So I’ve been fishing a few different buzz baits. A couple I modified and one stock. I’ve been throwing them on MH rod. But I’ve been playing with 15 pound big game. And 40 pound suffix 832 braid

I’ve noticed with mono I miss a lot more fish. I don’t believe it’s due to mono stretch or any of that hoopla. I believe it’s my reaction time. I rarely pull the bait away or out of the mouth of a fish that fully commits to a buzzbait. But I’ve noticed with mono I’m just slow. I seem to do better with the braid.

Just something to consider when thinking of line choice. I fish near a ton of curly tail pond weed, chara and just algae moss in general. So braid isn’t a bad choice by any means.

I never thought about the line. I’ve noticed I have fewer hook-ups with buzz baits and frogs. I just figured it was due to single hook versus treble, like you have on a popper or walking bait. Interesting…… I don’t think I have any trouble with spinner bait, but then maybe I do. I can’t see the near misses, like with topwater. Hmmmm……

I don't throw buzzbaits a lot. But by pure coincidence I do use my frogging rod for them, loaded up with braid.

I have always thrown buzzbaits with mono .I felt they have a better than average hookup ratio than other top waters. The hard part is not to set the hook until the fish is felt. I run into toruble setting the hook to early.

4 hours ago, scaleface said:

I have always thrown buzzbaits with mono .I felt they have a better than average hookup ratio than other top waters. The hard part is not to set the hook until the fish is felt. I run into toruble setting the hook to early.

Oh absolutely. They hook up great. I also struggle with timing but more often than not I get em. I think on longer casts in thick vegetation like my lakes are that braid just suits me better

The key with the buzzbait is not to set the hook IMHO - most of my biggest fish I just keep my cool and keep reeling and they load up nicely. Sharp hooks are a must. Most of the time when I set the hook I pull it away from the fish or kinda tear a big hole in their faces and with buzzbaits and crankbaits and swim jigs and chatterbaits I just keep reeling and lean on em - not really much of a hook set. Works with all line choices!

With mono - I would want a medium heavy fast action rod and with braid I’d want a medium heavy moderate fast action rod. That’s kinda how you balance line choice to hook density and rod action in that scenario to me .

26 minutes ago, Pat Brown said:

The key with the buzzbait is not to set the hook IMHO - most of my biggest fish I just keep my cool and keep reeling and they load up nicely. Sharp hooks are a must. Most of the time when I set the hook I pull it away from the fish or kinda tear a big hole in their faces and with buzzbaits and crankbaits and swim jigs and chatterbaits I just keep reeling and lean on em - not really much of a hook set. Works with all line choices!

With mono - I would want a medium heavy fast action rod and with braid I’d want a medium heavy moderate fast action rod. That’s kinda how you balance line choice to hook density and rod action in that scenario to me .

I agree. Can’t swing for the fences. I personally still set the hook some though. Even with a swim jig. You and I have talked in depth about it. And every time I try the letting the rod load and reeling down. I just can’t seem to get them hooked. New hooks or sharpened hooks it’s just me and my lack of skill lol

Everywhere I fish is weeds and grass too. So for that I do like braid. That’s basically all we fished in Florida. And I can’t shake it for some things lol. But I’ve done well on 15 pound big game also

You still gotta lean into em a bit but I think the big key is reeling into them with enough speed to drive the hook balanced with a rod that’s moderate enough for them to “get it” - it’s sort of the exact same hook set I use with a Bobby garland minnow - you just kinda reel faster and “lift” or “pull sideways” into the bite. It’s not really much of a Hookset but you still move the line and the rod. Just more torque supplied by the rod and speed more from the reel. It’s still a pretty swift sweep of the rod or lift! Sounds like we actually probably do the same thing maybe just different wording for it.

It could be that your rod and braid are more compatible - I personally prefer a more moderate action rod and braid system with buzzbaits anyways - so if that works - I say stick with it.

1 hour ago, Pat Brown said:

You still gotta lean into em a bit but I think the big key is reeling into them with enough speed to drive the hook balanced with a rod that’s moderate enough for them to “get it” - it’s sort of the exact same hook set I use with a Bobby garland minnow - you just kinda reel faster and “lift” or “pull sideways” into the bite. It’s not really much of a Hookset but you still move the line and the rod. Just more torque supplied by the rod and speed more from the reel. It’s still a pretty swift sweep of the rod or lift!

Very well said! And definitely more how I do it now that you describe it. Thanks so much Pat!

I like mono on a med/heavy fast rod and usually don't watch my buzzbait during the retrieve unless I'm snaking it through limbs/sticks. I'm looking for the next target and figuring the best angle to attack it. I'm listening for the hit and just keep reeling until I feel weight and then sweep(not snatch) to the side. I would imagine 85% of my buzzbaiting is in the dark.

1 hour ago, Pat Brown said:

You still gotta lean into em a bit but I think the big key is reeling into them with enough speed to drive the hook balanced with a rod that’s moderate enough for them to “get it” - it’s sort of the exact same hook set I use with a Bobby garland minnow - you just kinda reel faster and “lift” or “pull sideways” into the bite. It’s not really much of a Hookset but you still move the line and the rod. Just more torque supplied by the rod and speed more from the reel. It’s still a pretty swift sweep of the rod or lift!

Very well said! And definitely more how I do it now that you describe it. Thanks so much Pat!

57 minutes ago, GreenPig said:

I like mono on a med/heavy fast rod and usually don't watch my buzzbait during the retrieve unless I'm snaking it through limbs/sticks. I'm looking for the next target and figuring the best angle to attack it. I'm listening for the hit and just keep reeling until I feel weight and then sweep(not snatch) to the side. I would imagine 85% of my buzzbaiting is in the dark.

See that’s a habit I need to break. I’m always watching the bait and listening to its sound for speed. If I can hear it in the conditions.

19 hours ago, Pat Brown said:

The key with the buzzbait is not to set the hook IMHO - most of my biggest fish I just keep my cool and keep reeling and they load up nicely. Sharp hooks are a must. Most of the time when I set the hook I pull it away from the fish or kinda tear a big hole in their faces and with buzzbaits and crankbaits and swim jigs and chatterbaits I just keep reeling and lean on em - not really much of a hook set. Works with all line choices!

With mono - I would want a medium heavy fast action rod and with braid I’d want a medium heavy moderate fast action rod. That’s kinda how you balance line choice to hook density and rod action in that scenario to me .

I agree, as I look back and try to remember most of my buzzbait catches hooked themselves with no set by me. I think the combination of the fairly quick retrieve with the braid does all the work on this.

28 minutes ago, Dens228 said:

I agree, as I look back and try to remember most of my buzzbait catches hooked themselves with no set by me. I think the combination of the fairly quick retrieve with the braid does all the work on this.

Very well said

Perhaps it's the rod's fault, not the line. I use 15# Big Game for this and spinnerbaits. I use a MH/F rod. I don't even lean into it until I feel the fish. I've never felt I was losing fish due to the line. I also use a trailer hook. But I do use braid for a lot of other presentations and wouldn't hesitate for buzzbaits if for some reason I needed to. Honestly, I like the way the mono knot holds the wire tight.

When I threw buzz baits a lot I'd often look the way as I reeled, setting the hook when I felt the fish. Now I always use braid and rely on old age to slow my reflexes and it seems to work.

When I’m casting buzzbaits at night out in the Everglades, I have to rely more on sound as well as feel. There’s just so much more to contend with out there besides the fish itself. I run a minimum of 50lb braid. The braid gives me the best feedback for the cover I’m fishing around as well as the actual hits, which don’t really matter because the fish are usually 6 pounds and up and when they hit, they darn sure got it! I also run about 2ft 30lb mono shock leader, old school saltwater trick. And I always run a trailer hook! I make my own buzzbaits to get the sound just right to entice the hits.

I have trouble with the line sliding up the wire when hooked to big bass with both R bend spinnerbaits, and buzzbaits when using braid. When using mono or mono leader my knots seems to grip the wire better and stays put. Braid has a tendency to slide along the wire more. I have lost some DD bass due to the wire on a buzzbait breaking because the knot slid up the wire to the blade and bent the wire to the point of breaking. With spinnerbaits I tie some line across the R bend which solves the problem, but with buzzbaits I usually either use mono, or braid to a 20 pound mono leader. I have never heard of anyone else experiencing this problem, I may need to use a different knot, but I don't seem to have any problems while tying the buzzbait to mono. I don't know why, but for me the mono grips the wire better. I may be imagining the difference, but when I lose a double digit bass It is far easier to blame the line, than my angling skill. Imaginary or not, I don't like to tie straight braid to a buzzbait.

30 minutes ago, king fisher said:

I have trouble with the line sliding up the wire when hooked to big bass with both R bend spinnerbaits, and buzzbaits when using braid. When using mono or mono leader my knots seems to grip the wire better and stays put. Braid has a tendency to slide along the wire more. I have lost some DD bass due to the wire on a buzzbait breaking because the knot slid up the wire to the blade and bent the wire to the point of breaking. With spinnerbaits I tie some line across the R bend which solves the problem, but with buzzbaits I usually either use mono, or braid to a 20 pound mono leader. I have never heard of anyone else experiencing this problem, I may need to use a different knot, but I don't seem to have any problems while tying the buzzbait to mono. I don't know why, but for me the mono grips the wire better. I may be imagining the difference, but when I lose a double digit bass It is far easier to blame the line, than my angling skill. Imaginary or not, I don't like to tie straight braid to a buzzbait.

Precisely why I run the heavy mono shock leader. It never runs up the wire. I do a double loop clinch knot which seems to grip the tightest. The heavy mono really torques down. With spinnerbaits I only use closed eyelet wire.

18 hours ago, Zcoker said:

Thats a unique buzzbait. No doubt a night time bass magnet.

1 hour ago, scaleface said:

Thats a unique buzzbait. No doubt a night time bass magnet.

It gets the big hits, for sure. I’m all about top water at night and many of these off the shelf baits failed miserably for me out in the glades. So I just had to make my own, which wasn’t too hard once I got all the components together.