When you guys wear through a buzzbait river do you bend the wire and replace it? Or just retire that buzzbait?

I’ve done it both ways. Sometimes the wire breaks and puts it in forced retirement. I’ve actually worn out more blades than rivets.

I melt the lead and reuse the hook.

Depending on the buzz baitbut I’ll sometimes cut the wire near the top and bend a circle in front of the hook with pliers throw on a bladed jig blade and it’s a “free” bladed jig

Replace.I always carry spare rivets and blades with me. I'll keep using a bait after one wire break but retire it after a second.

I crimp the rivets on my buzzbaits, so unless there is enough wire to cut a worn one off and add a new one, I just say thank you for your service and trash it.

Thank you everyone!! I crimp the rivets as well to get that good squeak out of them. And that’s been my biggest producing bait this year. So I’ll retire that one. I bought another to replace it. I honestly probably should buy all they have next time I’m there lol

I replace skirts, blades and rivets. Actually ordered some components just last week for exactly this, from TW:

1 hour ago, MIbassyaker said:

I replace skirts, blades and rivets. Actually ordered some components just last week for exactly this, from TW:

How do you bend the end of the wire straight to change the rivet and remand it back with out breaking? I mode lures all the time and have no issue buying parts and doing it? Gold blades are my favorite also

33 minutes ago, Joedodge said:

How do you bend the end of the wire straight to change the rivet and remand it back with out breaking? I mode lures all the time and have no issue buying parts and doing it? Gold blades are my favorite also

just regular needlenose pliers. I haven't had a problem with the wire breaking. Definitely if it breaks, that's a good reason to retire it -- even if you manage to get a blade and rivet back on there, gotta wonder what's going to break next?

Excellent point!

I have lots of rivets and blades and beads- when a rivet wears out, I shorten the arm and often modify it in some way when I put a new rivet and bead on - I like smaller blades on heavier heads - great for clear water.

1 hour ago, Pat Brown said:

I have lots of rivets and blades and beads- when a rivet wears out, I shorten the arm and often modify it in some way when I put a new rivet and bead on - I like smaller blades on heavier heads - great for clear water.

I’m gonna get some rivets. I love these bass pro head clacker. They are so compact at 3/8 and nice and short. I don’t like how long some of the baits are.

I've worn out some blades, not rivets. I've unbent the wire to replace the blades. Unsuccessful on one, success on the other two. For me I think the success came from going slow and not unbending exactly at the original bend. You gotta finesse your way through the unbend re-bend.

Alternately @Pat Brown has an excellent suggestion and I'll be incorporating it on on my unsuccessful endeavor.

1 hour ago, Kev-mo said:

I've worn out some blades, not rivets. I've unbent the wire to replace the blades. Unsuccessful on one, success on the other two. For me I think the success came from going slow and not unbending exactly at the original bend. You gotta finesse your way through the unbend re-bend.

Alternately @Pat Brown has an excellent suggestion and I'll be incorporating it on on my unsuccessful endeavor.

I crimp the rivet down so it doesn’t spin anymore. That’s why it wore out. But man they squeal good.