The 3 Best Buzz Frogs for Bass Fishing
In my opinion, the buzz frog or buzz toad is the most underrated bait in all of bass fishing. There are times when it is simply the best topwater lure you can be throwing.
I personally, is probably my second most used topwater bait year-round. And with tons of options out there, it can be hard to choose which one to get. So here are the 3 best buzz frogs or buzz toads on the market.
1. Z-Man Goat ToadZ
Without a doubt, this is my favorite buzz frog of all time. The biggest reason I prefer it over all the rest is that because it is made from the Z-Man, ElaZtech material, the Goat ToadZ floats.
And after all, a buzz frog is a topwater lure, so having a floating one is helpful and just makes sense.
Of course, the ElaZtech material is also extremely durable, so you won’t go through many baits and it will ultimately save you a lot of money in the long term.
Z-Man pros tested the soft plastic frog bait and reported loving the action, floating ability, and hookup ratios they experienced.
A pair of twin curved paddle feet generate the noise and commotion that attract bass. Design features that make your fishing better than other similar baits include dorsal ridges on the back that safeguard hook points and keep them from fouling.
The underside hook slot in the belly gets the credit for easing hook sets.
The unsinkable ElaZtech in the ToadZ enables the plastic bass bait to stay on top during slow retrieves and remain afloat while you rest it to induce strikes.
You’re bound to experience the thundering splash of a topwater bass hitting these large Z-Man Goat ToadZ Soft Baits!
- Belly hook slot aids easy hooksets
- Thick, bulky body and streamlined design enhances castability
- Dorsal ridges protect hook points on single and double hooks from fouling
- Quantity per pack: 3
2. 6th Sense Buzz Gill
In reality, although these baits are called buzz “toads” or “frogs”, they are actually imitating baitfish. Either bluegill, shad, or other baitfish.
So 6th Sense recently designed the Buzz Gill to more realistically mimic the exact forage type that you are tying to mimic with these lures in the first place.
This 4-inch bait combines a flat, bluegill-style body with a boot-style tail that churns water on a steady retrieve, creating pressure and visual cues bass key in on.
The detailed body features lifelike 3D eyes, molded gill plates, and a realistic scale pattern that add visual realism to fool pressured fish.
The plastic allows for solid hook penetration and pairs well with screw-lock weighted hooks or keel-weighted swimbait hooks, making it ideal for shallow water applications where other soft baits get bogged down.
On pressured lakes or during post-frontal conditions, the Buzzgill mimics fleeing forage with just enough thump and flash to get reaction bites without overwhelming the presentation.
- 4-inch bluegill-inspired soft bait with a boot tail
- Flat body profile buzzes on steady retrieves
- 3D eyes, gill plates, and scale detail enhance realism
- Works best with screw-lock or keel-weighted hooks
- Quantity per pack: 6
3. Zoom Horny Toad
The Zoom Horny Toad is pretty much the original buzz frog style of lure. It has been catching bass for decades and decade.
Additionally, many anglers simply swear by the Zoom plastic recipe, saying that it catches more bass than any other company.
I can’t say that I have experienced that, but the Zoom Horny Toad is definitely a time tested bait that has been triggering huge topwater blowups for longer than any other soft plastic bait around.
- Topwater toad calls bass through the grass
- Ultra-Vibe leg vibration gets bass chasing
- Slotted belly
- Paired with a weedless hook, it comes through lily pads and grass like a charm
- Quantity per pack: 5
Buzz Frog Colors
You can have as much fun as you want when choosing colors, but I treat my buzz frogs just like any other topwater lure. So for the most part, I pretty much only use two different colors.
Black
Black is what I use the most for my buzz frogs. Black just creates a very clear silhouette against the bright sky or on top of vegetation.
And if you have seen underwater footage looking up at topwater baits. You can’t really make out any details of the bait/color other than the general figure and shading.
So a plain black serves me very well, especially if I am fishing overcast days, mornings, or evenings.
White
White is obviously the polar opposite of black. And I will use white either when I am trying to imitate shad or when I am fishing very sunny days in clear water.
White is always a great shad imitation no matter what the water conditions. And then if the water is very clear and the sun is bright, I sometimes will just use white to imitate all forage types.
After all, even bluegill have white bellies, so a white topwater is still plenty realistic at imitating all forage species.
How to Rig a Buzz Toad
There are a few different hook choices for toad fishing. Those being the classic single EWG hook, a dual toad hook, and a belly weighted hook.
I always recommend that you use a plain old single EWG hook that I am sure you already own. I have found that the weighted or specialized hooks actually do more harm than good for toad fishing.
So I always just use an EWG hook and Texas hook the toad just like any other plastic bait.
Reeling this In
So there you have it: the three best buzz frogs on the market—and the one that reigns supreme in my tackle box, the Z-Man Goat ToadZ. While the 6th Sense Buzz Gill offers unmatched realism and the Zoom Horny Toad provides a time-tested classic, the unique floating ability of the Goat ToadZ gives it an edge that’s hard to beat.
No matter which one you choose, the message remains the same: don’t sleep on this truly underrated topwater bait.
By sticking to simple colors like black and white and rigging them with a basic EWG hook, you’ll be ready to experience some of the most explosive strikes bass fishing has to offer. Go tie one on and get ready for some thrilling topwater action!
