What is your love/hate topwater bait

[occasionalfisher]

Almost everyone likes to fish topwater baits, but if you have fished for long, you will have a love/hate relationship with one of them. What is your love/hate topwater bait and why?
I will start it off with mine, a buzzbait. I love the strikes you get on it, I love the places you can throw it and I love the fact that if you can get it in front of a fish multiple times you can almost force it to hit the bait.
But the reason I hate the thing is two-fold. No other bait has cost me as many fish as a buzzbait and no other bait has let me see the misses so well. Of late I have started throwing it on 30 lb braid and that has really helped my hook-up ratio, but the bait still frustrates me because of all the misses.
No topwater bait is 100 percent on hookups that is a fact of life, but seems like my hookup ratio on hits on a buzzbait is probably 40 to 45% if that high, where on other baits it is much higher. Granted part of that is the speed of the bait and the single hook (even though I do not throw a buzzbait without a trailer hook) but even that trailer hook is not like having a treble back there, but the thing will get hit and mauled and nothing gets hooked.
I LOVE throwing topwaters and I do it a lot in the warmer water months and I throw a buzzbait a good bit, but day to day I can beat the quality and quantity of fish I catch on other baits if I can get them to hit the other baits, sometimes though you can't.

[seapro19cc]

Bone zara spook jr, smaller size a killer on toona, hybrids love it to, work it over humps and rocky banks early summer mornings the best.

[RangerCliff]

I like that spook as well as long as the wind is not blowing. If it is the old Pop R does the job. Hate buzz baits even though I have caught some big fish on one, seems like on Toona the spots don't get hooked on one, even with a stinger hook.

[RangerCliff]

Forgot to mention that there are days when you can't beat a bull shad, for spots, hybrids and strippers

[andybassmaster]

Same deal with buzzbaits, But I have fixed my hook up problems. I put a treble hook on as a trailer hook. It may sound crazy but it works quite well.

[RangerCliff]

I tried that with a little improvement, but still lose quite a few. Seems like large mouth do a better job of nailing a buzz bait. Until I started fishing in the south with a lot of spots I didn't have that issue.

[Mike Bucca]

Buzzbaits are awesome. They are some of my all time favorites. I want you guys to try something and see if you don't agree with me. Go to Natures Tackle Box and get a Whopper Plopper. The beauty of the whopper plopper is it makes up where the buzzbait lacks. It's still got a good blade type sound to it although different than a buzzbait. The biggest advantages of a whopper plopper over a buzzbait is you can throw it a country mile and the hook up ratios are outstanding. The only down side is it's weedlessness but for open water and careful casting it has almost replaced my love for big booger man buzzbaits.

[occasionalfisher]

Mike....SHHHHHHHH........ lets keep that one a secret....lol....... Are you using the bigger one or the smaller one, and as I typed that I think I know the answer.

[RangerCliff]

Mike likes BIG! I will give one a shot, even though it is NOTABULLSHAD!

[1kicker]

Prefer the poppers early light as well as bladed top water stick baits. Probably have to say the buzz bait is least liked due to short strikes, but normally will say the size fish are better on buzz baits.

[Mike Bucca]

Jun 2, 2015 22:27:44 GMT -1 1kicker said:

Prefer the poppers early light as well as bladed top water stick baits. Probably have to say the buzz bait is least liked due to short strikes, but normally will say the size fish are better on buzz baits.

Your exactly right 1kicker, Usually bigger fish on the buzzbait especially on Toona.

[Mike Bucca]

Jun 2, 2015 0:45:45 GMT -1 occasionalfisher said:

Mike....SHHHHHHHH........ lets keep that one a secret....lol....... Are you using the bigger one or the smaller one, and as I typed that I think I know the answer.

Occasionalfisher, There are 3 sizes. I have all 3 . Bone is the only color you need (dammit another secret I let loose) I bet that small one would work awesome on schooling hybrids tho cast it a country mile.