Among the world of topwater bass fishing, buzzbaits provide anlgers one of the most effective and most fun ways to catch bass.
A buzzbaits can often get bass to bite when nothing else will. But no lure is always the best option.
You need to know when to use a buzzbait in order to maximize your success with it.
In general, topwater lures are less versatile than other lures in terms of seasonality.
During the cold months of the year, it is very hard to get bass to bite a topwater.
Even in during the pre-spawn months when bass are very aggressive, they don’t seem to commit to buzzbaits or other surface baits.
But during certain times of year, when the water is warm, buzzbaits are a fantastic lure to catch bass.
Post Spawn bass are up in shallow water and looking eat as soon as possible.
Once the post-spawn starts and bass have finished their long, tiresome spawn, these bass are very hungry and willing to chase after prey.
Target grass lines, reeds, and sparse brush. Post-spawn bass hold very closely to shallow cover.
But since the buzzbait is so loud and obnoxious, you are able to call these bass out of the cover and make them bite.
Summer bass have very high metabolisms and are very willing to chase after loud topwater lures.
When buzzbait fishing in the summer, you should focus on the morning and evening hours when the sun is low in the sky.
When the sun is beating down on the water, bass prefer to stay in the shade or deeper water to stay cool.
Buzzbaits are my favorite topwater lure for the fall season. There is just something about the loud and annoying sound of the buzzbait’s blade that makes fall bass angry.
When fall bass fishing in the morning or evening hours, nothing, and I mean NOTHING, beats a buzzbait.
I have found that the louder the buzzbait, the better when fishing in fall. A double blade or clacker buzzbait are the best options.
When bass are shallow and aggressive feeding on spawning shad, the buzzbait flat out catches them.
This is my go-to topwater to fish during the shad spawn. Buzzbaits get bass riled up and they crush this thing with huge blowups.
The buzzbait is also very realistic because the shad are up on the surface flickering and slashing around, just like the blade of the buzzbait does.
One thing I have noticed about buzzbaits is that they catch big fish. Your average bass caught on a buzzbait is at least a half pound bigger than normal.
The shad spawn is certainly a time when you need to use a buzzbait.
In my view, water clarity is not super important when deciding whether or not to throw a buzzbait.
Buzzbaits work great in muddy, stained, and clear water. However, there are differences in how you will fish the buzzbait depending on the water clarity.
In muddy water, retrieve the buzzbait much slower. Really as slow as you can while keeping the bait in the surface.
When fishing clear water, retrieve the buzzbait much faster. Also, I prefer to use black colors in muddy water and white colors in clear water.
So while water clarity doesn’t change whether or not to use a buzzbait, it does change how you will fish the buzzbait.
Other than hollow body frogs, topwater lures are best used in the morning and evening hours.
During these low light periods of the day, bass rise up in the water column and feed up towards the surface more.
They don’t have to worry about the sun heating them up or hindering their vision.
During the morning and evening hours, you will often see lots of bass blowing up on shad, frogs, bluegill, bugs, and other surface forage.
Buzzbaits can catch bass throughout all times of the day, but they perform the best during the low light periods.
To me, the buzzbait is a shallow water lure. This is pretty standard for topwater lures, so that is no surprise.
Occasionally, bass will be schooled up very high in the water column in deep water, and in that case buzzbaits can certainly work.
But for the most part, you want to focus on the 3-10 ft depth range. When fishing below 10 ft, bass don’t have to swim very far to find the buzzbait, even if they are sitting on the bottom.
Since the buzzbait works best from the post-spawn to the fall months, bass will be shallow anyway, so you don’t need to worry about depth quite as much.
If I am fishing a big lake, I target shallow cover such as grass lines or scattered wood.
The buzzbait draws the bass out of the cover and gets them to bite. On the contrary, when I am fishing small ponds, I fish buzzbaits everywhere.
Open water, brush, grass, and everything in between. These ponds have shallow water all throughout, and aren’t big enough to have bass very spread apart.
So buzzbaits work no matter where you cast them.
I honestly prefer to not use a trailer the majority of the time. The only time that you actually need to use a buzzbait trailer is if you are trying to skit the buzzbait.
This would be situations such as skipping up under docks or overhanging tree branches.
Other than that, I prefer to fish the buzzbait straight out of the box without a trailer.
If I am fishing in really muddy water, I might throw a paddle tail trailer on the buzzbait so that I can retrieve it slower while still keeping it on the surface.
Trailers are more of a personal preference add on to the buzzbait, not a requirement.
Color selection is very simple with buzzbaits. If the water is clear or bass are feeding on shad, use a white buzzbait.
The white color has less contrast in clear water, making it look a bit more natural and seems to get more bites.
And of course, white is the classic shad imitation color, so if bass are feeding heavily on shad, white is the best option.
You can probably guess, black buzzbaits work better in muddy water or in low light periods like morning and evening.
Black is the most visible color in muddy water, making it much easier for bass to find and bite it without missing the bait.
Q: What is buzzbait fishing for bass? A: Buzzbait fishing is a technique used by anglers to target bass, particularly in shallow water or areas with heavy cover. It involves casting and retrieving a buzzbait lure across the water’s surface, creating a buzzing noise and commotion to attract bass.
Q: How does a buzzbait work? A: A buzzbait typically consists of a metal blade attached to a wire arm, a lead head with a hook, and a skirt. When retrieved, the blade spins rapidly, creating a buzzing sound and surface disturbance that mimics a fleeing baitfish or insect, enticing bass to strike.
Q: What are the key factors to consider when selecting a buzzbait? A: – Blade type and size: Different blade shapes and sizes produce varying amounts of noise and vibration. Experiment with different options to find what works best in your fishing conditions.
Q: How should I retrieve a buzzbait for bass? A: Start by casting the buzzbait near potential bass-holding cover, such as weed beds, lily pads, or submerged logs. Retrieve the bait with a steady, medium-paced retrieve, keeping the blade spinning and creating surface disturbance. Occasionally vary the speed or pause the retrieve to trigger strikes from following bass.
Q: What are some alternative techniques for bass fishing if buzzbaits aren’t producing? A: If buzzbaits aren’t generating strikes, try switching to other topwater lures such as poppers, frogs, or walking baits. Additionally, consider experimenting with different retrieval speeds or switching to subsurface lures like crankbaits or soft plastics to entice bass that may be holding deeper in the water column.
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