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Buzzbait with a clacker? 2024


fishing user avatarGangley reply : 

I just bought my first buzzbait for some night fishing.  Its a black BooYah Buzzbait but it has what appears to be a triangular "clacker" that ticks against the blade as the blade turns.  do these "clackers" work, or should i take it off the buzzbait?

thanks for any and all information.


fishing user avatarfishfordollars reply : 

Depends on what the fish want. I used to fish them a lot and caught a lot of fish with them. Just kinda got away from them for some reason, but they caught fish for me.


fishing user avatarChris reply : 

They work well at night, when your fishing muddy water and in cover when your trying to draw fish out. It throws off stronger pressure waves than a regular buzzbait.


fishing user avatarGangley reply : 

The waters I fish are pretty clear, I'm thinking maybe I should remove it.  I will try it out and see if I can get anything on it though.


fishing user avatarCatt reply : 
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They work well at night, when your fishing muddy water and in cover when your trying to draw fish out. It throws off stronger pressure waves than a regular buzzbait.

I throw a klacker more than any buzz bait  ;)


fishing user avatarBobby Uhrig reply : 

I can say in all of my years of buzzbait fishing -there is no absolute proof that a clacker produces more strikes than ones without clackers. Im sure that clackers can even be a deterant at times.Sometimes they want it subtle  sometimes not-I believe that that can be changed with the size of the blade to displace water plus or minus. In fact there is no way to prove it. There are too many variables and conditions to ever conclude this test.Again I state that there are no absolutes when working with wild creatures or specimens.Use what you have confidence in.

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fishing user avatarSPEEDBEAD. reply : 

Booyah buzzbaits with the clacker are my normal choice for buzzers.

I like them because they have a great head design and produce more noise than other buzzbaits.


fishing user avatarBass_Fanatic reply : 

I use these Booyah buzz baits 90% of the time unless I want a more subtle approach, then I go to a 1/4 oz Cravitron.


fishing user avatarCatt reply : 
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I can say in all of my years of buzzbait fishing -there is no absolute proof that a clacker produces more strikes than ones without clackers. In fact there is no way to prove it. There are too many variable and conditions to ever conclude this test.Again I state that there are no absolutes when working with wild creatures or specimens.

Dude come get in the back of my boat & I'll prove it to you especially on Toledo Bend!


fishing user avatargonefishin82 reply : 

I've got a Booyah buzz but never caught one on it.  whats the best method of fishin these? Time, place, retrieve etc?


fishing user avatarBobby Uhrig reply : 

Watch and learn my friend. I have been in the front and back of the boat and spent more time on the water than most professional anglers. This is what I do for a living -how bout you????? You cannot prove that a fish is hitting that bait because it has a clacker over one that dosent. Tell or prove  to me how you can back that statement. I have heard your comments for a while now -anise oil theories ect- PROVE YOUR FINDINGS WTH FACTUAL DATA.


fishing user avatarSPEEDBEAD. reply : 

Your experience with clackers differs from mine. I like something that makes more noise than a Cavitron does, as do other people.

Doesn't make me, nor you, right or wrong.

For the record, Bill Dance "does this for a living" as well.  You wouldn't catch me throwing a Dancin' Eel if my life depended on it.


fishing user avatarBobby Uhrig reply : 

EXACTLY SPEED- Thats what I was trying to state-There is no way to prove that a fish hits a bait because it has a clacker on it. COULD IT provoke a strike  because of it being a little more obnoxious- Yes I believe so- but it could also deter a strike for the same reason. What I was stating was there is no way to prove it.  Use what you have confidence in.


fishing user avatarfishfordollars reply : 

If they squeak they're gonna catch a few fish.

Personally unless the lake is blown up I like them a little quieter. Those loud ones give me a headache.

Just my preference.


fishing user avatarGangley reply : 

thank you all for sharing your opinions, I greatly apprciate them.  The responses have been very informative, thanks.


fishing user avatarMattlures reply : 

I dont like clackers. I have seen many times where they wouldnt hit the clackerd bait but they would hit a non clacker. I have not seen it the other way around. Everytime one of my friends cought a fish on a clacker, I was able to get bit without one.

IMO the most important feature of a buzzbait is the squeek. I will not fish a buzzer that does not squeek. If it has a bead behind the blade instead of a rivet then I wont use it.


fishing user avatarGangley reply : 

what about a metal bead?


fishing user avatarMattlures reply : 

NO beads bihind the blade!!! Rivets only! A ggod buzzbait should have a loud squuek almost like fingernails on a chalkboard.


fishing user avatarBass_Fanatic reply : 

If I fish a buzzbait with a clacker and my partner fishes one without a clacker and I catch 5x more fish than him, wouldn't that prove that the clacker is effective?

Not saying that happened, but just a scenerio that I can think of that seems to prove its effectivness. ;)


fishing user avatarBobby Uhrig reply : 

In the world of wild fish -there is no what they call control.You cant monitor the fish -there are to many variables and conditions. You can throw a non clacker buzzbait near a fish ten times and throw a clacker type buzzbait the eleventh,The bass hits the clacker buzz bait. What does that say-did it strike it because it had the clacker or for some other reason like a different subtlety or visual profile quality. We will never know.  The only one that knows is the bass.All I wanted to state was there was no way to prove a clacker produces on a consistent basis more strikes than a non clacker buzz bait. If you caught a bass on a clacker buzzbait  how can you tell if you didn't have forty bass pass it up because it did have the clacker.. That's what I meant about there is no "control" BUT BUT BUT what I have done over the years is learn how to manipulate the action of a buzzbait  which I believe can make a non striking bass or non aggressive bass hit a bait. Such an example is the pause and twitch. What I believe this does is gets the fishes attention+possibly make the bass believe that the bait is injured -also to make the bass react to the bait like another bass hit it and missed it. Out of gluttony and being opportunistic-they strike the bait. I reel the bait and every few feet I would just twitch my rod tip creating a popping erratic action.Kinda like a cat and a piece of string-ya have to manipulate it and they will attack it.


fishing user avatarChrisAW reply : 

It really depends on the lake you're fishing. Some lakes, clackers were they only thing they would hit, other lakes they would produced nothing.

I would say keep it around. If all else fails, go for the clacker.


fishing user avatarMattlures reply : 

Ha ha Babby I do the EXACT opposite. I absolutley do not want any variation in my retreive. I want the most fluid consistant slooow retreive. Over the years This is the technique that I have perfected and has produced more then anybody fishing around me with buzzers. I only fish buzzers at night.


fishing user avatarCatt reply : 
  Quote
You can throw a non clacker buzzbait near a fish ten times and throw a clacker type buzzbait the eleventh,The bass hits the clacker buzz bait. What does that say-did it strike it because it had the clacker or for some other reason like a different subtlety or visual profile quality. We will never know. The only one that knows is the bass.All I wanted to state was there was no way to prove a clacker produces on a consistent basis more strikes than a non clacker buzz bait. If you caught a bass on a clacker buzzbait how can you tell if you didn't have forty bass pass it up because it did have the clacker..

If two experienced anglers are fishing out of the same boat for say 3 days/nights in a row and the angler with the clacker is constantly catching while the angler with the non-clacker gets no strikes it's pretty safe to say the clacker is out producing the non-clacker.

Yes there are many many variables to consider but sometimes these variables are easy to interpret. Case in point a Boogerman Racket Buzz produces a unique sound from the blade making erratic contact with the head and at times will out produce a clacker buzz bait.

How many of y'all have ever bent the rivet to increase the squeal?


fishing user avatarWayne P. reply : 

I use them based on intuition and they produce. Sometimes I use the ones without the clacker, they produce also. It seems to make no difference either way. The clacker models are easier to track in the dark, especially the plastic tri-blade.

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fishing user avatarfishfordollars reply : 

The squeak is the deal. You can take a pair of pliers and crimp the rivet to increase the squeal.

Or you always have the old stand by technique; hang it out the window on the way to the lake.


fishing user avatarPrimus reply : 

I've also soaked a steel rivet in bleach for couple of days to rust the rivet this seems to help give it that coveted squeal.


fishing user avatarBass_Fanatic reply : 

My rule of thumb is the muddier the water, the more noise and vibrations, thus I use a clacker along with as much squeal as I can get.  If the water is clear, I prefer a 1/4 oz Cavitron with little water dispacement and I like how it leaves a bubble trail.


fishing user avatarBobby Uhrig reply : 

I have crimped rivots  and used them so much that they wore out both the blade and the rivot themselves. I soak the blades in an acid to give it a very unique abrasive sound. I have also scuffed the buzzbait wire arm for the same result.As for the tests of two anglers in the boat-It is hard to say. What happens if the next 3 days the guy with no clacker catches more fiish-IT all depends on the conditions. NOW there might be a case for water clarity/barometric pressure/light or low light conditions-the parameters are to great to make  absolute positive conclusions. I let the fish tell me how they want it.If I thought it made that much of a difference Cavitron would have a clacker version.


fishing user avatarSPEEDBEAD. reply : 

Make a 1/2 oz Cavitron with a clacker and I would be all over it, as would alot of other people.   ;)

Hell, even just a 1/2 oz version would fit nicely for me.


fishing user avatarDan: reply : 
  Quote
Watch and learn my friend. I have been in the front and back of the boat and spent more time on the water than most professional anglers. This is what I do for a living -how bout you????? You cannot prove that a fish is hitting that bait because it has a clacker over one that dosent. Tell or prove to me how you can back that statement. I have heard your comments for a while now -anise oil theories ect- PROVE YOUR FINDINGS WTH FACTUAL DATA.

So you have factual data that proves a fish hits a buzzbait because it doesn't have a clacker?


fishing user avatarCatt reply : 
  Quote

Make a 1/2 oz Cavitron with a clacker and I would be all over it, as would alot of other people. ;)

Hell, even just a 1/2 oz version would fit nicely for me.

Bingo  ;)


fishing user avatarBobby Uhrig reply : 

UHHHH!!!! -Yes I do- Is that a loaded question Dan


fishing user avatarCatt reply : 
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UHHHH!!!! -Yes I do- Is that a loaded question Dan

That's funny right there  ;)


fishing user avatarDan: reply : 
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UHHHH!!!! -Yes I do- Is that a loaded question Dan

I would like to see the factual data that proves your findings.


fishing user avatarChris reply : 

When you have a buzzbait that squeaks the the vibration patterns is off which translates to a bass thinking a baitfish that might have issues. If you bend the blade making it spin odd it draws more attention to the bait because the vibration pattern is different and the blade spins different. You can add weight to part of the wing blades (like a suspend dot) which also throws off a different vibration or bend one of the blades different. You can also drill out the front hole causing the blade to wiggle and wobble more which throws off a different vibration. You can also bend the arm so that the blade strikes the head as it rotates which changes the vibration pattern. Many "Pro" fishermen do this in muddy water because it puts out more pressure waves. Clacker blades do the same thing but put out a different tone than the blade that strikes the head. With the clacker it spins and clacks intermittently unlike the blade that strikes the head. When the blade strikes the head the entire bait chimes. When the blade strikes the clacker it also chimes but not as vigorously as it would if the blade smacked the head. Blades with holes in them create a bubble trail. If you file the edge of the blade thin it makes a different noise and the surface of the blade picks up more water on the rotation because the water sticks to the roughed up surface. Notching the blade causes the blade to spit water. A buzzbait straight from the box acts like a healthy baitfish and sounds like most of the other guys who throw a buzz bait.


fishing user avatarBobby Uhrig reply : 

What  the !! I Thought I had too much time LOL


fishing user avatarbarroncooper reply : 
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NO beads bihind the blade!!! Rivets only! A ggod buzzbait should have a loud squuek almost like fingernails on a chalkboard.

I couldn't agree more


fishing user avatarBassThumb reply : 
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  Quote
NO beads bihind the blade!!! Rivets only! A ggod buzzbait should have a loud squuek almost like fingernails on a chalkboard.

I couldn't agree more

Same here, and crimp that rivet!  I swear, my buzzbait improved drastically when I started crimping an bending the rivets to increase squeak.  I think the squeak is more important than the clack, but that's just been the case for me.  I also think that adding a small willow blade on a swivel behind the rivet is more effective than the clacker, but I fish clear water (4-12') so that likely explains it. 


fishing user avatarBobby Uhrig reply : 

It all depends on what mood the fish are in--aggressive /passive/lethargic-protective. Its all a puzzle -Bait companies give you the pieces-you put it together- In some instances the pieces may overlap- That could be a good thing-result-a strike




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