Buzzbait Advice

[The Baron]

We’re hitting a small (est. 50 acre) lake tomorrow for largemouth (no smallmouth in this lake, which is unusual up here in SE Ontario). The lake is more or less oval, with a creek in/out at opposite ends.  I think the max depth is 12-15 feet, but that’s a guesstimate.  I’m planning to just cover the whole lake to find them, expecting that near the creeks will be the spot.

 

I’m planning to grab a couple Booyah buzzbaits in the morning on our way out (selection is limited up here and I know the local store stocks some Booyah).  
 

I’ve never fished a buzzbait, so have many questions….

- what weight should I buy?

- is a trailer “required”?  What trailer?

- is 40# braid ok?  Do I need a leader? 

- I’ve got option of a couple 7’-7’1” MH/F rods or a 7’ MH/moderate Okuma EVX crankbait rod - is one a much better choice over the other?

- colours… black or white, I presume?

 

Thanks to YouTube, I’m comfortable with how to fish the buzzbait, I just want to show up with the right tools.

[Jmurphy87]

About to run out the door to head to work but here's my quick opinion. No trailer or if you want to use one a paddle tail works great, might want trailer hook depends on how there hitting it that day. Braid is fine no leader, weight 3/8-1/2 Oz is what I normally use. Go with the mh/f rod and a black and white is all you need. Sorry for the short response but hope I helped. 

[Luke Barnes]

My experience is limited but I love the buzz bait. Your line should be fine, its a single stout hook that I equate to a topwater chatterbait or spinnerbait. A 7' MH/F would be just fine I think. That's what I used until I got a MH/MF for chatterbaits and like it for buzzbaits. 

 

As far as trailers I always went with a paddle tail until I learned from here to try a Zoom Z Craw and I'm glad I did. It comes to plane super fast and its the only thing that got bit last time out. That's even over a wacky rig. 

[papajoe222]

No need for a leader on a fast moving bait and a trailer hook can be of benefit if you're getting blow ups, but missing fish.  A trailer is optional, but beneficial if you want to slow down your retrieve and still keep the buzzer on top.  As for weight, I'm assuming you'll be using casting gear, it's a trade off as a 1/2oz. will be a little easier to cast, but will likely require a faster retrieve to keep it up top.  A 3/8oz. will be easier to keep up, but difficult to get much distance on.  I recommend getting one of each. As for colors ( I know you didn't ask), black or white is really all you need IMO.

[scaleface]

With a 7 foot mh action rod , I opt for a half ounce . It cast better  for me  , better  accuracy. A trailer is not needed . If a trailer is used then I will go with a 3/8 ounce for the same reason . The trailer adds weight . I remove the skirt and put a paddletail swimbait on a 3/8 bait ounce most of the time .

 

Most people , including me , want a buzzbait to squeal . Crimp the rivet so it does not spin  , to make it noisier .

 

They have a tendency to not run straight . Thats okay . use it to your advantage by casting to the side of stuff and let the lure bump into it .

 

As far as color a lot of folks use  black . I like shad/baitfish colors in daylight and black at night .

 

Toss them in the same tight spots , you would throw a spinnerbait .

[Mobasser]

With any buzzbait, make sure your hooks are super sharp.

[Eddie101]

6 hours ago, scaleface said:

 I remove the skirt and put a paddletail swimbait on a 3/8 bait ounce most of the time .

 

This.

[Oklahoma Mike]

Trailer hook is usually not needed. If you’re missing a lot of fish it’s most likely because there’s too little space between the hook and the end of the arm. First thing I do with a new buzzbait out of the package is to maximize this space. 
 

Simply slide the paddle up toward the end (tie end) of the bait, slide the rivet up and crimp it. Now re-bend the 90 on the wire and cut off excess. Problem solved. 
 

as for the rest, pretty much answered… no need for a leader, use the MHF rod, trailer optional. Also consider taking off the skirt and just going with a plastic like a paddle tail or a craw. 

[islandbass]

Since you already got great advice, I’ll just add this. Like spinnerbaits, buzzbaits are known for not being aerodynamic and as a result, if the wind catches it right, an overrun can start somewhere in the cast. Therefore be mindful to have your thumb on alert. It might not be windy where you are, but the wind can influence the buzzbaits flight and it may not be visible to you. 
 

Buzzbait catches, like other top water catches are just awesome. Wham! Bam! Good luck and report back. 

[Kenny Yi]

14 hours ago, Luke Barnes said:

As far as trailers I always went with a paddle tail until I learned from here to try a Zoom Z Craw and I'm glad I did.

my favorite buzzbait trailer, no need for a trailer hook since the bait is already compact

7 hours ago, scaleface said:

Most people , including me , want a buzzbait to squeal . Crimp the rivet so it does not spin  , to make it noisier .

I think I've seen people rough up the blade and rivet where they touch so that it's pure rough aluminum contact, I need to try this soon

[scaleface]

1 hour ago, Kenny Yi said:

I think I've seen people rough up the blade and rivet where they touch so that it's pure rough aluminum contact, I need to try this soon

I have grabbed the lips of the blades and rivet with needle nose pliers , wherever I could get a hold , then squeeze as hard as I can . 

[The Baron]

Well, I had a great day.   Picked up 2 Booyah buzzbaits - 1 black and 1 white.  All the store had were 3/8oz. which was disappointing, but once we were fishing I was glad because these were plenty heavy enough for me.  I had some blue/black toads so added a trailer to the black one, but fished the white without for comparison. The bass had no clear preference and I caught about 8-10 on each in the afternoon.  I did find the black casted further (extra weight of the trailer) and also rose up quicker/could be retrieved slower due to the trailer holding it up (although, that could just be my perception as the black was on a much higher speed reel).  I’ll be buying some white trailers - probably a paddle tail (any recommendations on size/brand?).

 

I’ve got no baseline, but hookup and landing percentage was very high and it felt like the MH/F rod was a good fit.  The 8.3:1 reel on my St. Croix BassX was my preference over the 6.8:1 we had on our Duckett rod.

 

The mention of wind and and backlash is true.  While we had no serious issues, there was some tuning and casting with or into the wind were different experiences.

 

Unfortunately, none of the fish caught were over maybe 1.5#.  I kept waiting for a “decent” one for a photo opp to share, but then we were done and I realized I hadn’t taken any fish pics - I was just having too much fun.?

 

Thank you all for the input and advice - it was a big help. 

[Boomstick]

23 hours ago, The Baron said:

what weight should I buy?

- is a trailer “required”?  What trailer?

- is 40# braid ok?  Do I need a leader? 

- I’ve got option of a couple 7’-7’1” MH/F rods or a 7’ MH/moderate Okuma EVX crankbait rod - is one a much better choice over the other?

- colours… black or white, I presume

 

3/8oz and 1/2oz are the standard sizes. I generally prefer 3/8oz because you can work it slower and it will still stay above the water. If you only buy one, buy a white 3/8oz model, and if you buy two, buy a black one. Then add in some 1/2oz models. 

For rods, a MH/F rod is good, and 15# mono or 30# or 40# braid is fine. And they work great in the fall!