Buzzbaits have been around for several years yet many fishermen do not fish them. This bait requires a very strong constitution to be fished properly. It also requires a lot of patience to properly fish a buzzbait. With all of that said, this bait will provide some very nice bass.
Buzzbaits have evolved from the old single wing blade to several wings on the blade and now actually utilize plastic. The buzzbait is designed to produce a lot of noise and commotion on top of the water thus attracting a bass. To a hungry bass, the unique sputtering and gurgling created by a buzzbait is very hard to resist. Because the buzzbait is designed for surface fishing it is not as versatile as the spinnerbait but under certain conditions it can be more effective.
Buzzbaits, as the name implies, buzz across the water. They are very easy to fish. You just cast the bait and retrieve with a steady speed just fast enough to keep the blades turning. Simple enough, right? Well I forgot to mention one small detail that can be a minor problem. The difficulty comes when the bait hits the water and trying to get the bait on top of the water. Without a high speed reel, this gets a bit dicey especially if you are fishing over vegetation. How do you keep the buzzbait on top of the water? One way to do this is to engage your reel prior to the bait hitting the water and keeping your rod tip high. This takes a little practice to know when to engage the reel. During the retrieve, keep your rod tip at the 10:00 o'clock position which will still allow you to get a good hook set when a strike occurs. As the bait gets close to the boat, lower the rod tip a little to allow the bait to maintain contact with the water.
TIP: Practice this in your backyard and you will become proficient.
Try to avoid making overhand casts. This allows the buzzbait to get up in the wind and will cut your distance considerably. Try side-arm casts or if you can master the underhand cast, use it. Cast the bait to the area you want to fish and start reeling as soon, or just before, the bait hits the water with your rod tip up at 10:00 o'clock. Generally the retrieve is just fast enough to make the blade turn without a lot of effort. On calm days, ¼ - 3/8-ounce buzzbaits seem to work the best. In clear water I usually prefer the white buzzbait. If you have a day when you have a small chop on the water, use the 3/8 ounce buzzbait. If you are fishing stained or muddy water, the black, dark colored, buzzbaits will usually work better.
Some of the areas to fish with the buzzbait include grass, hydrilla, moss, lily pads, the sides of boat docks, down banks with or without visible cover, and through trees and stumps. They catch fish year around but are best in the spring and summer months.
I use a line that is abrasion resistant. If you are having trouble getting the bait on top of the water, you can use a heavier line, 20 - 30 pound test, to help get the bait up. The heavier lines, with the larger buzzbaits, have a tendency to float thus keeping the bait up. The smaller ¼ ounce buzzbaits are limited to about 12 - 14 pound test line.
TIP: You can vary the retrieves. You can work your rod from side to side to imitate "walking the dog" and induce some bass into striking. You can also give the bait a small jerk during the retrieve imitating a shad breaking the surface after being chased.
TIP: You can tune your spinnerbait by bending the wire in front of the blade to the right or left in order to make the bait track to the side. I have heard of fishermen actually drilling holes in the blades to cause a bubble trail behind the bait.
The main disadvantage to the buzzbait is the fact that bass will short strike or slap the bait and completely miss it. You can add a trailer hook to stop the short strikes but the other condition is not correctable. This is where your constitution must be very strong. If you have fished a buzzbait at all, you have had situations where the water explodes out from under the bait and when you set the hook - nothing. Setting the hook on a buzzbait is just like setting the hook on any top water bait. When the strike occurs, you must wait until you feel the fish with the bait before setting the hook. If you do not wait for that fraction of a second, I can almost guarantee that 8 out of 10 times you will come up empty.
Do not forget to try the new chatterbait as a buzzbait. Fish it just like a buzzbait and hang on.
Carlton "Doc" Holliday and his wife, Darlene "Dee" Holliday only tournament fished together for 5 years. In late 1992, Carlton had a heart attack thus the early retirement ended along with the professional fishing career. All told, both individually and as a team, Doc and Dee won over 30 bass tournaments and placed in the top 5 in over 70 bass tournaments. The last 3 years of their career as professional bass fishermen were spent winning the Arkansas Guys and Gals Championship in 1991, Doc finishing seventh overall in the Arkie Division of the Redman Circuit in 1991 and becoming eligible to fish the Redman Regional Tournament in Columbus Mississippi where he finished 20th. Also in 1990, Doc fished in the Mr. Bass of Arkansas Championship on Lake Ouachita and finished third. Career winnings estimated over $85,000.00. Carlton "Doc" Holliday and his wife, Darlene "Dee" Holliday are both retired and live at Joplin, Arkansas two minutes from Lake Ouachita near Hot Springs, Arkansas. Visit us at http://www.bassfishinglakeouachita.com or email us at carltonholliday@yahoo.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Carlton_Holliday |
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