Favorite / Most productive Top water?

[RoLo]

What is so unmouthable about a buzzbait? I fish the med. length one made by Booyah so the fish is basically biting/mouthing a spinner bait without the blades. Thanks Again Matt

For example Matt, most anglers who add scent to their lures are looking for an extra few microseconds of mouthability.

The soft plastic lure does the same thing, but instead of using the sense of taste and smell, it uses the sense of touch and feel.

A hard buzzbait consists of a whirling metal blade, a hard body, a hard wire-arm and a hard hook. The only hard component

on a soft plastic toad is the hook, the one component we can't eliminate. How much difference does this really make?

Most of the time it probably makes no difference at all. But during those few fence-cases, a few microseconds

could spell the difference between a hookup and a missed fish.

      By the way, your Booyah is a real nice buzzbait, in fact they remind me of the Lunker City buzzbait,

which I believe was the very first buzzbait and still one of the best.

Is there anything different or better about the frog you recommended that might improve my results?

1)

Technically speaking Matt, a frog is generally a "hollow plastic" lure, while a toad (like the cane toad) is "solid plastic".

Being solid plastic is the toad's first big advantage. Hollow frogs have an opening around the line-eye and around the hook,

therefore no hollow-bodied frog is totally immune to taking on water. As soon as a little water gets in the fuselage,

the frog sits lower on the surface, which destroys the action, and if left untended it'll ultimately sink.

It's a real drag having to stop fishing in order to wring the water out of the hollow frog, but that's never a concern with a solid toad.

2)

The horny toad is a hoot, but I like it better as a subsurface lure and not as a topwater lure.

The horny toad sinks rather quickly therefore a brisk pace is needed to keep it on the surface.

When bass are actively aggressive the brisk pace is not a problem, but bass spend most of their time in a passive disposition.

The cane toad, on the other hand, can be slowed down nearly to a standstill before it begins to sink.

3)

In addition to staying on the water surface at slow speeds, it's important that the feet remain active at low speeds.

I compared the low-speed action of many toad brands, using a partner who simultaneously retrieved another brand of toad.

Toads whose feet remained active at the slowest forward speeds were the Cane Toad and the Sizmic Toad (virtually a dead heat).

4)

As for noise, I don't know any soft topwater that produces as much water disturbance as the cane toad.

This is important during twilight hours and in murky water. When you burn the sucker it makes almost as much commotion

as a Cavitron buzzbait

5)

The cane toad is shaped like a surfboard, with a wide beam and thin fuselage. The broad beam helps to skate the toad

on the surface and during the hook-set the wafer-like body doesn't clog the hook throat with plastic.

6)

Since the rat won at Guntersville, there haven't been very many tournament wins on toads and frogs, that is until the cane toad.

In local tournaments where I live (central Florida) the cane toad has been making a lot of money.

I noticed that Gambler's testimonials revealed the same thing at state and national levels. Here are a few:

Ron Fabiszak wins the Okeechobee FLW. On the final day Ron caught his two best fish on the

Gambler Cane Toad and took home the $25,000 check.

Christopher McCall fished the Gambler Cane Toad in bullfrog to seal the deal in the Central Division Championship and take second place in the Sam Rayburn Stren Tournament.

In Moonshine Bay Okeechobee, Chris Lane wins the Southern Open on a black Cane Toad

with a overall weight of 54 lbs. Chris buzzed heavy grass, pads and reeds, and credits the Cane Toad's ability to stay on top of the water at a slow pace.

Ron Shuffield took third at the Classic using the Gambler Cane Toad with 47-14 on Lake Kissimmee.

Chris Lane was the first rookie ever to win the Champlain Bassmaster Elite Series. During the fourth day Chris said he went through five bags of Cane Toads during a 2-hour period, it was crazy. The camera guy had all he needed in 30 minutes, and said he'd never seen anything like it before.

Roger

[Jimzee]

the cavitron buzz bait is by far my favorite to throw

Mine too.  

[the ohh face]

All time favorite is the pop-r.  Thats top of the list cause its one of the first lures I used after i graduated from earth worms at 6.  Probably caught the most fish on black buzzbaits (from several companies) fished at dusk.

[lovecranking]

So how do you rig a sizmic toad? If I'm using it as a topwater, my guess is that it's weightless w/4/0 ewg rigged t-style, correct? Then also does it matter if you are using a spinning or casting reel? After casting out, am I bringing the toad back like a buzzbait?

[bugman]

hard baits = pop-r, spooks & jitterbugs.

soft baits = toads, spro bronz eye frogs.

I just picked up a LC splash tail in chart shad. the props spin with the lightest twitch.

[Gorgebassman]

My all time favorite is a storm rattlin chug bug. I have fished it more than any other but lately been having luck on the lews speed lures popper and caught a couple on the lews speed lures pencil as well.

[MALTESE FALCON]

For me it's the Zara Spook hands down. Number two would have to be Rapala Skitter Pop.

Falcon

[JayW]

I love Zara Spooks, Bang O' Lures and a Buzz baits. Those are my favorites.

[RoLo]

So how do you rig a sizmic toad?

If I'm using it as a topwater, my guess is that it's weightless w/4/0 ewg rigged t-style, correct?

Exactly! (unweighted - 4/0 hook - T-rigged)

But I'd go with a standard wire Gammy (series 54) rather than a super line Gammy (series 74).

With the lighter hook the toad floats higher with better foot-action

Then also does it matter if you are using a spinning or casting reel?

What's a casting reel? Never mind, I'm just being a wise guy. Yes, I use spinning gear for everything.

After casting out, am I bringing the toad back like a buzzbait?

Sometimes you can, especially when bass are feeding actively on top.

Most of the time though, I'll hold the rod-tip high and crank the reel Slowly & Steadily, just fast enough for reliable foot-action

That makes it easier for lazy bass to home-in on the lure.

One other thing, be sure to choose a Sizmic Toad designated as "High-Floater", which only come in three colors.

I use White, but I'm sure the other colors are equally effective.

http://www.unclejosh.com/sizmiclure/modules/cart/navigate.php/nav_id/49

Roger

[Brad_Coovert]

Walking baits.  There are a lot of them to choose from, but my perosonal favs are the LC Sammy, RI Vixens, Zara Spook series and the Spittin' Image.

Brad

[rbrick]

RoLo,

Don't want to change the subject but which rat won at Guntersville?

[Rattlinrogue]

Floating Minnows such as Rapalas and Rogues,Tiny Torpedo,Devil's Horse,and a Buzzbait are the topwaters that I catch bass on.

[Culprit]

Have to go with a Rebel Pop R in ole baby bass  

Theres alot of great topwater lures the pop r has just been good to me throughout the years

[Captain Cali]

Walking baits produce the best for me also. Favorite is the Gun Fish 95 in Ghost Blue Shad.

Just got my hands on a Barely Legal Vixen and I think it's going to produce very nice. I like the fact that, when dead sticked, the back end doesn't sink like the Gun Fish and Sammy. It's also loud and has a unique sound.

[island bassin]

Pop-r closely followed by a buzzbait

[Guest avid]

My favorite lures change all the time.

I think right now I'd say a megabass pop max, a lubina rico, a super spook jr, a baby torpedo and a spro bronze eye

[Taliesin]

For me it has to be the Tiny torpedoe, partly because it can be fished in so many different ways. Fast, slow, erratic, straight, walked, twitched, just about any type of action.

Following that is the Super Spook, buzz baits, and soft plastics.

If it is really mossy I'll use a hollow frog too.

[RoLo]

RoLo,

Don't want to change the subject but which rat won at Guntersville?

I don't recall the original rat, but it looked the same as the Snag Proof Boss Rat

Roger

[Pond Hopper]

Booyah buzzbaits and Ribbits.  Although up in MN for smallies I had a blast fishing a Hula Popper.  I am similar to the guy mentioned before, have never seen a topwater I didnt want to throw.

[dingesslee]

Buzzbaits are my first to try bait. Then popR's, Zara puppy spook and now the Rapala pop'r lure.

[T-Bone]

Buzzbait w/ gold blade

Pop-R

Super Spook

Devil's Horse

Snag Proof frog

Buzzfrog

I like them all but it depends on where I'm fishing and what the fish are feeding on.

T-Bone

[Bass_junky]

I am surprised nobody mentioned the new swimming senko's.  I have found this to be a potential #1 for me in clear water.  Think about it, if it misses on first strike, simply stop the retrieve and let it sink, 75% have given a second opportunity for a hook set.

[captbob]

Have a couple of real old woodies I like, a Zara spook that can jump clear out of the water, and 3 old repainted flatfish that work when nothing else does on a learned retrieve only.

[Bassassasin12]

My go to topwaters are the spro bronzeye frog, heddon tiny torpedo, and rapala skitterprop.

[BassHunter69]

my biggest producers are the zara spook, strike kings mini buzz in chartruse,then the mini in spinner in same color, also the zoom black lizrd with red flakes as a top water my other big producer is strike kings boot tailed frog