Buzz Frogs

[mark poulson]

I watched a video of Bobby Barrack throwing a hollow plastic frog with a buzz bait blade in front of it, and I thought it was a cool idea, especially since it floated at rest, so it could be worked as slowly as I wanted.

So I took a frog that I no longer throw, one with paddle legs instead of silicone skirt lets, and took an old buzz bait blade, bent up some spinner bait wire, added rivets in front and behind, and put it together with #5 split rings.

Voila, a buzzfrog!

I took it up to the local pond for a test swim, and got a blowup right away.

So I went back and looked at all the older frogs I no longer throw, and made up a bunch more of the buzz frogs in white, black, and green.

Finally, I don't have to feel guilty about "abandoning" some of the older frogs for the new, super detailed frogs I throw now.

Funny how the old ones got bit just fine, but I had to have the newest ones.  Of course, the newer ones do seem to walk the dog much better in open water, but that was never an issue when I threw the old ones over slop.

The buzz frogs do raise a ruckus, and I can stop them in front of a piece of cover, and then start them again without worrying about them sinking, like a regular buzz bait. 

And they cast like a bullet with the extra weight of the buzz blade and shaft.

I'm just sayin'.......

[gone2long]

Great idea!

[mark poulson]

Great idea!

 

Just remember.  It was Bobby Barrack's idea, not mine.

[RayburnGuy]

Homer Humphy came out with something similar years ago. The body was wood with a buzz blade on it and it floated when stopped. I think I remember the buzz blade was on the front and it sported a skirt on the back. It was great for bass that were just a little too finicky to hit a regular buzz bait. You could pull it up to a stump and stop it and then give it a couple twitches or do the same thing when fishing around grass or pads.

 

Ben

[mark poulson]

I've seen other buzz baits, like the buzz swimbait by Optimum, but I liked the idea of having a use for my "retired" frogs.

And it actually comes through light weeds pretty well.

Edited July 23, 2013 by mark poulson

[RayburnGuy]

Hope it didn't sound as if I was trying to take anything away from your idea Mark. Just meant to say how effective it can be when your able to stop a buzz lure, such as what you came up with, without it sinking.

 

Ben

[mark poulson]

Exactly!  I tried to make a hard body buzz bait before, but it was not weedless at all, and the hookup ratio was lousy.

Bobby Barrack's idea is the best of both worlds, a weedless frog and a buzz bait.

I'm good at copying other people's ideas. 

My mother always said I was a backward element, so I guess reverse engineering comes natural to me.  Hahaha

Edited July 23, 2013 by mark poulson

[A-Mac]

That's a spectacular idea.  Definitely going to do this too.  Have you found a blade size (larger or smaller), type (2 or 3 blade), or color (silver, gold, black, etc) that performs better than the other?  I'm more interested in blade size to start, but I'm just curious what the bass are telling you.

[toadfrog]

If I could get my book back from the jerk that borrowed it 3 yrs ago . I'd show you a buzz frog made a really really long time ago .  The book is is called Great North American Fishing Tackle Catologs . It dates back to 1800 thru a about mid 1900 . Very cool pics some even of the set ups in the Orvis factory . (I think ) Lots of other great stuff . 

[mark poulson]

As I said, I copied the idea from Bobby Barrack's buzz frog.

 

AMac,

I got my buzz bait blades from Barlows.  http://www.barlowstackle.com/Aluminum-Buzz-BladebrClockwise-Turn--P749C112.aspx

I used the C blade, because I didn't want it to be too heavy, and that size works fine.

I just bought the aluminum blades, and colored the one for the black frog with a black Marks-A-Lot.  I'm pretty sure you could use other colors, too.

 

toadfrog,

I loaned a golf book to a friend thirty years ago, and it became his, magically!

I guess books should go on the list of things that cause Alzheimers, along with borrowed power tools.  Hahaha

Edited July 28, 2013 by mark poulson

[toadfrog]

Amen brother !!!!