite winter lure of Billy Westmoreland.  He taught me how to fish it his way on Dale Hollow.

Kelley

[jdw174]

The Buddy is an outstanding lure anytime the fish are deep.....not just in cold water.  I believe, though, that the vibration/action has changed on the newer ones.  The 1/2oz (my favorite) seems to have a heavier/slower action than the older ones did.  I still have several of the older ones in 1/2 and 1/4 oz.  Great lures.

[justfishin]

Pretty good stuff Triton21. The opportunity to fish with Billy Westmoreland on Dale Hollow had to be a great learning experience as well as being a lot of fun. Care to share anything Bill shared with you on using a Silver Buddy? I like to throw them on steep points and creek channels, free fall them and then either yo-yo them back to the boat or just snap my wrist  jig style.

[Triton21]

Billy was my very good friend and I miss him a lot.  I spent many nights with him and Jane in their home on a point overlooking Horse Creek.  His favorite ways to fish the Buddy was to let it fall to the bottom and either pop it, let fall back, doing this all the way to the boat or let it fall to bottom, pop it a couple times lett it fall back between pops then reel it slowly just off bottom back to the boat.  Also he would fish it over grass beds(like fishing a rattle trap) just ticking the top of the grass.  If it got snagged he would jerk it loose and that way produced many reaction strikes.  He also fished it for schooling fish, ie. Bass, White Bass, Stripers (Rockfish).  He would vertical jig it for suspended fish.

Kelley

[Triton21]

Also a thread go on the Smallmouth area of Forrum.

[justfishin]

I appreciate your sharing of the info. Sounds like Bill was a wonderful friend. He was a great fisherman and held a wealth of knowledge only time and experience can give you. I was a fan of his, as well as, his tactics. Have a good year Triton21 and I hope your rods stay bent. Again, thanks.

[RockvilleMDAngler]

I think Silver Buddy went out of business. The site was down for a few months and when it came back I put in an order and it never arrived (over 2 months ago) and nobody returns my calls or answers the phone.

[justfishin]

Bass Pro Shops sells a similar item as the Silver Buddy.

[roadwarrior]

BPS still has Silver Buddies, I just bought some recently. A substitute that has been HIGHLY recommended to me is the Cordell Gay Blade which BPS also carries. Yeah, I know...in this day and age, maybe Cordell should modify the name a bit.

[justfishin]

I agree RW. I don't know whom named that bait the gay blade for Cordell but, I would take him off of the list of guys whom give names to their baits. I would say he probably has a hot pink bass boat and his life jacket looks like a feather bowa.  ;D ;D ;D

[lubina]

I ran out of Silver Buddies but I have been using this Cicada that BPS also sells and doing good with them, the hooks are horrible but I use to change the ones on the Buddy anyway. A feather treble hook works well on them.

[rocknfish9001]

I just bought a few the other day. Ice out silver buddies is an outstanding way to catch ice-out bass. I have suggested this technique many times on this site, and it seems to be catching on!

[Tpayneful]

Several Ice breaker tournaments were won on a Silver Buddy in central Virginia.  Several retailers mentioned that the dstributor quit sending them and that the telephone number no longer works.  Green Tops, Ken's Tackle and Gander Mountain sold out of all of their 1/2 oz silver ones.  I happened to find four at Walmart.  A few months ago I sent an email to their email address and asked them if they were still in business.  They responded and said that the company was family owned and operated and that they had an illness in the family.  They did not have the ability to produce enough to send out to stores at this time but they would fill internet orders.  

[RockvilleMDAngler]

I put in an internet order on January 6, 2007 and it has still not been filled.

[Tpayneful]

RockvilleMDAngler,

                          That stinks!  I hope they haven't charged your credit card.  I did see a few copies of a silver buddy on ebay a while back and some at a booth at Bassarama.