Bottom bumping Silver Buddys

[Olebiker]

It's funny to see this topic right now because I just found a Silver Buddy that Billy Westmoreland gave me about 20 years ago.  He told me that it was the best smallmouth bait he had ever used, but the manufacturer was too small to pay him an endorsement fee so he didn't use them on his show.

[Wayne P.]

A good thing about lures that produce for many years and still do is that they don't need to be promoted or advertized. They get their reputation from the successful anglers that use them and from anglers that get outfished by others using them when they don't use them.

[fishingfrenzy]

I've done pretty good with blade baits.. they will catch just about every specie out there.  I prefer a bait called "the binsky," a friend makes them and they will out produce a silver buddy any day of the week.  Way more flash and vibration.  Awesome bait.  

[roadwarrior]

Very interesting discussion on a very effective lure presentation for smallmouth bass. I use blades ice out until the water gets above 55. Then again in the late fall. I cast & retrieve it quite differently than what's been talked about here though. First, you must use some kind of a braded line with little or no stretch. This is the problem with most hang-ups.

This is how I present it: when the lure hits the bottom on a cast, you tighten up a bit and just barely pop it off the bottom, letting it settle back right away. This pop stops as soon as you feel the vibs start, so it usually doesn't get more than 3" - 5" off the bottom. This is repeated, all the way back to the boat. It can also be worked vertically in the same manner, but the cast gives you more coverage, obviously.

If you get hung, move directly over it and use the weight of the lure as a "plug knocker". This will free it up most times, especially if you use the 3/4 oz. sizes like I do. Or you can use a separate plug knocker or lure retriever; there are many on the market.

Why go thru all this trouble? Because in rivers, during the cold water period, this technique will far outfish any other, hands down. You have to locate the bass, but when you do, you can really get into some of the best fishing of the year. Fish the upside of dams in deep water. Find a current break down there and you'll get bit! And the strike is bone jarring!

BTW, you do not need to spend $5.00 (or more) for a blade bait. There are plenty of knock-offs out there, and they all work equally as effective. If you spend over $2.50/ea., you're wasting your money.

Thank you for sharing a secret. I'll give this technique a try on the

Tennessee River.

8-)

[Matt 825]

Crestliner, You let the cat out of the bag man......lol

JK....this technique is absolutley deadly on the smallies around here and will outfish all other methods 4 to 1 when temps dip below 45.

[scotti g]

Hi guys and gals. New to the site seemes like a lot of good fisherman here. Glad I stumbled on the site.

When I seen Silver Buddy's I had to look twice. A lot of good ways to fish the buddy. I myself like to cast it out and work it back to the boat with the slitest lift possible so that I can just feel the blade vibrate, then let it back to the bottom. I live in Ct. The blade is a cold water bait for me 40 to 50 degrees. I've done the best with it when it's the coldest and nastyest days. I was in the June 2005 lunker page with a 6.2 Smallie on Candlewood Lake. I can't wait to try some of the methods that I have read on this site. Also  when the water gets in the low 50's and colder if  you see a smallie busting water try casting out your blade a retreiving it fast so that the blade breaks the surfess. I read this in a magazine and I tried it and it worked.

Tight lines   Scotti G.

[SLO_ROLL]

This is a good one. Crestliner's technique sounds like how I fish a jig in the spring. I wonder how the blade v/s a spoon ripped off the bottom all the way to the boat would turn out? I fish a spoon like that when the water gets cold. I guess you could do the same with a trap?

[Crestliner2008]

Sorry Matt 825 ;D. But most folks won't give this a try anyway, so don't be too concerned! It does take patience and you have to know where the bass are. Most folks are not that "into" their sonars enough, to make it work for them. If I were concerned about competition, I wouldn't have posted it!

SLO_ROLL - No comparison....period. Spoons just don't have the vibrations that a blade put out. Tie one on braided line, drop it staight down about 10' or so, and twitch it up. You'll feel something no other hard bait can even begin to think about. You'll be convinced! The vibs put out with blades twitched along the bottom are pure dy-no-mite! Trust me. Spoons shine best when bass are suspended in the water column....not when they are on the bottom as they are now, with the water in the mid-40's.

Remember one thing folks; don't over-work a blade. Barely twitch it off the bottom - stop when you first feel vibs and let it settle. Let it sit on the bottom for 10 - 15 seconds even! Your patience will be rewarded. Thankfully, most bass aficionados will ignore this ;D.

[Wayne P.]

Put a slight bend in the blade behind the rear hook (no more than 10 degrees) and it will start vibrating sooner and have more vibration.

[Paul Roberts]

Great thread. Thanks Crestliner, Matt825, and WayneP, for those details.

[SLO_ROLL]

10-4 I'm on it.

[roadwarrior]

I had some luck with the Silver Buddy Saturday,

but quit after loosing three lures. The first lasted

awhile, but I didn't have a snap swival on the other

two.

WARNING: Sharp Metal Cuts Line When A Lure Gets Hung-Up!

8-)

[Crestliner2008]

I had some luck with the Silver Buddy Saturday,

but quit after loosing three lures. The first lasted

awhile, but I didn't have a snap swival on the other

two.

WARNING: Sharp Metal Cuts Line When A Lure Gets Hung-Up!

8-)

I only use snaps on a blade bait - never a snap swivel! First of all, you WILL get hung up....period. Accept that as part of the presentation. Now you have two options. Get one of several "lure retrievers" that are out there in the market or go to Cabela's and buy some of their (rather expensive) spring-type split rings which, under pressure, open and release the hook. Either way, this presentation is way too powerful to give up on, trust me!

[roadwarrior]

I had some luck and will pick up a few more, plus snaps, no swival!

[Matt 825]

Yeah like crestliner said you will lose plenty of them.  One day last year I lost a dozen of them fishing a tree in 25ft, but it was well worth it.  

I was buying them in bulk for cheap from a guy on ebay the last few years, but now he is gone.   Looks like I'll be making my own shortly.

[SLO_ROLL]

This one or? http://www.barlowstackle.com/acb/showdetl.cfm?&DID=6&Product_ID=2721&CATID=59

[stratosjoe]

yep 1/2 oz is my favorite. I powder coat them white ,black and kinda bronze brown. I use snap rings on hooks and line tie. I like mustad triple grip . I also use weedless hooks for river fishing and weed lines in the summer.  One thing about buddies I feel is most guys yank then too high use just your wrist not your whole arm. if you do this when you flip your wrist if she is there you can then use your arm to set the hook(not slam it hard either). Man sound like a know it all  but I really love this bait.In the summer time I have even used a 3/4 oz on Ky lake off the ledges in deep water and caught just about anything that swims.... :

[Matt 825]

This one or? http://www.barlowstackle.com/acb/showdetl.cfm?&DID=6&Product_ID=2721&CATID=59

Yes sir that is the mold (ZV-5-A) that I ordered the other day. I like 1/2 OZ best but in wind will use 3/4 OZ

[roadwarrior]

yep 1/2 oz is my favorite. I powder coat them white ,black and kinda bronze brown. I use snap rings on hooks and line tie. I like mustad triple grip . I also use weedless hooks for river fishing and weed lines in the summer. One thing about buddies I feel is most guys yank then too high use just your wrist not your whole arm. if you do this when you flip your wrist if she is there you can then use your arm to set the hook(not slam it hard either). Man sound like a know it all but I really love this bait.In the summer time I have even used a 3/4 oz on Ky lake off the ledges in deep water and caught just about anything that swims.... :

 

Would you be interested in selling a dozen!

8-)

[SLO_ROLL]

10-4 O Man another mold, good thing I have a ton of lead. More things to do in the "Man Room"

[stratosjoe]

Silver buddy came thru again Sunday, no smallies but a 20+ lb golden Carp by the tail!  36 degrees wind out of the west 20-28+mph white capping but my buddy and I the fools we are , are still trying. About the time I am ready to say lets move to some calm back water Bam the buddy stops and goes the other way. I am using a 7 1/2 ' med heavy bc witha Quantum burner with 10 lb test too lazy to put something a little heavier on. This bad boy ran drag like crazy and I thought oh man a real toad....It never quit running drag so i got on the TM then knew it was a big cat or something last year about same time got a 12lb cat on a buddy. After about a 10-15 minute stretch I got him too the net( didn't want to lose my buddy) I had snagged him in the tail!! I know no smallmoth but still warmed me up and we got a heckuva laugh at it. I would post some fish pictures caught on buddies if I knew how.. :-/

[justfishin]

You are very lucky to have fished with Billy Westmoreland. He was one of my smallmouth hero's. I agree that Silver Buddies are great for brown bass too. Its just out river and silver buddies can be a terrible experiance. Its almost like there is velcro down there,lol. I still use them though. They definitly catch fish. I really like them on suspended fish in the winter.

[TournyFish001]

What kind of gear are you guys using, like rod and reel- casting spinning - M MH Lt 6' 8' ect ect? Also as crestliner mentioned braid- what #test and do you use a leader at all?  What line do the rest of you guys use? One last thing is 1/2oz a pretty universal weight to cover a wide range of depths? Thanx in advance

[Wayne P.]

I use a medium 6' baitcasting rig with 14# fluorocarbon line. For the depths I fish (less than 20'), I prefer the 1/4 oz size. I only use those bait types when the fish are on/just above the bottom and the water temp is below 43 degrees and not increasing (mid Winter).

[thetr20one]

WOW this thread has legs. I didn't follow the whole thread but are the buddies becoming hard to find or something.