# Night time buzzbaiting



## JimmyMac (Feb 18, 2011)

So a friend of mine goes on and on about how him and his buddy catch all these bass at night, on buzzbaits. I've personally never tried it, or ever even fished a buzzbait at any time. 

I want to give this a shot though, as it certainly sounds like a fun way to fish. I picked up a couple different buzzbaits in black (apparently black lures work best at night, as fish only see shadows and black puts a darker image in the water?). 

I'm curious how many of you have fished this way before, what kind advice could you give me? For instance, should I cast down bank lines, around docks, around light posts, fast or slow retrieve? 

I could just fish with my buddy and have all these questions answered, but work hours keep us from fishing together very often.


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## JamesT (Jul 22, 2005)

it works and very well sometimes. In rivers, the fish seem to move into shallower water (going for crays I think). Works best during the dog days when it is hot. Large subsurface lures work well too.


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## mpd5094 (Jun 20, 2005)

It does work. If the buzzbait night bite is slow, I throw a black spinnerbait. That usually works real well for me. Also, try big worms.


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## Fish G3 (Jul 16, 2008)

I tend to start off with throwing parallel to the bank and then it will gradually turn into a fan cast. It can definitely be fun and exciting when their really active. If the buzzbait isn't working the next best things would be a jitterbug or as mentioned previously a large worm/lizard.


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## zipperneck52 (May 1, 2004)

Big thumbs up on the jitterbug at nite. Scariest nights' fishing I ever had was at Clendenning fishing from the lodge to the campground. Deep water, shallow, downed wood and rock walls, everywhere I fished something was going to slam the bug. Lots of bass of all sizes up to 5+ lb, 2 channels and a crazed 15" crappie. Sure did keep my heart beating fast. I hear that the lake has a school of white bass roaming around. Should make for lots of action in the dark.


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## Scum_Frog (Apr 3, 2009)

Another thing to try if they are hitting the buzzbait but missing....go for something that puts of similar sound has a buzzbait but you can do a slower retrieve. I use a ragetail a lot of times because you can reaalllyyyyy slow down the retrieve and coffee scents help them find the lure. Goodluck! Its an awesome/scary feeling when you get a huge blow up and you cant see it!


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## dre (Aug 14, 2009)

I love to throw black buzzbaits for smallies on the Scioto at night during the summer! Last summer I absolutely slayed them. I think biggest night time smallie was 16 inches but still it is a blast. I would usually find a shallower area and cast across the river and get it up to the surface as soon as possible. In some instances they would hit the buzzbait before it even got up to the surface! I'm going to test out the Warrior bait buzzbaits, their buzzbaits have a very slow retrieval and come to the top of the water quicker, therefore staying in the target zone quicker. Now if only the flows would get down to a normal level so I can start my summer night smallie bananza!


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## JimmyMac (Feb 18, 2011)

Thanks for all the advice so far, going to pick up a couple jitterbugs and some large worms also. Hopefully I can get into some pretty good action this way, as a good chunk of my free time comes at night.


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## Pigsticker (Oct 18, 2006)

I prefer jitterbugs, not as intrusive on small bodies of water. I agree with black at night but don't leave if u lose the only black one. Think of what the fish sees on a jbug. Just the belly.


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## skippyflyboy (Jan 5, 2010)

zipperneck52 said:


> ... and a crazed 15" crappie.


What, exactly, is a crazed crappie

Oh...Jitterbugs at night are a hoot!


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## streamstalker (Jul 8, 2005)

Jitterbugs can be a blast at night because you are going on the sound alone for the hook set. If you miss, put your hand in front of your face because you have a couple of treble hooks heading your way.


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## sbreech (Jun 6, 2010)

streamstalker said:


> Jitterbugs can be a blast at night because you are going on the sound alone for the hook set. If you miss, put your hand in front of your face because you have a couple of treble hooks heading your way.


 My God I love that!  Absolute adrenaline rush!!


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## lordofthepunks (Feb 24, 2009)

just went from dusk till dawn throwing warrior baits black buzzbaits last night. thickrick and i caught over 40 bass, large and smallmouths, biggest being 2 3lbers and a few 2s and loads and loads of squeakers and shorts. its a wicked blast, our best 5 went about 11lbs. if your on a lake, concentrate on riprap, its usually pretty awesome.


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## jcustunner24 (Aug 20, 2007)

lordofthepunks said:


> its a wicked blast


Did you move to Boston?


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## young-gun21 (Mar 14, 2006)

jcustunner24 said:


> Did you move to Boston?


I just peed a little!



_Sent from my HTC Evo_


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## Bowhunter57 (Feb 9, 2011)

JimmyMac,
A lot of the public fishing waters are best fished after dark with some sort of topwater baits. Reason being: they usually have too much fishing pressure during daylight hours and have seen most of the lures (sometimes due to extreme water clairity), so live bait is the best method of success.

Go out after 10 p.m. and fish until you're ready to give up and/or try another piece of water. 

Good hunting, Bowhunter57


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## JamesT (Jul 22, 2005)

No water clarity this year yet lol...


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## Lundy (Apr 5, 2004)

Used to fish a bunch at night for bass, started over 30 years ago, A few years before the buzzbait that we all know today was invented. I love buzzbaits for bass, but for night time bassing I would have to stay with the bug.

It is a lot of fun and it is also extremely effective. Those clear water canadian lake smallies loved them also. 

We used to fish all over central Ohio with them, farm ponds, rivers, lakes. The best by far were the ones with clear water. Muddy water lakes did not produce nearly as well.

The best times always seemed to be when there was little to no moonlight, bright full moon nights were seldom productive for us.

Someone mentioned fishing by sound, you better wait until you feel the fish and TRY not to react to the sound if you can or it can get dangerous real fast. You will also miss(they miss) a bunch of fish. Many times we had fish miss the jitterbug numerous times on a single cast before finally getting it. It is hard to just keep reeling with the multiple explosions going off as you are reeling. Man that is fun

If you are fishing from a boat with a buddy and you actually have just enough moon to see a little try and cast your bug behind his, The second bug gets eaten 90% of the time over the first. 

Need to have boat rule that everyone uses the same size jitterbug at the same time. This helps control casting distances and more importantly keeps the sounds (loudness) similar. If you are throwing a big jointed model and your buddy is throwing a small one, he will never hear his bug to be able to adjust speed to make it sing. Jitterbug fishing at night is all about the lure sound. Slight variations in speed (sound) can and will make a difference in fish production most nights.

Night fishing with jitterbugs is a absolute blast and something I haven't done in 10 years, I miss it.

I own probably 30 jitterbugs, 29 are black.


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## lordofthepunks (Feb 24, 2009)

jcustunner24 said:


> Did you move to Boston?


lol, ya, how do ya like dem apples? haa?


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## Saugeyefisher (Jul 19, 2010)

Amen to everything lundy said. That is a great way to catch bass when its to darn hot to walk the ponds during the day. And it is very addicting. If you dont get any acion on the jitterbug I also caught fish on loud shallow running crank baits, and 10 inch dark colored rubber worms texas rigged. Acually tonight would be the perfect night.
Bobby


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## jcustunner24 (Aug 20, 2007)

lordofthepunks said:


> how do ya like dem apples?


Such a great movie. Your sense of humor is wicked awesome.


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## Whoknows (May 16, 2009)

I love using the Strike King Clacker buzzbaits, got one in black. Thing is super loud! 

Also love jitterbugs big ones for Northern Pike too  and I have a old school Jitter mouse!


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