Buzzbaits For Smallmouth

[MOsmallies]

I consistently throw Sammies, Tiny Torpedos, and Poppers for Smallmouth in the warmer weather months, but I haven't spent a ton of time throwing buzzbaits for them. I've caught planty of largemouth on buzzbaits but I feel like that's a little different game. I definitely think they can be a useful tool on some of the clearer streams I fish.

In my head, 1/8 oz. is too small and 1/2 oz. is too big, so anything from 3/16 oz. to 3/8 oz. would be the optimum size range. I would also think it's beneficial to have one that gets up on plane quickly since we're talking about fishing them in current.

What are some of your favorite brands/models, sizes, blade styles, and colors (skirt and blade) to throw? If you make your own and don't mind sharing pics, I'd love to see them.

Paul

MOsmallies

[Stoneroller]

Shoestring's Mo Better Buzzbait sold by BPS. comes in a 1/4 and 3/8 oz versions. Not a great buzzbait for heavy cover though, but can be rigged for a WTD/Buzz presentation and gets on the surface in a hurry.

CreatureCatcherlures.com makes a "CrazyBuzz" which is a spoon/buzzer hybrid that is pretty awesome. (pictured below)

doesn't get much faster on plane than a spoon and the action and quality are excellent.

I also like the frog/buzzers that are available, Stanley makes the Buzz-it frog which uses toads instead of a hollow body frog. Scum frog makes the ThunderToad which uses a hollowbody scumfrog behind a buzzer. (you'd think they could have switched those two names to make it easier to understand)

Also, I prefer a squeaker to a clacker any day, any conditions.

[Mitch f]

I like the Cavitron

[Stoneroller]

I was just looking at that one mitch

[Mitch f]

I was just looking at that one mitch

A little expensive but seems to track slow and true, also makes a nice little bubble trail. I like it in spite of the Roland Martin endorsement most buzzbaits you can tune and tinker to get them to run better anyway but the cavitron seems good out of the box. I did have to adjust a couple though

[Al Agnew]

A simple 1/4 ounce buzzbait works about as well as anything in clear water. My brother uses a black one most of the time when he floats with me. He has a couple that really squeak well and he catches a lot of fish on them.

I've experimented a lot with making my own, working on the prop to try to get that great squeak. There are things you can do to get some squeak, but it seems like nothing works quite as well as just using one until it starts to squeak well. Also, some aluminum blades squeak better than others. I had a bunch of blades that were big and thick aluminum covered with a "gold" plating. Those things squeaked so well I took the time to cut them down to the size I wanted with tin snips. I had another bunch that had been cut out of some old aluminum appliance from the 1950s...still had this funky design on one side. They were very thin, and squeaked well. But I ordered a whole bunch of blades from some tackle craft company and I can't get them to squeak at all.

Right now I just finished making a couple that sound pretty good. I used a 1/4 ounce spinnerbait head and hook, and put on two blades, a normal 1/4 ounce size buzzbait prop in the back, and in front of it a counter-rotating buzz prop that is the much shorter type. The two blades together make more commotion, and they keep the lure up on the surface even though it's a more streamlined spinnerbait head instead of the more flattish buzzbait head.

The other thing I look for in a river buzzbait is compactness. I want as short an arm as possible, but you still need to make sure there is enough clearance between the blade and the hook.

Bigger buzzbaits do work. I'll use bigger ones in stained or murky water.

Another thing that works is to use a curly tail grub on the back of the buzzbait. I'll always have a trailer hook as well. You can even use the curly tail alone, without the skirt.

The buzzbait is often the best, or at least one of the best, lures you can use in ultraclear water. Use a fluorescent yellow one in super clear water and bright sunshine. You might be very happy with what you catch.

[riverrat]

Try tying your buzzbait to your vehicle's radio atennae, that will wear it enough to give it a squeak.

[joeD]

Do fish have ears? Can they hear? Do you know for certain?

Then why is a squeak so important?

Honestly, it's not. Neither is a brand or a color. Size can matter though. Not too big. But not to small either.

I mean, look at a buzzbait. Looks like nothing that one would find in the stream. Smallies hit because of movement. They don't know if its squeaking. Or if it has one blade or two. Or white. Or black.

I'm not being flip, but if you want to catch fish on a buzzbait, then tie one on and throw it. All over and often. The fish will tell you if they want it.

Buzzbait success is a numbers game, not brand game. The more you throw it, the better your chances of success.

[gotmuddy]

Do fish have ears? Can they hear? Do you know for certain?

Then why is a squeak so important?

Honestly, it's not. Neither is a brand or a color. Size can matter though. Not too big. But not to small either

fish can't hear but they can feel sound in the water.

[Guest]

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