I just read an article that suggested that a buzz bait could be used effectively in the dead of winter in open water.    I have never thought of a buzz bait (or any topwater bait) as a winter bait.  Have any of you had any success with this or even tried it?

I have not tried it but I read a a article by Rick Clunn and he said he catches fish with them in the middle of winter.  He said he was fishing and it was snowing and everything was so quiet, nothing he threw seemed to work and he seen his buzzbaits and figured why not.  He started catching fish so I guess it does work sometimes.

It just might work if you have open water, where I live the ice might affect the action a little

I have heard that topwaters are supposed to work in winter. I have tried it but all I seemed to do is scare the bass.

I'm sure in warmer regions it will work. I have caught bass in february on a chug bug in southern spain but you can compare the weather there to florida.

I think this question came up 2 years ago.  Yes I have caught fish in the late winter on a buzz bait. I was fishing an "Ice out " tournament up here is Pa. Mid march was the day. Ice just came off days before the tournament. water was around 40 degree and air temp was mid 30's. could not catch a bite for anything that day, then the snow hit. It was a white out, couldn't see 50 feet. at one point had 4 inches in the boat.  I wasn't really fishing open water, but the water was deep. 35-50 feet right off the shore rock face. I remember that artical about Clunn and thought "what the heck, nothing else has worked" so I tied on a double bladed buzz bait and started tossing it. I soon caught a fish, a keeper fish, my partner ( buddy tournament) didin't have any buzzbaits with him and I only had one. (too early in the season to carry them we thought) so he tried a spinnerbait and kept it rite at the surface. making a wake with it. we didn't get out limit that day but we ended up with 3 or 4 keepers. So yes it will work.

I think if the air temperature is cold but the water temperature is okay, then why not?  I've never tried it, though.

i never tried it either but i heard that baitfish will school on sunny winter days and the bass will hit topwater really well in the dead of winter  i was never on the water to see any schooling baitfish in winter though