In the heat of summer when bass fishing seems to slow to a crawl, there’s one lure you can depend on to draw explosive, heart-stopping reaction strikes. The buzz word? “Buzzbait” of course! No one’s sure exactly what this surface-clacking cousin of the spinnerbait represents to bass… probably a school of baitfish being chased on the surface, or maybe a fluttering bug or bird. Some say that imitates miniature water-skiers.

When/Where to Use It

While most of us think the buzzbait works best during warm weather months, never discount it even in cold weather. The perfect time for buzzbaits is on a hot, windy, sultry day. The hotter and more humid the air, the better. Clamp this thought onto the first and last hour of the day and you’re guaranteed big fish action. The shallow, thickest cover near deep-water access will hold the largest fish in the area.

Best Size

A medium weight – I use the 3/8 oz.Strike King Pro Model buzzbait because it’s a good average size for starters. I find on quiet days, slick water, a lure that is too large spooks the fish so I scale down to 1/4 oz. And when the fish get really hateful, I cast a Premier Pro Model Elite 1/8th oz. buzzbait on 14-lb. test line (max.) If retrieved very slowly over open pockets in vegetation, even the “most hateful” fish can’t resist it and will absolutely explode to the surface. This can be the exception to the “big fish = big bait” rule. On windy days, when the water is choppy-to-rough, use the larger lures to overcome noisy waters.

Casting Tip

Make the cast then begin your retrieve at the precise moment the lure hits the water. It will then hit and ride the surface rather than sinking first. Avoid casting into a heavy wind. If you must now and then, scale up to a larger lure.

Best Retrieve Speed

Vary retrieve speeds until a hit occurs and the fish tell you how they want it. Have you ever decided to abort a cast and began a ridiculously high-speed retrieve only to have a fish hit the speeding lure? There are even stories of lures sitting on the bottom of the lake while a backlash was picked out only to discover a fish tugging as the line it is reeled in.

Equipment

Proper equipment is important for success with any lure but especially with a buzzbait. Since the lure is often used over and around thick cover like moss, lily pads and brush tops, you must head a hooked fish up and away from the cover quickly. Some anglers use heavy duty “flippin’ sticks.” When working a lesser cover, I like a medium heavy Quantum rod, either Tour Edition or Energy Series. For long distance casting, I use a 6 1/2′ trigger handle rod but for close-in casting when accuracy is important, I use a smaller lure and shorter length rod with a casting style handle.

Since I admittedly don’t have muscular arms, a powerful reel like the workhorse 1310 MG or Quantum’s Energy E600 makes life easier. Either one puts me in immediate control of a frenzied fish. The objective is to immediately get the fish’s head aimed up to prevent his diving down into thick cover and wrapping the line. You can’t afford to “play” a buzzbait fish very long. Besides, buzzbaits are one of the best BIG FISH ATTRACTING LURES on the market so you can anticipate a good fight.

Patience

When a bass strikes causing your buzzbait to momentarily disappear in a huge rotating swirl, drop your rod tip, remove line slack, whisper to yourself  “I will NOT set the hook too fast” as you feel for the fish. A buzzbait is the one lure that doesn’t require a quick hookset because often, a bass will thrash at the lure but miss it. Many fish are lost on topwater lures when the hookset is too fast. Seriously, from the time you remove slack and feel for the fish – just give it 2-3seconds, THEN set the hook. Just avoid immediate hooksets.

Tip for Short Strikes

For short-strikes, you have two options. The first, and probably most popular is to add a trailer hook. If you still miss the hits, add another piggyback trailer hook. The drawback to trailer hooks is they often flop around and get hung on the cover like grass or brush. Another theory is to do just the opposite. Remove any extras like trailers and/or trailer hooks from the lure. Even cut the skirt so short it just barely covers the hook. By doing this, if a fish hits, he is forced to grab the lure. This more compact lure is often what fish prefer as evidenced by just nipping at larger ones.

Weather

Watch the sky – if you’re faced with a cloudy / overcast low-light day, then fish it as if it were early morning or late evening. In the heat of summer when the thermocline (layers of water that differ according to temperature, oxygen content and clarity) moves the “best” water, many fish will move shallow to wind-blown areas. Again, remember the more hot and humid, the better for fishing a buzzbait because “hot” tells you the oxygen levels down deep may lessen and “humid” tells you the sky is cloudy – both prime requirements for choosing a buzzbait. Good fishing! And don’t forget the camera!