To buzz or to Croak?

[little_stephen]

Ok, so Ive been trying to refine my fishing skills. I started fishing with artificails whn i randomly tossed a topwater poper. (i didnt do well) since then, my goto bait has become zoom horny toads.

recently i started fishing buzzbaits and ive just missed the few strikes i got b4 the season ended.

So heres what im wondering. the lake im going 2 be fishing has alot of lilypads and Tons of mixed weeds(i think hydrilla).

SO im wondering if theres a beter lure to start off with?

-buzz baits

-horny toads

-or topwater frogs

? obviously im going to have all of the above with me. but given the cover is there any general one bait to start with?

[Tin]

T-rigged soft plastic frogs and t-rigged creature baits (Zoom Super Hog or a Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver) around and in the pads and holes in the grass below the surface.

When you have vegetation right below the surface or large openings in between the pads I would go with a buzzbait with one or two trailer hooks facing up. As soon as it hits the water get it moving or you will be pulling off veggies. I would go with the bizzbait because with the trailer hooks you will have a much better hook-up ratio than froggin.

[CWB]

T-rigged soft plastic frogs and t-rigged creature baits (Zoom Super Hog or a Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver) around and in the pads and holes in the grass below the surface.

When you have vegetation right below the surface or large openings in between the pads I would go with a buzzbait with one or two trailer hooks facing up. As soon as it hits the water get it moving or you will be pulling off veggies. I would go with the bizzbait because with the trailer hooks you will have a much better hook-up ratio than froggin.

Excellent advise.

My local "home" lake has a mix of weeds and the density of the cover should dictate which bait to use. I'm partial to buzzbaits because of the explosion but remember to wait before stickin' it to em.

I drop the rodtip but keep reeling after the strike and if I feel something I hit em. If not I keep reeling and more than half the time they come back and hit it again. You have to teach yourself not to instantly react.

[J Francho]

Faced with a large expanse of pads and/or slop, and no ideas where the bass may be, I'll use a Scumfrog type bait as a search bait.  Any misses, and I'll be right back in there with pegged t-rig creature to thoroughly work that area.

[jack1]

I let the cover tell me which lure will be fit the situation. If it is heavily covered with open pockets here and there a floating frog/rat type lure will work best. If a bass explodes and misses the lure immediately toss a t-rigged plastic back in.

If the cover isn't as thick on the surface or if the cover is just beneath the surface I like to throw a frog buzzbait. I like the frog more than the wire buzzbaits, because it will not hook onto vegetation as you're working the lure through or around the weeds.

Poppers and props type lures are nice to use in and around open water near vegetation, but it is a much slower presentation.  I like to move fast and look for the biters.

I always have a throw back lure ready when I'm fishing topwater baits.

[Bad to da Bass]

i would start with a popping frog and then any strikes u miss throw to that area again with a 5 in senko.

[BassNub]

I would say, buzz bait if you're a beginner because the hook pretty much set's itself and also it's just a throw reel situation. There's no pausing in between, also it's a more definite chance of you landing a fish if you just add a trailer hook on it.

[retiredbosn]

With any topwater bait my philosophy is to wait until you feel the fish before setting the hook. When I started buzzbaiting I would actually turn my head or close my eyes to keep myself from pulling the bait out of the fish's mouth. Once I got the hang of it, I now get to watch the bass blow up on the buzz, I love it!

If the vegetation is under the water a buzzbait is what I would throw, then again I almost always have a buzzbait rigged. I would also have another pole rigged with a plastic, any blow ups without a hook up and throw the rigged plastic in there, I would throw a t-rigged craw, let it sink and hold on. Vegetation on the water go with the toads. Good luck

[Tin]

Faced with a large expanse of pads and/or slop, and no ideas where the bass may be, I'll use a Scumfrog type bait as a search bait.  Any misses, and I'll be right back in there with pegged t-rig creature to thoroughly work that area.

Smart man...

Won a team tourney this summer by me being up front, with the trolling motor on high covering water and throwing a plastic frog looking for aggressive fish and what ever ones missed the guy in the back would throw a jig or Senko at the blowup. Put ony 2 fish in the boat on the frog and around a dozen on the follow up bait.

[Derek84]

If you get thick defined weedlines and your in a boat,  throwing a buzz bait and running it along the edges between the weeds and deeper water can be a very effective way to find active fish. Once you catch one cover the area with a jig or soft plastic to catch all his buddies.

[zbass]

Faced with a large expanse of pads and/or slop, and no ideas where the bass may be, I'll use a Scumfrog type bait as a search bait. Any misses, and I'll be right back in there with pegged t-rig creature to thoroughly work that area.

Ditto. Only two rods on the deck in that situation.

[Bass_Fanatic]

I rig a Ribbit and follow with a 5 in senko in the same color!!