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Buzzbaits and Sunlines

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  • Super User

Never noticed or paid much attention in the past, however, this year I found that buzzbaits casted more or less into the sun were far more likely to get hit than buzzbaits away from or perpendicular to the sun....other variables being about equal.  Too much for coincidence, in my opinion.   Not sure if it does/will apply to frogs and spooks and poppers.  But if I had a large flat, like a pad field, I almost always had more buzzbait blowups when casting into the rising or setting sun.  This went for both hits upon splashdown, and during retrieve, which seem they should have different sun angle effects.  Not sure how to interpret this related to vision/visibility, etc, but curious if anyone (everyone?) had noticed similar or different?

  • Super User

Can't say that I have found that to be the case, but will be looking out for it once buzz bait time arrives. What I have seen that can make a difference is the direction of the wind and the chop.

  • Super User

I have no idea but work is boring right now.  Low sun angle, pushes the body shadow in front of the bait and unites the silhouette of the body and blades into one mass, possibly providing a more natural presentation.  Also, underwater shadows would extend in this direction allowing for the bass to be in the shade but not under cover, this might position them with a wider viewing angle and extend the time available for them to react to a fast moving bait. 
 

scott

  • Global Moderator

I haven't noticed it but I do know I get a lot of bites on a buzzbait along shade lines when I'm fishing them in the middle of the day. Doesn't even have to be close to anything either. 

  • Super User

I can see this, if you're fishing from a boat.  If you're fishing into the sun from a boat, then you're fishing into the shade.  And that's usually a good spot to be throwing topwaters early or late in the day.  

  • Super User

Only with buzzbaits? Let us know if you observe it happening with other baits too. 
 

I fish a lot of the time by anchoring now, and the sun angle always factors in to my decision of where to place my boat. I want the boat’s silhouette to be extending away from the fish, so that they do not see the shadow. That would be throwing into the sun, as you say. I also try and approach spots so that my boat’s silhouette does not extend towards the fish, if possible. 
 

And wind is a whole other factor. 

On 1/9/2023 at 2:23 PM, Deleted account said:

Can't say that I have found that to be the case, but will be looking out for it once buzz bait time arrives. What I have seen that can make a difference is the direction of the wind and the chop.

What have you observed with regard to wind? 

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