Why the bad rap on Buzz Bombs?

I have read a lot of threads where Buzz bombs are labeled a snagger's lure. Why? I use them in the salt for silvers and rarely snag a fish. Next to catching silvers on a clouser minnow stripped as fast as you can move it, a buzz bomb is a fun way to get fish. It is a blast to jig the fish to the top and watch the entire school attack the jig right next to the boat. Once at Sekiu a buddy and I got checked and the officers sat in awe watching us release fish after fish. They couldn't believe how fast and furious the fishing was for us while nobody else was getting fish. I always toss the treble, and make a few (zipper) modifications to the jig. Is the bad rap limited to freshwater, or am I now officially a snagger?

The reason for the rap is in how it's used, rather than its mere use. Due to its weight and sleek profile, the design of the lure lends itself to an ideal fish snagger.

However, as you have demonstrated, it's also an awesome lure, used properly.

I too have done well with buzz bombs in the salt. I haven't used them much in fresh though. But you want to know why they get a bad rap?? Any day the pinks are running on the Snohomish, take a look up and down river and you'll see plenty of people reeling in fish backwards. These "fishermen" don't jig the rod up- they yank hard to the side- obviously trying to hit anything swimming by.

At first I thought this was going to be a thread about sardine wrapping a buzz bomb

I've found small buzz bombs on creeks in the south sound during the chum run. Come on people, they are easy enough to catch with gear that the fish will bight, you don't have to snagg them!!!

Buzz bombs when used correctly can be very productive. It's all in the motion of the pole.

If you are jigging the Buzz Bomb horizontally you are snagging or attempting to snag fish.

If you are jigging the Buzz Bomb vertically you are using the Buzz Bomb the way it was meant to be used.

If you have not tried pink Buzz Bombs for humpies at Deception Pass SP it is a real hoot.

Hey Elkrun, mind telling what color you use for Silvers? Also, you say You mind elaborating on this?
I use BB a lot for the Humpies in the salt, and have snagged a few. Sometimes it cannot be helped. I disagree that "if you are jigging them horizontally, you are snagging". I fish them nearly all the time that way (horizontally) for Humpies, as when fishing in 10 ft of water near shore (in the salt) it is never going to be productive to fish vertically, as Humpies will not lie under your boat. The last time the Humpies were in, I found a school of Silvers jumping like crazy near shore in about 12 ft. of water right next to a very deep dropoff. I tossed the green/white BB, which I was told was the color for silvers, to no avail. Tried spinners, plugs, and even tossed out a couple of herring (poor attempt at mooching) also to no avail. They apparently were feeding, but nothing worked. Any hints here? I will be at it again the first 2 weeks in August and would sure like to catch a silver.

Thanks!

MC

Buzzbombs from the beach at Sekiu are the cat's meow when the silvers are in thick. It is just like any other tool that can be misused.

Green/white, pink/white and black/white colors seem to work the best for me.

We just cast them out, let them sink for a few seconds, then reel in slowly. They will plane upwards in the water column if you reel too quickly, taking them out of the strike zone.

Small pink buzz bombs on an ultralight at Deception Pass. We look for the school jumping and then run over in our boat to intercept. Throw that buzz bomb out and wait for the fun to being. We call it "humpy huntin". What a hoot.

Oh, got side-tracked. No bad rap here.

If you asked me to choose one lure to use in the salt to feed myself it would have to be the buzz bomb.

In freshwater it would be a red and white daredevil.

I love bb.But I also love fishing more than catching.

It is the other half that puts more weight on the catching that use them for alaska grey flies that give them a bad rep.Anywhere salmon stack up there will be some jerk pretending to be fishing with a bb.

I think in the Salt they are fine. The bad rap comes from people who use them in the rivers. Normally the guy using a BB in a river is snagging fish. If fished correctly in the fresh water you could catch fish in the mouth, but most guys are just trying to snag something.

I admit to using them a lot from the beach because they are quick and easy when you're in a hurry, and last winter, they outfished Darts jigging for BM in Saratoga (at least from our boat)

I replace the treble hook with 2 siwash hooks pointing opposite directions from a split ring.

Several people on Whidbey have switched to this in an attempt to cut down on the mortality rate for the small fish that sometimes hit early in the season.

ELKRUN - What did you say you do?

I think a prime example of how they got the bad rap is the Hoodsport hatchery zone chum fishing. Last year I had a boat on each side of mine fishing buzz bombs and I dont think I saw them bring in any fish that were not snagged. And they pretty much had a fish with each cast.But I dont think they kept any fish it was just snag and release.

Master- I fish a lot out of Neah bay. When I find a good rip I look at the finder and check where i read fish. If they are 30' or deeper I grab a buzz bomb. Any high and I grab the 8 weight with a 10, sink tip and a chartureuse and white clouser minnow. The latter being my preference. When I use the BB, one of my 3 modifications that'll share here is to tie on a colored Gamakatsu hook 2/0 (octopus) If you can get the flourscent hooks do it... otherwise go for red or blue metallic. I have watched hundreds of silvers hit my BB in the top 10 feet, and noticed that the hook separates from the lure on the fall (when 99% of the hits occur) the colored hook gets their attention and they will attack it. The other thing I'd suggest is to put a sampo swivel about 3 feet up from the lure to control line twists. The third modification I'll keep to myself. I dont want to deny you the fun of experimenting! As for colors pink pearl and white is my favorite in 3L or 3XL. Sorry I gotta keep a little edge for myself!

Elkrun,

Are you afraid we'll catch the last one if you tell us?

:p :p


h

herm you obviously didn't read the poll that said 85% of the people on this board are "top ten percenters" If I have a chance to catch up with everyone here, I need a few tricks up my sleeve!

And I thought when you cut my BB in half and made 2 small ones out of 1 big one you were only being mean to me. But then I found out. Go figure.

No problem Elkrun, and the info you gave is MOST appreciated! I will give that a try when I am up there in August. BTW..... I was a Guide on the upper Columbia for 6 years in the early 90's..... Anyone need tips on Columbia Sturgeon, Walleye, SH or Salmon just ask. I had a very high success rate with a few hard earned secrets.........

MC

Wanna go catch some kings or butts lzydrftr???

Here's a "done it many times" goodie....P.A. anglers take note....Buzz Bombs are awesome hooknose lures when fished horizontally at extreme speeds. My favorite was to drift across the Dungenesss Bar when the tide is ripping through there....it's a short fast drift that requires continual runbacks, but the action is unbeatable. Cast the BB as far as you can cross current and reel up the slack and reef.....reel and reef.....reel and reef....you can not got fast enuf......the hooknose will knock the crap out of the BB......guaranteed. Personal favorite....pink and white or chartruse and white (4"). I guarantee this method will outfish any verticle jigging for Silvers. Have Fun

I Would like that but finding time is bad. 12 year old tournament baseball practice starts Monday. Every night at 5:00. Leave for Moses Lake on the 9th of July. Maybe a trip after the 1st for kings out front. We'll keep in touch. I'm running out west with the boys tomorrow to slay some river fish. I'll let you know how we do.

I know that the directions on the back of the package say to use a stiff 15-20lb mono for the 3" BBs, but I fish Pt. No Pt. in the fall and see no reason to fish any heavier than 10 or 12. What lines do you guys use?
Also I was wondering if any of you guys who fish buzz bombs have experimented with using a bead in place of the black rubber stopper?
As for the whole idea about snagging with BBs, I truly think it's possible to fish the jig horizontally and not look like a snagger. In my opinion it all depends on the speed the lure travels in the water and how much force you're using to rip that BB through the water. I've jigged for salmon from the beach for several yrs and have hooked all my fish in the mouth. Almost all my fish were hooked when they hit the jig on the fall.
Yes, I too am guilty of having used BBs in the lower portion of the river, but my hand, mind coordination seems to have prevented me from snagging fish because although in the back of my mind I was a little exicted at the thought of snagging one, my hands operated my lure in the same mechanical fashion which entails, a smooth lift of the rod, reeling the slack, repeating. So thus I rationalize not having been snagging. And no I didn't get any that day.
Got another question about rigging. Siwash or salmon/steelhead hook? Hook color? Straight or curved point? Anyone know what the catch ratios are for treble and single?
Oh yeah, one more thing, if you haven't already found out, GiJoes has buzz bombs on sale for $1.88!!! Dirt cheap, buy 'em while they last.
Uh.... one last question, has anyone ever used a 4" from the beach?

Oh yeah, I forgot to say, Buzz Bombs rock! Go Chartreuse!
Last fall I had a blast at PNP when I caught my only coho for that season. About 10-20' from my rod tip my BB got torpedoed and boy was that an eye opener!

I usually use a couple of beads in place of the bumper, and use a double octopus or single siwash for hooks, almost never use the trebles. One prob w/usin beads...they will break after a while. I've also used a small hootchy skirt and tried takin chunks out of one side of the lure to give it better action. In the so sound had my best luck usin the black pearl for kings and silvers, the perch one seems to work best for b-mouth and kings. For some strange reason the red and pink ones seem to work better in the no sound. Float fishin herring works great too. I've even used an aerofly between the hook and the b-bomb. One last thing, I put a swivel as close as possible to the lure because I have noticed that sometimes when yer jiggin the b-bomb can slide up yer line quite a ways (away from the hook!). I try to use black hooks or the bright flouresent ones like gamakatsu makes. Good luck and don't forget to use scent!

Sincerely,
Roger