Fishing for sea bass on the surface provokes intense emotions and is sometimes the only way to get the fish to react. While hard lures such as stickbaits, poppers or propeller lures are the most common, soft lures can also be used.
An unweighted Texan shad
Buzzing involves retrieving a soft shad, mounted on a weightless Texas hook, in a linear fashion on the surface of the water. The paddle then stirs up the film, producing discreet signals and a trail of bubbles visible to predators.
The only solution in seagrass beds
When fishing areas full of seaweed, it's impossible to use a hard lure fitted with trebles. The only way to tackle these surface fishing spots is by buzzing. With its Texan hook hidden in the lure's mass, the lure passes over the seaweed and through all the holes without getting hooked, thus remaining fishable throughout the retrieve.
Discreet surface fishing
Unlike many surface lures, which are fitted with balls and displace a lot of water, a buzzing soft lure produces discreet vibrations and signals. When fishing at very shallow depths (50 cm to 1 m, for example) or in conditions where sea bass are particularly wary, this discretion makes it possible to trigger bites whereas any other approach on the surface could, on the contrary, frighten the fish away.
My logic is as follows:
- In a noisy environment (waves, surf, current, etc.), I use a noisy lure that stands out from the surroundings.
- In a calm environment, where bass are particularly wary, I start with discreet lures, buzzing for surface fishing.
Adapt to prey size
Buzzing can be done with any soft shad. So, whatever the prey present in the area, you can present a lure of the appropriate size. If it's sprats, then a 3" or 4" shad is ideal, but if bass are chasing mullet, then you can use a 6" shad or even larger.
Very simple linear animation
Buzzing is a simple technique that can be used by everyone. Simply cast your lure and start a continuous retrieve on the reel as soon as it touches the surface of the water. It's up to you to adapt the retrieve speed of your lure to the mood of the bass. You can also let your lure sink between the seaweed holes to decide a fish that is reluctant to come to the surface.
