How to Fish Buzzbaits for Bass
Buzzbaits old-school topwater lure are simple to fish and deadly effective in the right situations. They’re relatively weedless and are great for fishing fast and covering water.
You can keep one on the surface because the propeller-like blade up front lifts it up during the retrieve. This is what starts it making a “buzzing” action and bubble trail that draw bass in to strike.
Unlike most topwater baits, buzzbaits sink. This is do to the wire, metal blade and lead body. A steady but slow retrieve will keep the buzzbait on the surface.
For me Buzzbaits Old-School Topwater Lure Choice is based on these factors.
- It must surface quickly with little to no effort. Reaching the surface quickly, means the buzzbait is visible, making noise, spitting water almost immediately. The earlier it comes to the surface the more success you will have.
- It must remain on the surface even when fished slowly. Buzzbaits that need too much speed in order to remain on the surface will miss opportunities. The combination of moving slow and remaining on the surface is critical.
- It must work with spinning gear as well as bait casting gear. While I prefer throwing buzzbaits on a bait casting set up, many of my clients prefer spinning gear.
How to fish:
The buzzer excels across windy points and flats. The disturbance from the blades helps the bass find the bait in the chop. Yet another advantage of the buzzbait is its ability to come through cover effectively. Shallow bushes, edges of grass mats and lily pad fields are perfect places to probe. This is due to its weedless design.
Where to fish:
A buzzbait will work just about anywhere, over sunken weeds or cover, over shallow flats, and perfect for going parallel with the bank.
Equipment:
The best fishing rod to use with a buzzbait would be a medium-heavy or heavy, with a length of 7’ 0” or 7’ 0”, and a tip action of fast. For a reel only use a 6:1 gear ratio, a 5:1 is too slow while a 7:1 is way too fast. For line, either monofilament or braid for the floating action of the line. Never use fluorocarbon with a buzz bait, the line will sink and ruin the action of your bait.
Technique:
The retrieve for the buzzbait is about as simple as it gets: toss it as far as you can and start reeling it back. Keep the rod tip high to allow the bait to plane quickly to the surface while maintaining a slow-to-medium retrieve. I like to reel it just fast enough to keep the bait on the surface, as that slower speed seems to get more bites than faster retrieves.
Tip:
Reel it as slow as you can while still keeping it gurgling on top When fishing the buzzbait, start with your rod tip low, just before it hits the water engage the reel and sweep rod tip up high. This will keep the buzzbait at the top of the water, then slowly lower your rod tip as it gets closer.
If you have fished a buzzbait before, you know that it is hands down one of the most fun techniques to catch fish on.
