Joe Haubenreich wrote:
Although buzzbaits are a year-round bass-catcher in the southern tier
states, here in the nation's midsection we're just coming into prime months
for buzzbait enthusiasts.

I was daydreaming this afternoon about dragging a burbling, sputtering
buzzbait past a stump where a big ol' bass is likely to slurp it down, or
the explosive strike that we're treated to sometimes. Although buzzbaits are
big-bass baits, some of us may have lost confidence in buzzbaits and prefer
to throw other topwater lures instead. I have to admit, with a 50% strike to
hook-up ratio, in a tournament situation I feel more confident using a
higher percentage lure, but by adding a spinner blade behind the buzz prop
I've experienced a marked improvement in my hook-up rate. Now closer to
three quarters strikes result in hook-ups. And for tournament anglers,
that's important.

I tallied a list of other factors that determine success with buzzbaits, and
you might be interested in the list I came up with. So here are my Top 10
Mistakes That Anglers Make Using Buzzbaits, from least (10) to most (1)
important:

10. Selecting a cheap, poorly constructed bait
9. Keeping it on the surface at all times
8. Using the same size and color for all water and light conditions
7. Using lightweight monofilament line
6. Retrieving it too fast
5. Relegating it to the post-spawn period and warmer months
4. Keeping it away from cover and brush to avoid hang-ups
3. Failure to add a trailer hook
2. Jerking the bait away too quickly on the strike
1. Not throwing them at all

Is this your experience as well? Any other mistakes that I left off?



Tying one to your pickup truck mirror to break-in the blades, and
forgetting about it.

That in a tournament situation, when everybody is tossing buzzbaits,
throw a Pomme Special. (For those that have no idea what a Pomme Special
is, it looks like a large short-arm spinnerbait. Typically fished with
a plastic bait on the hook to add lift. Fished like a buzzbait, it will
"gurgle" when retrieved at a slow speed. The more it's fished, the
better the bait, and you get. Usually found at baitshops scattered
around the Midwest.)

Carlos