Buzz Baits

[Brett's_daddy]

I just saw these being used on a video the other day...do these really work? What setups do you use (single or double blade, 1 hook or 2)? This guy use a double blade with 2 hooks and on the top hook he added a soft bait horny toad. They come in a bunch of different colors, some bright and some dark...which work best? What would work on my pole (up to 5/8 oz.)?

[gardnerjigman]

Cavitron, Omega Alpha Shad. 

[Team9nine]

Bait specifics just depend on what you like. Caught a bunch on buzzbait just yesterday. One of my favorite ways to fish. I use the Accent "Game Changer" which is designed to be used with either a skirt or a soft toad bait.

 

-T9

[MasonV]

Yes, buzzbaits are great and one of the most exciting ways to catch fish. I always use a trailer hook and usually just use a single blade. The single blade standard size is 3/8 oz so you'd be fine there. Some double blades can be 1/2 oz... As far as color I generally throw a natural or shad color, white or chartreuse/white in clear water. Stained I'll start using a chartreuse and muddy or low light conditions I'll consider black.

[deep]

My 3/8 oz Cavitron (no trailer, no trailer hook) weighs 18.7 grams.

 

5/8 oz = 17.7 grams approximately.

 

With that rod you're pretty much limited to 1/4 oz or lighter buzzers.

[dday07]

They are the most versatile of all topwater lures..i use diff. sounding buzzbaits at diff. times...more subtle fluttering ones in clear,shallow water and clackers in more stained and low light conditions particularly nite fishing

[bigbill]

Colors in low light, cloudy, twilight conditions before dark as the light go away I use chartruese colors.

From sunny to early evening conditions again when the bite shuts down go chartruese. There eyes are adjusting to the change in light conditions.

The basses eyes change faster than the bait fishes eyes to the change in the light conditions. This causes the early evening frenzy.

As it goes from twilight to almost dark as a kid I put on a 6" uncle Josh white pork strip on a hook. I casted it out and seen it being pulled in every direction. This told me that white colors may work too.

My point is break the rules, breakout of the norm, try different colors. One color may catch a few while another color could load the boat. Don't miss out on learning something new. Test the bass they just might teach us.

[Senko lover]

Yup, they do really work

[FinCulture]

black or white colors are always good. Maybe throw a trailer hook on one if you want. Buzzbait hooks are nice and exposed anyway and they are easy to get hookups with. Just start your retrieve as soon as the bait hits the water because they also sink pretty fast!

[Random Tackle]

1/4 or 3/8 black/black naked Cavitron.  Never had a need for any other buzzbait. 

[Bluebasser86]

21lb 12oz bag all on a 3/8 black on black Cavitron. 

[scaleface]

They work best sun up and sunset or on cloudy days. If youre out on a misty to slight rainy day you may have a memorable day.  These are not set rules . I will fish them in the middle of a sunny day if there seems to be a lot of topwater feeding going on .

[Balshy Fishing]

You guys are lucky. I havent caught anything on these yet.

[Bluebasser86]

You guys are lucky. I havent caught anything on these yet.

Don't give up on them, it's worth it when you get on a hot bite. You might try them when they're not supposed to work. The fish in the picture I posted were all caught on a calm, sunny spring day. The bite actually stopped as the sun started to get low, opposite of how it's supposed to work. 

[RUSS9999]

For me black with green tips most of the time. Have them in many colors and catch fish on all of them. Smoky chad is good in clear water. Single blade strike king try wing and the strike king KVD Tournament grade.

[MIbassyaker]

You guys are lucky. I havent caught anything on these yet.

I caught my first buzzbait fish ever this year on a 1/4 white/chartreuse cavitron. I've had buzzbaits of various kinds in my tacklebox for years, and would try them occasionally but never had any success. This year, I targeted buzzbaits as one of the lures/rigs I was going to work on, bought a couple cavitrons on the recommendations of people here, and I've had one tied on everywhere I go.  I'm not throwing them constantly, but I've gotten to the point where, if I end up in a good position to buzz past some nice cover several times, especially if it's early or late, or a little cloudy, I'll go for it. and I've discovered I can get at least a blow-up pretty often by being more persistent than I used to be.

[Drew03cmc]

Does blade color matter on a Cavitron? I'm looking to pick a few up soon. I know I want chartreuse/white and black. I assume a black blade on the black one and a gold blade on the other, but what say you?

[iabass8]

I fish a gold blade 100% of the time. To me, skirt vs soft plastic is more of a determining factor than blade color.

[Drew03cmc]

Okay, so blade color isn't too vital. Your issue of skirt vs soft plastic, does it include skirt and trailers or simply whether or not to use a skirt?

[iabass8]

I either use just a skirt or just a soft plastic. I really find myself using a 5" grub or soft plastic horny toad /lizard more often than not. I rarely mix the two (skirt/plastic) because i have multiples of the same buzzbaits to have either a skirt or soft plastic. Its a pain taking the skirt off cavitrons because the keeper is very good. I keep it very simple with cavitrons. White/gold blade and black/gold blade. 1/4oz and 3/8 depening on the time of year. I use 1/4oz during the dog days of summer and 3/8 during the feed or rising water.

[RoLo]

You might try them when they're not supposed to work. The fish in the picture were all caught on a calm, sunny spring day.

 

Interesting, my best buzzbait day was a calm, sunny afternoon in late spring.

Location didn't seem to matter that day, and at every stop I encountered

a nonstop feeding frenzy, and a hook-up ratio close to 100%.

 

Now for the bad news.

That was about 10 years ago, and I'm still waiting for a repeat performance 

 

Roger

[Bluebasser86]

Does blade color matter on a Cavitron? I'm looking to pick a few up soon. I know I want chartreuse/white and black. I assume a black blade on the black one and a gold blade on the other, but what say you?

I do good with black or red either one but it's not really a deciding factor when I tie one on. 

[MIbassyaker]

I either use just a skirt or just a soft plastic. I really find myself using a 5" grub or soft plastic horny toad /lizard more often than not. I rarely mix the two (skirt/plastic) because i have multiples of the same buzzbaits to have either a skirt or soft plastic. Its a pain taking the skirt off cavitrons because the keeper is very good. I keep it very simple with cavitrons. White/gold blade and black/gold blade. 1/4oz and 3/8 depening on the time of year. I use 1/4oz during the dog days of summer and 3/8 during the feed or rising water.

Funny you should mention that -- I have got two more 3/8s coming from tackle warehouse, in white and black, just for fall.

 

 

Okay, so blade color isn't too vital. Your issue of skirt vs soft plastic, does it include skirt and trailers or simply whether or not to use a skirt?

Most buzzbaits just come with a skirt but you can take it off. I've only gotten into buzzbaits this summer. Been going with chartreuse or chart/white in murky/stained water, and black in clear water. Although I'm guessing you could probably use all white skirt or all black skirt anywhere, any time, and do OK. 

[Bobby Uhrig]

Got this 6.5 humpback on a black and gold 1/4 oz sat right before dark- in NY state -When ya get the humpback you know its an old fish - Estimated at 12 years old