After reading every talking about how good this buzzbait was I had to get one even though I've NEVER had any luck with a buzzbait. So I buy the ghost minnow color with a gold spinner and the 1/8 size. Well I get out to the lake thing about 620 and start using it just because it was new and i want to use it. I used it for about 15 mins and had nothing so I moved on to a popped then husky jerk then senko...still nothing. Now when i fish in the morning me and my friend can catch em left and right. On the afternoon however we catch nothing. So around 720 i put my cavitron back on since it was gettin a little dark and wasn't catching anything until about 8 i cast it near a dock and had a HUGE hit so i set it start reeling it in and next thing I know it got loose. So about 4-5 cast later a little bit farther out from the dock, I got another huge hit and it felt like a pretty big bass. After i set it i started reeling it in and then while I was reeling it in it got loose...AGAIN!  :'(

So the whole afternoon i had 2 strikes and I was mainly using my new cavitron. Is there some way to using a buzz bait I don't know about? Or a different way to set it?

Give the bass a couple of seconds after you see the hit and then set the hook.  Most people react to quickly and try to set the hook to soon and as a result the lure gets pulled away from the bass rather than hooking them.  Since I followed this advice my hookup ratio has improved tremendously.

The two main things I've read about topwater baits and missed fish are these:

Use a trailer hook like you would on spinnerbaits

or

More importantly, wait a few seconds before setting the hook after you get the strike. Topwater bites are so exciting we sometimes jerk the bait out before the fish actually takes it in.

Good luck out there!

Ah, rondef beat me to it, lol.

Another thing to remember is sometimes fish will 'slap' a bait trying to stun it before they try to eat it. I've hooked a couple of bluegill in the back or tail that tried that on my rapalas!

Haha I know what your talking about because I used to do this EVERYTIME with the popper the thing is it took the bait and was pulling my rod so i jerked it up started reeling and it was still on there and while i was reeling somehow it got off so I'm not really sure if it was me jerking it too soon. But I guess its possible and wow i wish I would've thought to add a trailor i bet that would've helped. The second strike he took it under before i set it so next time I guess I'll get some trailors and I'll give it a second before i set it.

welll im no expert on fish setting but did u happen to use the pro set???

Trailer hooks will help big time. Also, when fishing a buzzbait, I set the hook as soon as its pulled underwater.

to the forum guys.

welll im no expert on fish setting but did u happen to use the pro set???

Actually to be quite frank, I pro set that bad boy so hard my rod tip smack a bluegill in the mouth! hahaha

Trailer hooks will help big time. Also, when fishing a buzzbait, I set the hook as soon as its pulled underwater.

YEAH! See this is how it happened...It struck hard and took it under...I jerked hard and it stayed under...I start reeling...and its gone.

Almost same thing with the second, I really have a good feeling about trailor hooks for next time though.

wellll if u pro set it my good sir then there should b no issue

this is a lil wierd an hopefully not out of topic? BUt how do you go about putting on a trailer hook? where do I tie, hook?

does any onw have a pic of this on a buzz bait.

thanks.

A trailer hook is put directly on the hook of the buzzbait and a piece of tubing is used to keep the hook from coming off. You slide the hook of the buzzbait through the eye hook of the trailer hook and then put the piece of tubing in place. You can buy the trailor hook kits at wally world.

this is a lil wierd an hopefully not out of topic? BUt how do you go about putting on a trailer hook? where do I tie, hook?

does any onw have a pic of this on a buzz bait.

thanks.

They make trailor hooks that have the eye a larger size to go around the hook. Usually trailor hooks come with this tubing that u cut and put over the eye then put on the hook make sure you get the ones with tubing or with something over the eye over the trailor hook I'm not sure how but somehow i managed to buy some cheap ones that didn't come with tubing just some cheap plastic thigns to hold it in place that didn't even work.

Like others have said trailer hook will help if the conditions allow it. I caught my PB on a cavitron buzzbait and I have never been so glad to have a trailer hook on my bait.

I just bought one of these baits. I hope they work as well for me as they do for the rest of you.

I just bought one of these baits. I hope they work as well for me as they do for the rest of you.

They will.

BTW, I never use a trailer hook and have no issues.

8-)

Joe, they will work for you just don't try to set the hook to early, let them take the bait and then set the hook.  You saw how well they worked on your private lake when I caught that PB.

Had the same issues recently with a buzzbait while fishing for Northerns.  First hit, I reacted too quickly.  Second time I had him on but he came unbuttoned.  I surmised that I probably hadn't set the hook hard enough.  He had it in his mouth but let go near the bank. Third time he merely smacked it.  I was surprised he kept coming after it.  The fourth time I waited until he was well under water with it and was definitely swimming with it, then I set the hook hard.  I was rewarded with a nice 30" northern.  Even so, he wasn't hooked all that well through that bony jaw.  A bass of course would be different. But I still learned to wait until I was sure he had it firmly in his mouth.  I've been looking for the Cavitrons at Dick's, since they are supposed to be stocking them, but mine hasn't had any    . So, I ended up with a new Booyah.

OK YA ROTTEN KIDS- The main reason that I, in all of my years of fishing buzzbaits I find for not hooking up is-*** There are a lot of components that add up to hookups and heartbreaks. Of course there is the to fast of a reaction hookset. What happens here is the bass dosent get the bait properly aligned in its mouth. I have filmed this where if the hook is not at a correct angle it dosent get hooked. Think about this -if the hook is at a 90 degree angle to the fishes mouth -its comes right past the lips. (put a hook between your forefinger and thumb-turn it sideways and you wont ***** yourself as you pull it out now change the angle just a bit-OUCH) I have also witnessed while underwater is that when fish strike a surface lure and it dosent matter what type of fish or lure-the closer the bait is to the surface,the more air the fish will inhale while taking that bait. When the fish grabs that bait, it swims away and opens its mouth to release that pocket of air and thats when 99% of the bass fishermen set the hook. The bait actually just gets pulled out of its mouth. If the bass dosent get stung you can usually catch him again on the next cast --- good follow up baits are a senko or tube bait.-It just thinks the bait escaped like they do every day. The other factor is equiptment-ya have to use a medium heavy type rod-heavier line (to prevent line stretch) and a sharp hook. The rod and line together add less stretch and give more power to the point of the hook. Remember distance also with that. The further you are away from that fish the more power gets disapated to the point of the hook.I use at least a 6 1/2 fr medium heavy and a high speed reel to take up the slack quickly Thats why you have to match your tackle to the types of baits you are using. Follow these rules and your hookup ratio will increase. Also fun fishing never use a trailer-tournament fish always use one.