Will this work? Buzzbait

[Ryan N]

I have a 5 inch paddle tail on a buzzbait. Will this work?

[scaleface]

yes.

[Ryan N]

50 minutes ago, scaleface said:

yes.

Any tips on buzzbaits? I’m doing a steady retrieve with rod tip high, just fast enough to keep it on the surface

[DaubsNU1]

I have had good luck pitching buzz-baits shallow, and bouncing them off trees when possible.

 

A slow steady retrieve is my normal. There are times when I vary the retrieve...slow...then buzz quick for a bit...then back slow.

 

Buzz-bait is one of my favorite ways to catch fish early in the morning.

 

Don't be afraid to throw it in the same spot multiple times...ticks the bass off : )

[scaleface]

The buzzbait you are showing has an unusual swing head. I have never used one like that. The one piece buzzbait is incredibly snag resistant . I throw them in wood confidently, even jump logs with them. I reel them as close to cover as possible and try   not to set the hook until the fish is felt. Thats not always easy to do. Yeah , I usually retrieve it slow and steady with little pauses and jerks thrown in.

[gim]

56 minutes ago, Ryan N said:

Any tips on buzzbaits?

 

Cavitron makes one you can reel in slower than other versions.  When the water cools down, bass may not be as aggressive as they were when it was warmer, so the reduced speed helps.

 

I enountered this a few seasons ago towards the end of the season in October.  I was on a vicious buzzbait bite, but we had a few days of colder weather that dropped the water temps a few degrees.  I couldn't get bit on the fast buzzbait anymore, but I knew the fish were still there.  Once I slowed that retrieve down, I immediately started getting strikes again.  Our current state record largemouth here in MN was caught this exact presentation: a buzzbait in October.

[Pat Brown]

I like throwing a buzzbait into the dense heavy cover and the super shallow waters and fish it past and over targets a lot.  Biggest tips I can give is get the bait moving the instant it hits the water - bites from the big ones always seem to happen really early on in the retrieve and then also casting accuracy is paramount.  If you see a little tiny cave or hole with water flowing back into it or a pile of logs with a few inches of water interspersed throughout the topping out wood or maybe a really nice shade line waaaay at the back of a pocket that's super duper shallow - you gotta get it perfect - but those are the kinds of places you can get a ton of success with a buzzbait. Sometimes you would think there's no fish til you REALLY get that cast right in there just right and then it's pandemonium.  Also the buzzbait seems to reward covering water.  Not my favorite bait for picking apart areas but excellent for burning bank and casting at everything that looks good.

[Ryan N]

1 hour ago, scaleface said:

The buzzbait you are showing has an unusual swing head. I have never used one like that. The one piece buzzbait is incredibly snag resistant . I throw them in wood confidently, even jump logs with them. I reel them as close to cover as possible and try   not to set the hook until the fish is felt. Thats not always easy to do. Yeah , I usually retrieve it slow and steady with little pauses and jerks thrown in.

It's a strike king brand buzzbait, apparently the swinging head prevents the fish from leveraging and taking the hook out.

I'll try to buy a one-piece buzzbait, see if I get a better action

[Rockhopper]

36 minutes ago, Ryan N said:

It's a strike king brand buzzbait, apparently the swinging head prevents the fish from leveraging and taking the hook out.

I'll try to buy a one-piece buzzbait, see if I get a better action

I just picked up three from Warbaits.  I am actually quite impressed with the build quality. (I would not buy their spinnerbaits again, but thats another conversation)  White and Black are the only two colors you need.

[casts_by_fly]

10 hours ago, scaleface said:

The buzzbait you are showing has an unusual swing head. I have never used one like that. The one piece buzzbait is incredibly snag resistant . I throw them in wood confidently, even jump logs with them. I reel them as close to cover as possible and try   not to set the hook until the fish is felt. Thats not always easy to do. Yeah , I usually retrieve it slow and steady with little pauses and jerks thrown in.

 

9 hours ago, Ryan N said:

It's a strike king brand buzzbait, apparently the swinging head prevents the fish from leveraging and taking the hook out.

I'll try to buy a one-piece buzzbait, see if I get a better action

it’s a swinging sugar buzz and one of my go to buzzbaits. In a lighter weight you can really crawl them on the surface, maybe even slower than a cavitron. But a skirt adds water resistance and lets you fish it slower.  This one also looks like at least a 3/8 if not the 1/2 oz. 

 

12 hours ago, Ryan N said:

I have a 5 inch paddle tail on a buzzbait. Will this work?

yes, but a couple things. The silver ‘head’ on the shaft needs to slide back further. With it there, it will nose down and change the attitude in the water. Also, a 5” bait off the back plus another 3” or so of lure in front of it makes for a big bait. You’ll almost certainly have fish grab just the tail and not the hook. If you’re not in grass or thick brush then a trailer hook will help. As will a smaller plastic. 
 

I also prefer a skirt, but maybe that’s just me. 

[Ryan N]

Tons of good information folks but I cannot get bit on this at all. Maybe I'll try a smaller, more finesse buzzbait because I agree this one's kinda ginormous

[Pat Brown]

Get the lunker lure 1/8 Oz and take skirt off and just put a rage menace on there horizontally of the same white color and I guarantee you're going to gain confidence in the buzz bait in a hurry!  

 

Casts like a bullet and bass can't stand that thing.

[casts_by_fly]

1 hour ago, Ryan N said:

Tons of good information folks but I cannot get bit on this at all. Maybe I'll try a smaller, more finesse buzzbait because I agree this one's kinda ginormous

the accent wheeler finesse is a good shout for a scaled down version. 5/16 oz, not very big. put a 3” spunk shad on it and call it a day. (Leave the skirt on). And make sure it’s black.