Listen, I’m gonna say something that might get me in trouble with the old guard of bass fishing. Are you ready? I’m giving up the goods on a technique, a method, that’s been hush-hush for way too long. This one’s been kept in the vault. I’m talking lock and key, man. One of those techniques that guys have been doing on the down-low, never wanting the cat to get out of the bag, but guess what? I’m cracking it wide open right now. We’re talking about skipping a buzzbait under stuff!
Now listen, if you’ve ever fished a buzzbait before, you know the power of that sound. That gurgle, that chop, that squeak, it drives bass absolutely crazy. They hear that high-pitched sizzle and think it’s a bluegill fleeing, a frog skittering, a baby bird in trouble and it’s pure mayhem on the surface! But here’s the thing: we’ve been limiting this bait. We’ve been casting it along the edge of cover… not under it.
Imagine if you could take all that sound and motion then deliver it under docks, under overhanging limbs, way back in the shadows. Those are areas that only ever see a wacky-rigged Senko. Never a topwater. Never that sound. And when you send a buzzbait skipping under there? Those fish freak out!
Downsizing the Buzzbait
We’re not using your standard 3/8- or 1/2-ounce buzzbaits for this. Forget those. For skipping, I go small. Quarter-ounce or smaller. I love the Molix Lover Mini Buzz SS. It’s compact, but still has enough weight to skip like a dream. And the best part? The wire design, it’s almost inline, which means it’s flatter and wants to skip.
Now here’s the juice: I strip the skirt off. Yep, I just pull it right off. Then I grab a 3 or 4-inch Berkley
Powerbait Power Tube, the old-school kind, and I thread that tube right on the hook. Super glue it for good measure. That tube? It’s flat. It’s subtle. And man, does it slide across the water like a skipping stone. The tube also gives just enough tail action while still allowing the bait to fly under overhangs and docks.
Gear & Setup
You can do this with casting or spinning gear. Let’s break it down for both:
Casting:
- Abu Garcia IKE Delay Series 3.0 Casting Rods: 7’ medium-action casting rod
- Abu Garcia IKE Delay Series 3.0 Casting Rods: 7.1:1 or faster
- Berkley Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon Line Clear: 15–17 lb mono (yep—mono! It floats!
Spinning:
- Abu Garcia IKE Finesse Series 3.0 Spinning Rod: 7’ medium spinning rod
- Abu Garcia IKE Signature 3.0 Spinning Reel: 6.2:1 or higher
- Berkley X5 Braided Line Crystal: 10–12 lb braid (straight braid floats too!)
The Cast
This is just like skipping a jig: a sidearm, check-swing skip. Keep your rod low, sidearm it, and let the bait skip like a flat rock. With that tube on there, it skips so well. Once the bait hits the water and stops skipping, start reeling immediately! Keep that buzzbait on top and let that blade squeal. Every few cranks, give it a rod twitch. That erratic pop triggers BIG bites.
When & Where
I’ve caught ‘em skipping a buzzbait in the spring, absolutely crushed ’em in the summer, and straight up murdered ’em in the fall. Clear water, dirty water, it doesn’t matter. Rivers, lakes, ponds; they never see this presentation.
It’s the sound. It’s the motion. It’s the shock of seeing something they’ve never seen under that dock or tree limb.
Give it a try. Rig it right. Skip it deep and hold on tight!
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