The Buzzbait Startup: Why Letting It Sink is Ruining Your Cast

There is nothing subtle about a buzzbait. It is a heavy piece of lead, a thick wire frame, and a massive metal blade designed to churn the surface of the water and create a loud, squeaking, sputtering ruckus.

It is the ultimate tool for drawing violent reaction strikes in shallow water, especially around grass and laydowns.

But the buzzbait has one major physical flaw: It does not float. It sinks like a rock. And how you manage that sinking characteristic the moment the bait touches the water is the difference between an explosive strike and a fouled cast.

1. The Sinking Mistake

Most beginners cast a buzzbait like they cast a crankbait. They bomb it out there, watch it splash down, switch their hand to the reel handle, and then start reeling.

By the time they actually begin turning the handle, that heavy lead buzzbait has already sunk two feet below the surface. To get it working properly, they now have to reel incredibly fast to drag the heavy bait forcefully back up to the surface so the blade can start churning air.

This delay causes two massive problems: First, you are completely wasting the first five feet of your retrieve—which is often right next to the juicy cover you were aiming at. Second, if you are fishing over submerged grass (which is where buzzbaits excel), your bait will plunge directly into the weeds and foul the blade before it ever reaches the surface.

2. The Pro Technique: Engaging in the Air

If you watch a professional angler throw a buzzbait, the blade is often spinning before it even touches the water. They execute a technique called “engaging in the air.”

Here is how you do it:

1. Make your cast toward your target (e.g., the edge of a lily pad field).
2. While the bait is still flying through the air, right before it hits the water (about one or two feet above the surface), clamp your thumb down hard on the spool to stop the line.
3. The exact instant you thumb the spool, engage the reel handle and start reeling.

If your timing is correct, the buzzbait will hit the end of the line just as it touches the surface, and your reeling motion will instantly pull it forward.

It does not plunge into the water. Instead, it hits the surface running. The “splash” of the lure hitting the water blends seamlessly into the “sputter” of the blade churning the surface.

3. Maximizing the Strike Zone

Bass are ambush predators. When a bait lands right on their head, they often react purely on instinct.

If your buzzbait sinks, that instinctual window closes. The bass realizes it is just a heavy object falling through the water column.

But if your buzzbait hits the water and instantly begins tearing across the surface in a panic, it perfectly mimics a fleeing baitfish, a frog jumping off a pad, or a struggling bird. The bass doesn’t have time to think; it simply explodes on the bait the second it hits the water.

Bottom Line: Stop letting your buzzbait sink. Practice thumbing the spool and engaging the reel while the bait is still flying. A buzzbait that hits the water running will draw more strikes, foul less grass, and keep your adrenaline pumping all morning long.

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