Buzzbait styles

[VersatileFuturian]

Is there a benefit to throwing an inline buzzbait with a toad instead of a safety pin style buzzbait with a toad? Both skip well. Without any type of clacker, they should sound the same. The safety pin style you can swap blades and rivets. Just curious as I am seeing more inline buzzbaits being made. Not talking about weedless free swinging inlines. I'll attach pictures.

[JD_mudbug]

The only thing I can think off is with the traditional buzzbait (top lure) the frog will sit a bit lower in the water than the inline. This may get a few more strikes from fish hesitant to break the surface. Some people say inline buzzbaits get on plane faster but I haven't notice a difference with a frog on it.  In pike and musky country, the inline is easier to fish with a leader. You will have to put surgical tubing over the R bend on a traditional bait or the leader snap could slide up or down the arm.

I don't like to change blades on a traditional buzzbait. Before I put the rivet on, I scuff the top of the rivet with sandpaper. After I put the rivet on, I crush the tube part of the rivet with needle nose pliers so the rivet won't spin with blade. The blade spinning on the roughed up rivet top makes a good squeal.

[VersatileFuturian]

So I made an inline like the one picture above. I put a bit more of a drop in it. Runs great and skips unbelievable well. Now just need the water to warm up and see if it will catch a fish.

[Anglinarcher]

I find the in-line to be more weed resistant when dragging them over emerging weeds.  Other than that, I have seen no difference for the fishing I do.

[agronomist_at_ia]

Both work. 
 

Manufactures have started to make the bottom one because it has less wire and saves a few pennies. Overall it isn’t as good a design IMO. Not that it doesn’t work. The design flaw is when you get a good fish hooked….it can straighten out the bend in the wire by pulling the bend straight. The top design doesn’t have that issue because the line tie point is straight in line with the hook. 

[Anglinarcher]

Your point about straightening the bend is true, but it does not happen often, and normally takes several fish.  In my case, I make some (somewhere I have them in storage) that are completely straight.  There is no way to straighten what is already straight.

I think that the downward bend is done to "put the lure" in the water more, or to convince the fisherman that it is.  Does it matter?  I don't know that it does.  Bill Dance once pushed a buzz bait that had a long wire between the R bend and the hook, maybe 12".  I have a couple still today, and except for the fact that it takes a bit to learn to cast them, having the hook a distance behind the blade seems to work very well.  In fact, I suspect now that any short strikes on Buzz Baits are because the fish gets the hook lost in the wake of the blade, so perhaps the R Bend is better overall.

Still, my straight model (a copy of an old one I saw as a kid) with hook weighted so it has hook up, will pull over emergent vegetation that other styles won't even get close to getting over.

I guess that is why I have so many different ones.  Want to talk about all the different blades, double, tri, quad, plastic, aluminum, steel, ....... never mind.

[mark poulson]

These work great, and come over grass without fouling, if you hold the blade up a little with your rod.

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Snag_Proof_Bobbys_Perfect_Buzz_Frog/descpage-SPBPB.html

[jigmeister]

18 hours ago, Anglinarcher said:

 

"I think that the downward bend is done to "put the lure" in the water more, or to convince the fisherman that it is.  Does it matter?  "

The downward bend in the wire produces a "Keel " effect that helps prevent rolling from blade torque and also deflects weed strands down the wire shaft so they can (hopefully) slip over the head.

Two counter rotating blades will eliminate torque but unfortunately wrap weeds around the blades like crazy .

 

 

 

Edited July 9, 2021 by jigmeister

[Anglinarcher]

I agree on all accounts.  The old things I copied just used a weighted swimbait type hook to provided the "keel effect".  I used a swimbait style, weight on the hook shank, jig hook bend if you will.

This is a fun subject.  I use to make, and buy, and use a lot of buzz baits.  I swear that while they are not going to get you the most fish on most days, they sure do catch bigger fish in general.

 

[agronomist_at_ia]

On 7/9/2021 at 11:37 AM, Anglinarcher said:

I agree on all accounts.  The old things I copied just used a weighted swimbait type hook to provided the "keel effect".  I used a swimbait style, weight on the hook shank, jig hook bend if you will.

This is a fun subject.  I use to make, and buy, and use a lot of buzz baits.  I swear that while they are not going to get you the most fish on most days, they sure do catch bigger fish in general.

 

I’ve had some pretty good days on buzz baits….and it’s nice when fishing ponds with a number of smaller bass in them since it seems to catch the larger fish.