From Live Frogs to Buzz Baits
Live frogs and striped snakeheads. Like 90 percent of all Indian anglers, I too came from the orthodox haruan casting community. Being born and raised in a small town with no more than two inaptly equipped tackleshops that had no artificial lures and no rod and reel setups below 20lb didn’t help either in exposing me to the world of sport fishing. Then came Kampar where I moved to pursue my tertiary education. Although an entire new playing ground of giant snakeheads and peacock bass were opened to me I still lacked proper guidance and information and stumbled to find my footing in art of lure casting. Until of course I was accepted into this little group known as Icasters. Total gamechangers. From ultralight addicts to baitcaster enthusiasts and passionate flyfishing purists this group has it all. Every individual in this group has made a huge contribution in my fishing progress and I am forever thankful and grateful for that.
The satisfaction of deceiving a fish to take a lure and the total adrenaline rush that takes place once a strike occurs and the fight starts is unparalleled. It is the single most precious moment that I look forward to on every fishing trip. My uttermost favorite type of lures are topwaters lures namely buzzbaits. The setup that I currently have my buzzbaits rigged on to is a majorcraft goemotion 5-14lb rod with 15lb braided line on a daiwa tatula -100HL 6.3.1. Many baitcaster users recommend a hyperspeed reel with 7 or 8 or even higher gear ratios but personally I find that 6.3.1 is aptly suited for my choice of buzzbaits and topwater frogs. As for rods I would suggest something that is recommended to handle the weight of the buzzbait that is intended to be used (I use a 5-14lb rod because the choice of my buzzbaits are at most 11grams in weight). As most buzzbaits are in the 30g range a rod with a maximum line weight of 20lb would be appropriate.
Accuracy and distance is very important when presenting buzzbaits. More often than not more water covered equals more strikes. Buzzbaits are effective particularly in the morning and evening when predators lurk near the bank looking for prey. Buzzbaits mimic the actions of panicking bait fish thus provoking a strike. Besides strikes from hungry predatory fish, buzzbaits also induces reaction strikes. This is another reason why I prefer buzzbaits. When fish aren’t in the mood to feed and don’t touch any other lure buzzbaits normally work. Reason for this is that when a buzzbait streaks across the surface an amplitude of vibration and sound is made by the blades and the clacker which irritates and catches the attention of any nearby fish and most predatory fish (snakeheads, giant snakeheads ,large bass) strike instantaneously when a buzzbait cruises past them. Buzzbaits are exceptionally effective towards snakeheads because snakeheads tend to strike at anything that intrudes into their territory (snakeheads are extremely territorial).
There are two type of presentation that I focus on when I am throwing buzzbaits. Primary presentation is when surface action is spotted. This surface fish activity could be either giant snakeheads rising for air or peacock bass boiling when feeding on baitfish. Target the buzzbait and cast it over the boiling or rising and streak it across. In the case of no strikes repeat with varying speed. Second type of presentation focuses on structures found throughout the habitat of the target species. In the case of striped and giant snakeheads, they like to lurk around wooden submerged trees or on the edges of floating vegetation. Casting and retrieving buzzbaits along these structures can often yield a positive result. The speed of the retrieve when targeting these structures should be slow. Crank to just turn the blades and keep the buzzbait on the surface. These slow oscillations create deep rumbling that acts as a beacon for large aggressive snakeheads. Hitting the structures with buzzbaits as it is being retrieved can further increase the probability of a strike.
As for the types of buzzbaits available the sky is the limit. Most designs have their own advantage and disadvantages.
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| Diagram 1 |
I reserve the type of buzzbait seen above in diagram 1 for usage on open water with overhanging vegetation growth from the bank and submerged tree trunks. Creates a loud rattling clacking sound and displaces a large amount of water perfect for a loud presentation. Primary target giant snakeheads but I have caught striped snakeheads and peacock bass with this. Disadvantage is the shape is inefficient aerodynamically and casting it is hard and requires practice.
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| Peacock bass on buzzbait |
This particular buzzbait is fairly easy to cast and can be presented even in shallow water or moderate cover areas with the occasional lily pads. Spits moderate amount of water and creates a whirling sound making for a more subtle presentation that is perfect for striped snakeheads.
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Thank you for reading!!
Sivanes Murugaiah
