I will soon be fishing a lake that has a huge rice field in about 2-5' of water, and scattered throughout this flat are hundreds of stumps and very old laydowns from decades ago when the area was clear-cut and flooded.

Normally I pitch creatures or wacky senkos near the stumps or into the pockets of the rice or into the transition between rice and other weed.  However, I have been thinking about trying a buzzbait in these areas.

Specifically, would a buzzbait be a good choice around the edges of the rice and/or over top of the stumps?  Would YOU throw a buzzbait here in a tournament?

Color -- black, white, or silver?

Black buzzbait anytime of day. Bright days I seem to catch more with a 1/4 oz silver blade. Darker days and dingy water I like the 3/8 or 1/2 with a gold blade. It is my favorite top water lure. I have over a dozen of different sizes in my boat and all but two are black. I fish only the lunker Lure brand. I know a lot of other members like the cavitron as well as others, but I ain't changing something that ain't broke.

Ask Long mike if my buzzbaits catch big fish.

Sure. Definitely try one.

Yes!!!  Yes!!!  Yes!!!  I would throw buzzbaits in there all day long, thats the perfect spot for them.  Go with a black Lunker Lure buzzbait with a silver blade.  You said it was big rice field so I would go with a 3/8 oz. or even 1/2 oz. to get longer cast and cover water quickly.

Does your answer change if I say that every stump is submerged -- not a single one comes out of the water.  The water is also usually very clear. Light-colored bottom.

Still black with silver, and still a good place to throw it seeing as I can't bump it into the stumps (since they're underwater)?

Nope my answer doesn't change one bit.

8-)

Buzzbaits will work for sure, but rice is really clingy so I might go with a Rage Shad or a Stanley Ribbit instead.

I've been on a big buzzbait kick lately..

and the description of your fishing area makes my mouth water...

buzzzzzzzzzzzzzz-Whomp! Fish on!

Buzzbait it like-a-fool!

JP

I guess I should update those that chimed in about this body of water and lure:  We placed FIRST out of 20 teams!  But although I threw a black buzzbait a considerable amount in the cloudy morning, I only got one strike -- from a pike.  The vast majority (all but two) of the bass we caught throughout the day were on jigs pitched into the thickest clumps of rice we could find.  One nice chunk was pulled off of a rocky shoreline where he was literally 6" from the bank, next to a fallen birch log (no branches, just a log).

So although the buzzbait didn't produce this time, we still won, and I will still try the buzzbait again sometime soon.

Thanks all!