Few freshwater fish can provide the same level of excitement that a 40-inch
muskie does when it bites your line. When they hit a topwater lure, there
may be no equivalent. To get your adrenaline-junkie juices flowing, follow
our topwater cheat sheet.
May 30, 2007
Buzzbaits
Two basic styles of buzzbaits are available: in-line buzzers and safety-pin buzzers. An in-line buzzer is much like an ordinary bucktail spinner, but rather than a Colorado or willow leaf blade, it has one or two buzzblades that spin around the shaft and churn the water. Safety-pin buzzers resemble spinnerbaits and are just as weedless. The safety-pin shaft runs interference for the turned-up single hook. Most come with a single buzzblade, but some have a pair of buzzblades on separate shafts.
When to use 'em: Buzzbaits can be retrieved faster than other topwaters, so they work well for locating fish. In-line buzzers come with a treble hook and are intended for open water where there's little chance of fouling or snagging.
How to fish 'em: To get the most strikes, use the "getaway" technique. Hesitate after the lure splashes down and then start reeling slowly so the lure tracks just beneath the surface. About halfway through your retrieve, raise your rod tip and start reeling faster to bring the lure to the surface. A muskie will often hit just as the blades begin to the break the surface of the water. The theory is that a fish following the bait will strike to prevent it from getting away when it reaches the surface.
Best bet: Buchertail Tandem Buzzer. An in-line model with twin counter-rotating blades and a thick bucktail skirt that gives the lure a pulsating action.
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