I haven’t ever really used a buzzbait with any consistency until recently. The last three times I’ve been fishing, I have used it a lot because I’m getting consistent strikes. I love watching the blow ups and it was pretty cool to catch my first fish on a buzzbiat. But I’m still having trouble getting consistent hook ups. I can’t seem to get a solid hook set on most of the fish that hit the lure. The fish that I have caught ate the bait. The ones that I’m having trouble with are the ones that just hit it and it’s up to me to set the hook.
I’m using a St. Croix Mojo Bass, 7’ Med Heavy Spinnerbait Rod and various buzzbaits without trailer hooks, but that’s fixing to change.
With that said, I’d like to know what kind of rods you guys are using for buzzbaits, what type of buzzbaits you use, and if you use a trailer hook. I’d also like to know what your process is for setting the hook. Do you set the hook right away or do you wait and then set it? Also, how much force do you use to set the hook? I think I’m being to timid with the hook set.
I use either a 6’9” M parabolic bend Cranking Carrot Stick or a 7’MH F Veritas or Pro Q. The Cranking Carrot Stick works great for buzzbaits because it loads up and I have a little leeway when setting the hook. With the 7’MH I have to be a little more conscious about when I set the hook. As to how hard I set the hook, I never set it like you would a jig or plastic. I just set the hook like you would say when a fish clobbers a spinnerbait and you immediatly pull back and set the hook.
i always use a trailer hook on buzzbaits, spinnerbait and chatterbaits. you will find your hook-up percentage go up on the short strikers big time. you don’t need and hard jerk, just a quick smooth pull and with a traiker hook you have that added help. i use a 7’ M or MH rod, usually a medium. medium i can cast it a little farther and you can still get the sweeping hook set. plus not all rods are equal. i have some rods where the medium action is stiffer than some other MH rods and vice versa. all my rods are fairly cheap in he $40-$80 range. i use a fast 7.X:1 reel. set the hook when you feel the fish. super sharp hooks! have fun!
I like using a 7’ MH or H Fast action rod & 30-50lb braid & letting them almost yank the rod out of my hands before slamming them. I don’t think I’ve caught a fish on a buzzbait this year, haven’t thrown it a lot & when I’ve gone to topwater, I’ve been going to spooks & poppers for the most part. I should break one out one of these times when the conditions are right though, they are a blast to fish. I don’t have any rods spooled up with braid ATM, so I’ll probably just use my spinnerbait set-up with 20lb co-poly.
I have the S/B mojo too and I just read a Tackle Tour reveiw of it. They said it was real close to being a “Heavy” rated rod. Sometimes if you pause when they hit then set the hook that works. I see Evers put a big #2 treble as a trailer. Vid from this site: https://www.kevinvandam.com/media/videos/buzz_bait_techniques/
I’ve never heard of using a treble hook as a trailer but the more I think about it, that sounds amazing. I bet it does a much better job of getting them on. Thanks for the tip Borntofish.
I use either a 7MH or a 7’2MH with 17lb fluoro for my buzzbaits. If the fish takes the bait then a hard hookset isnt really needed. The forward motion of the bait along with the aggressiveness of the fish will often lead to the fish hooking itself. Once I feel the fish I just sweep the rod to the side to bury the hook. If the fish are swatting at the bait then the trailer hook may be what catches them. In open water a treble hook may help you, but if your fishing a buzzbait in grass or around wood, then use either the straight shank round bend or an EWG double frog hook (the kind that come in hollow body frogs). These hooks are typically more weedless and are a little longer then trebles.
I use either a 7MH or a 7’2MH with 17lb fluoro for my buzzbaits. If the fish takes the bait then a hard hookset isnt really needed. The forward motion of the bait along with the aggressiveness of the fish will often lead to the fish hooking itself. Once I feel the fish I just sweep the rod to the side to bury the hook. If the fish are swatting at the bait then the trailer hook may be what catches them. In open water a treble hook may help you, but if your fishing a buzzbait in grass or around wood, then use either the straight shank round bend or an EWG double frog hook (the kind that come in hollow body frogs). These hooks are typically more weedless and are a little longer then trebles.
I bought a Booyah buzzbait that had the double hook like you’re talking about, but I didn’t like the action or sound it was making. Didn’t get any hits on it either. I might need to try it a little more. I did buy some Gamagatsu trailer hooks to put on the buzzbaits that I have. Hopefully this will take care of the problem. I was thinking about treble hooks, but I do fish around a lot of vegatation and wood. But, do you add the treble as a trailer hook?
I have the S/B mojo too and I just read a Tackle Tour reveiw of it. They said it was real close to being a “Heavy” rated rod. Sometimes if you pause when they hit then set the hook that works. I see Evers put a big #2 treble as a trailer. Vid from this site: https://www.kevinvandam.com/media/videos/buzz_bait_techniques/
Good information, thanks for that.
Has anyone ever used those double bladed buzzbaits?
I have the S/B mojo too and I just read a Tackle Tour reveiw of it. They said it was real close to being a “Heavy” rated rod. Sometimes if you pause when they hit then set the hook that works. I see Evers put a big #2 treble as a trailer. Vid from this site: https://www.kevinvandam.com/media/videos/buzz_bait_techniques/
Good information, thanks for that.
Has anyone ever used those double bladed buzzbaits?
i have some, but dont use them much because i think they make alot more noise and flash than is necessary when im fishing smallmouths in clear water. if im not fishing smallies then im out fishing in ponds for LM, and i think the bigger bait scares alot of them away.
if i was on a decent sized lake with nice LM and the water was muddy to stained with good buzzbait conditions i would definetly be throwing a double bladed black buzzbait.
I have used the double buzzers when its windy. Likee Twitch said, you dont need a Bill Dance tv hookset if the fish are taking the bait good. That rod should be fine. Always use a trailer hook on a buzzbait period.
I have the S/B mojo too and I just read a Tackle Tour reveiw of it. They said it was real close to being a “Heavy” rated rod. Sometimes if you pause when they hit then set the hook that works. I see Evers put a big #2 treble as a trailer. Vid from this site: https://www.kevinvandam.com/media/videos/buzz_bait_techniques/
Good information, thanks for that.
Has anyone ever used those double bladed buzzbaits?
Yep, I had a terminator tandem buzz. It was all black and I bent the blades in so they would tick. It was my favorite buzzbait til a pike took it. Now I like S/Ks Tri-wangs. You can fishem’ slow like. They kinda 3-wheel drive over grass too. http://www.basspro.com/Strike-King-TriWing-Buzz-King/product/90374/118637
