*When it comes to buzz baits which camp for are you in : Toads or Skirts ? Some only throw a buzz bait with a toad on the back where as others will throw a buzz bait with a skirt on until post spawn - then go to the buzz bait + toad through out the summer into the fall where they will switch back to the skirt trailer for winter and pre-spawn . What is your preference - or do you use both toads and skirts on the back of buzz baits ? 

Both but definitely skirt and trailer more successfully. 

Both ?

 

Neither - I remove the skirt and use a Zoom Z Craw Jr. The kicking tails line up at right where the hook leaves off.  I find much better hook-up ratio than toads and really no reason for a trailer hook..

I like the added weight of the soft plastic for casting distance

I'm in the take the skirt off camp 

I remove at least half the skirt and add a plastic trailer, z craw's are good, also like the plain old split tail spinner bait trailer. 

2 hours ago, FryDog62 said:

Neither - I remove the skirt and use a Zoom Z Craw Jr. The kicking tails line up at right where the hook leaves off.  I find much better hook-up ratio than toads and really no reason for a trailer hook..

Okay. I did the same thing after watching a video by GMan but I still use trailer hooks. I found when there was some light still on the water, I had no trouble hooking a couple. However, once the sun went down and it was truly pitch black night, I was unable to hook a single fish. I do believe they were smaller fish. Looking for some help on this. How can I improve my hooking ratio at night? There is a lake where I believe night fishing with buzzbaits could be the deal. 

No skirt, but not necessarily a toad. Different soft plastics ranging from swimbait to sweet beaver. 

 

Mix it up. 

I use a trailer hook and skirt.  I'm more worried about short strikes than profile.  

Skirt 

I use a skirt + paddletail swimbait added

 

I mainly added the plastic for casting distance and bulk. 

 

 

I run skirt and trailer hook just because I have a ton of confidence there. I feel like I catch bigger fish on a skirt

Team skirt here. 

 

I do like taking a piece of an old Senko (about as long as the hook shank) and threading it onto the shank of the hook. I feel like this gives me a little bit more casting distance and I feel like having something a little soft on the bait gives the fish incentive to hold onto the bait a little better before I can get the hook set. 

3 hours ago, FryDog62 said:

Neither - I remove the skirt and use a Zoom Z Craw Jr. The kicking tails line up at right where the hook leaves off.  I find much better hook-up ratio than toads and really no reason for a trailer hook..

The iconic G-Man setup, love that rig!

 

I also use a Rage Menace and maybe a Rage Bug, just another use for those versatile baits. 

 

Black buzzbait with a black/blue rage menace

I use a skirt, simply because a skirt comes with the bait and is durable.  I spend enough on tackle, without adding to the expense with more soft plastics.  Baby bass are constantly hitting my buzzbaits, and I would go through a pack of plastics every day.  A skirt will last a whole season.  Of course all it will take is one big bass with a toad, and the Bait Monkey will make me a hypocrite once again.

Both for me!  Toad on some, skirt on others!  Need to try the Z Craw, forgot all about GMan talking about that!

 

 

I've had about equal success with both.

Until I watch Ott DeFoe put a toad on a buzzbait I didn’t know it was a big thing. Boy is it ever. You can launch that bait a mile. 

9 hours ago, Kenny Yi said:

The iconic G-Man setup, love that rig!

 

I also use a Rage Menace and maybe a Rage Bug, just another use for those versatile baits. 

 

Black buzzbait with a black/blue rage menace

*Interesting how much G Man hates a toad on a buzz bait (he says he misses too many bass with a toad) . Good luck finding Z-Craw Jr. 's currently - so Rage Menace , Ultra vibe Speed Craw , RI Spicy Beaver and the like could also work .

Skirt and paddle tail. Never tried it any other way. 

Neither .I caught over 40 today on a 1/2 ounce homemade  buzzbait , with around 15 over 15 inches . I use a paddle-tail swimbait . Its heavier than a skirt so it cast better and retrieves slower .

Skirt and a trailer hook. 

hot pants and a toad

Buzzbaits are my favorite lures to throw and have been using them since the   70's when I discovered the Lunker Lure . This is the one I pour and use now days . 1/2 ounce , cast a mile ,  tracks straight , retrieves slowly and has a high hook up percentage . I have to super glue the plastic on because it was designed to be used with a skirt . 

*I used to be of the belief that if you used a trailer on a buzz bait that it was a : "Toad or nothing" ... Now I see that just about any paddle tail swim bait , creature or craw in that 3.5" to 4.5" range is fair game as a buzz bait trailer.