Braid for Spinnerbaits/Buzzbaits?

[papajoe222]

I normally use Yo-Zuri Hybrid for fishing spinner and buzz baits, but yesterday I took a youngster out and he was using my spinnerbait combo, so I tied a buzzer on to my 7ft. MH/F combo spooled with 30lb. braid.  I missed way too many fish that I felt I should have hooked up with.  Is braid a poor choice for this, or was the rods action too fast, or a combination of both?

[ABU is overpriced]

I primarily use braid for both, but with a fluoro leader, and prefer MH rods with a moderate fast taper.

[rangerjockey]

Personally, I would use a trailer hook. They swat top water a bunch. I wouldn't blame the line , just one of those days.

I'm not a fan of braid but for top water it just makes sense.

 

[FrnkNsteen]

I never us braid for spinnerbaits or buzzbaits. I can't honestly say why, but I always use mono. Usually somewhere around 15-17lb.

 

I like the bigger mono for the extra lift a bigger line gives to keep it up in the water column, especially for Buzzbaits or if trying to slowly work a spinner around timber or laydowns

[Bird]

This may not apply to everyone but something I've experienced.

I throw mainly 3/8 - 1/4 spinnerbaits on straight 20# braid, casting gear.

3 years ago I bought a dedicated MH-F rod just for this purpose.

First trip out with new rod I proceeded to lose fish after fish especially the jumpers.

 

Went back to the Med Moderate rod and once again enjoyed the high hookup ratio.

When dealing with catches high in the water column where jumping and dancing are common, no stretch line and stiff rod leads to lost fish. Imho

[gimruis]

I use sufix advance for this application.  I don't lose many fish using it.  I do infrequently lose a fish when they jump and shake their head.

 

I've thought about switching to braided line though.

[Reel]

It's not the tackle and it's not the line... it's the fisherman.  When you use one type of equipment for one presentation, you get used to it and develop a rhythm for retrieves and hook setting.  Change that and you see what happens.  A lot of people use braid and MH rods for buzzbaits with success but that's what they use all the time.  You have a rod, a reel and line that you have success with... use it.  And maybe buy something similar to lend.  

[J Francho]

Once you get your braid twisted around a blade you'll see why it isn't the best for this. Otherwise, it actually seems like a sensible choice. The lack of stretch makes driving a fairly large, thick hook home easier. 
 

For the missed fish described above, I wonder if those fish were crashing the blades. You'll lose fish every time they do this. A trailer hook solves it. If you are using a trailer hook, and it is hooking the fish in the chin, that will confirm they are crashing the blades. Otherwise, I don't think you did anything really that wrong. 

[gimruis]

The problem with a trailer hook is then you've turned what was a relatively snagless lure into something that snags everything, subsurface or surface.  The advtange of a spinnerbait for me is the ability to bring it through relatively thick weeds without getting hung up.  That part is dunzo with a trailer hook.

[J Francho]

That hasn't been my experience at all. If you leave the hook free swinging in the same direction as the main hook, it is as snag proof as without. To my point, I turn to a spinnerbait first when encountering laydowns and submerged wood. I can assure you, this is a problem made up by people that don't use trailers. 

[gimruis]

I don't use spinnerbaits around laydowns and submerged wood.  There aren't any by me.  Its all weeds.  I'm not making anything up about trailers.  They catch weeds far more often than one without.  That's why I don't use them.

 

Simple physics on the shape of the spinnerbait would indicate this too, since the blades and frame would prevent the main hook from constantly snagging whereas a trailer hook further back has no barrier for snag prevention.

 

If fish are swiping and missing the spinnerbait, I reel it in slower.

[Choporoz]

43 minutes ago, J Francho said:

Once you get your braid twisted around a blade you'll see why it isn't the best for this. Otherwise, it actually seems like a sensible choice. The lack of stretch makes driving a fairly large, thick hook home easier. 
 

For the missed fish described above, I wonder if those fish were crashing the blades. You'll lose fish every time they do this. A trailer hook solves it. If you are using a trailer hook, and it is hooking the fish in the chin, that will confirm they are crashing the blades. Otherwise, I don't think you did anything really that wrong. 

Agreed.  I use fluoro and 40# braid pretty much interchangeably for spinnerbaits and buzzbaits.  Only drawback to braid for me is certain baits plus a bit of wind cause some fouled casts.

[J Francho]

When they helicopter is when it's the worst. 

[J Francho]

 

@gimruis Sounds like your experience is based on using a trailer hook that was too big.  I'm in WNY - we have weeds too.  The bait should look like shown below.  There's a ton of things on a spinnerbait that can catch weeds.  The trailer is still completely protected by the same design elements that protect the main hook.  Don't ask what brand this bait is, can't remember, lol.  Often a little pop clears them, and can draw strikes.

 

[Pat Brown]

Spinnerbaits - nah - mono for me.

 

Buzzbaits - always 40 lb braid.

[Mike L]

16# Sniper for spinnerbaits 

I don’t use buzz baits 

 

 

 

 

 

Mike

[casts_by_fly]

9 hours ago, papajoe222 said:

I normally use Yo-Zuri Hybrid for fishing spinner and buzz baits, but yesterday I took a youngster out and he was using my spinnerbait combo, so I tied a buzzer on to my 7ft. MH/F combo spooled with 30lb. braid.  I missed way too many fish that I felt I should have hooked up with.  Is braid a poor choice for this, or was the rods action too fast, or a combination of both?

 

Its a combo of both.  I don't like braid for either application, but occasionally use it depending on what rods I have with me and what they are all rigged with when I want to tie a spinnerbait or buzzbait on.  A faster action and braid can work, but the fish have to be hitting it pretty good.  The ones that just swipe at it won't get it good a lot of the time and the combo of high sensation transmission from the braid, the quick load up of the fast rod, and the lack of any attenuation of the line mean as soon as you feel the little swipe you're pulling but the fish doesn't have it.  If you really slow down the lure and slow down your hookset it can work.  A more moderate rod helps, but I'd rather have a faster rod and mono for spinnerbaits.

 

For buzzbaits, I fish heavier mono (thick 17 lb) which has less stretch already and then a 'fast' actioned rod (per the label) which is actually on the slower side of fast and not nearly as fast as my spinnerbait rod. Again, it's the balance between line and rod.  I fish a buzzbait super slow (as slow as I can crawl it).

 

One thing that will help a lot is a plastic trailer on a buzzbait.  I don't know if you use one, but when a fish comes up to suck it off the surface, there needs to be some volume and mass for the fish to suck in.  A naked buzzbait has a lot of 'air' making up the profile.  It's less for the suction force to pull on.  Even threading a 2" piece of a stickbait on the hook will make a difference.  I've found the best balance so far is a 3" spunk shad.  I wish there was a 3.5" for this as the 4" is just a little too much (body thickness and weight) even if you pinch off a half inch.

 

 

32 minutes ago, J Francho said:

 

Don't ask what brand this bait is, can't remember, lol.  Often a little pop clears them, and can draw strikes.

 

 

That's a strike king with razor blades i think.  Bottom dweller I think from the weight on the hook shank.  I have a couple.  That looks like a 3/4 oz with a replacement skirt

[king fisher]

31 minutes ago, Mike L said:

I don’t use buzz baits

You had the right to remain silent, but you put it on the internet.  The Bass Police will be knocking at your door soon.

[J Francho]

12 minutes ago, casts_by_fly said:

That looks like a 3/4 oz with a replacement skirt

It's 1/2 or 5/8 oz.  Not a chance it's 3/4.  The head isn't wide enough.  There's a couple 3/4 oz. baits and a 1 oz. in the background.  

 

Pro Tip: Heavy baits aren't just for deeper water.  They're great to burn at mid depths as well.

[Mike L]

20 minutes ago, king fisher said:

You had the right to remain silent, but you put it on the internet.  The Bass Police will be knocking at your door soon.

Thats ok

Won’t be the first time!

😊

 

 

 

 

 

Mike

[bowhunter63]

My setup is 15 lb BG Mono . My Rod is a MH 7 ft . It has enough give for the strike but loads up quick for the set 

[papajoe222]

Yea, I figured it was a poor choice to ise, but like i’d said, the kid was using it, without much success I might add. It was his first tome using a baitcaster. He never backlashed, but in the super clear water, his short casts didn’t produce much. 
That combo is a StCroix spinnerbait rod,  Fuego and 15lb. Yo-Zuri  Ultra Soft. 

[Catt]

Spinnerbaits is when I step up to 20# Big Game.  Early pre-spawn I'm pitching in buck brush which means no trailer hook. 

 

Buzzbaits means grass & again its 20#.

[J._Bricker]

I like to use Power Pro braid for both, 30lb for spinnerbaits and bladed jigs and 40lb for chucking buzzbaits.

[casts_by_fly]

5 hours ago, J Francho said:

It's 1/2 or 5/8 oz.  Not a chance it's 3/4.  The head isn't wide enough.  There's a couple 3/4 oz. baits and a 1 oz. in the background.  

 

Pro Tip: Heavy baits aren't just for deeper water.  They're great to burn at mid depths as well.

The bottom dweller starts at 3/4oz so it’s either a 3/4 or it’s not a bottom dweller. 
 

The heads on them are compact for a weight because there is the extra weight on the hook shank.