Technique

The conditions were perfect for a buzzbait bite — post-frontal weather, a light chop on the water, and just enough surface distortion to hide the bait’s outline. A textbook setup.

Every time conditions line up like that, I start hoping the bass will commit to topwater. When they do — wow. There’s nothing like the explosion of a big fish hammering that bait across the surface.

Buzzbait Conditions

When It Works Best

• Low skies and low light, especially on a slightly cooler day
• Shallow fish holding near visible cover — the buzzbait flushes them out
• Over wood, vegetation, or any structure that gives fish a good ambush spot
• Light wind to flat calm water
• Stained or clear water where visibility varies

I like to keep things simple: a single-blade buzzbait, white or black depending on water and light. Sometimes I’ll add a fluke or spinnerbait-style trailer, but often I just run the skirt by itself. KVD swears by adding a trailer hook — it’s worth experimenting to see what gives you confidence.

Don’t Fish In the Trees : The Fishing Wire: One of the best pro’s in the business Todd Faircloth breaks down how we are wasting our time fishing the trees. Most often the fish are related to the area because of contours and depth or time of year, the trees just happen to be cover for them. Check out what Todd has to offer you for your next adventure to that tree riddled lake and endless list of targets.