Everyone loves a good topwater bite. What isn’t to like? Bone chilling strikes that you can see happen. Topwater lures are an adrenaline junkies dream. Perhaps one of the most popular types of topwater lures is the buzzbait. This racket-producing concoction of metal, wire, and lead has been a go-to for anglers for decades. However, there are a few things you can do the next time you are chasing a hot topwater bite to tip the scales a bit more in your favor.

Make It Squeaky

There are tons of popular bait hacks. However, this is one of the most interesting I have ever heard of. When you buy a new buzzbait, it isn’t quite broken it yet. The sound of the buzzer is too pure and consistent. Thus, some anglers will actually hold their buzzbaits out of car window (as long as they aren’t the driver, of course), or run the buzzers under intense flowing water after buying them to “break in” the buzzers. By doing this, it simulates extensive use and will actually cause the buzzer to squeak as it rotates around the wire it is mounted on. The added squeaky sound in addition to the buzzbait’s regular water-chopping splash is irresistible to fish.

Take Your Skirt Off

Another hack buzzbait anglers have been employing for some time is removing the skirts from their baits. This leaves the buzzbait completely naked and allows for the use of a larger trailer whose action is not hindered by a bulky, silicone or rubber skirt. Popular trailers for this type of presentation include medium or full-sized plastic swimbaits. This presentation is not for the faint of heart as the size of fish typically caught with this technique are quite large.

Go Goth On ‘Em

In clear water or bluebird conditions, bass can become quite finicky about how they want their topwaters presented to them. In situations like this, a popular buzzbait hack is to paint/Sharpie the buzzer or to buy a black bladed buzzbait. This does not throw as much reflection from available light and doesn’t spook finicky fish that still want to eat something on top.

The Magic Micro Buzzbait

Lastly, another crucial hack is to simply use a smaller buzzbait. There are plenty of micro-sized baits on the market, but one of my favorites is the Booyah Pond Magic Buzz. These tiny baits work awesome on spinning tackle and still trigger jarring strikes. They work best under high fishing pressure circumstances and are a great way to put more fish in the boat on a tough day.