FISHING A BUZZ BAIT

Every year there is a new fishing bait to hit the stores that is advertised to be the "NEW BASS CATCHER of THE SEASON"! "If you don't have some of these you might as well stay home!" Of course, I have to buy as many as I can! Several years ago, I was fishing with a friend who owned a tackle store. He had all the latest "STUFF" and I was anxious to see how some of the things worked. I remember it was a warm day in July and he wanted to catch a few Bass to display at a sportsman's club outting later that day! The first thing he tied on was a form of a spinner bait but instead of having spinners on the shaft, it had a propeller shaped blade. It was also very noisy and I thought no way would this thing catch fish! Boy, was I wrong! He began casting and started his speedy retrieve as soon as the bait hit the water. The bait rose to the surface and began its noisy chop back toward the boat. The bait hadn't traveled five feet, when a Bass smacked the living daylights out of that lure! I was totally awed by the sight! After watching this happen time and time again, he finally threw a buzz bait to me. Today, I never go out without a good supply of buzz baits. So many companies make these lures today and they are still one of the most exciting lures to fish! A word of advice, for the most part, a Bass will only hit a buzz bait once on a retrieve so it's a good idea to have a back up bait such as a plastic worm or a soft swim bait to cast back to the area of the strike. It's a good chance the Bass will hit this follow up technique! A good casting outfit is the best to use with a buzz bait and a high gear ratio reel for a rapid retrieve. Smaller buzz baits, in the 1/8th oz. size, can be worked with a spinning outfit easier than with a casting rod. Don't be afraid to use these baits in the middle of the day. They make such a commotion that a Bass will hit it just because it's there! Good fishing!