Bottom bumping Silver Buddys 2024

slinging southpaw reply :

Making long casts with a Silver Buddy and bumping it along the bottom is something that I've heard is a great way to catch cold water smallmouths, but looking at a Silver Buddy makes me think are you kidding? A metal bait with two treble hooks scraping along the bottom hitting every rock, catching every weed in sight. It would seem like if you were going to use this technique, you would need about fifty of them to account for all of them that you would lose.

I have fished a Silver Buddy with a vertical presentation and have had mixed results.

In my mind there are at least a hundred better suited lures for bottom bumping.

Anybody out there that has had a great deal of success with this presentation?

roadwarrior reply :

Never!

I fish the Silver Buddy and the Cordell Gay Blade for white bass mostly. The presentation is a long cast and steady retrieve, maybe an occasional pop and sometimes a slow or extended hop. Actually touching the bottom or any structure for that matter is a recipe for disaster. I would like to fish this lure for smallmouth if the situation were right, I am POSITIVE this would be an excellent lure for those pretty brown fish. However, unless you are in a situation where you can target suspending fish in relatively open water, you're going to lose this lure...fast!

wvubassfan reply :

I have to agree with RW on this one. I have found that this lure is best used when you are able to cast and burn.

slinging southpaw reply :

Thanks guys

rocknfish9001 reply :

One of the absoloute deadliest presentations for ice out bass (large and smallmouth) is yo-yoing a silver buddy. You toss it out and let it settle, then yank it about 1-2 ft. off the bottom, and repeat all the way back to the boat, kind of like a kastmaster. It produces well when nothing else will. I have seen people take 5-6 lb. bass in 35 degree water using this technique.

roadwarrior reply :

Yep, that is exactly the kind of environment I was talking about, but unfortunately for me, I don't get to fish the Great Lakes but once a year. If you have the right situation, I'm sure the Silver Buddy would work as well as you described. Unfortunately, most of the rivers and lakes I fish makes this impossible.

rocknfish9001 reply :

yea, it is mostly geared towards deep fish on sandy bottoms, not rocks and boulders like you would find in most good rivers.

Triton21 reply :

Quote
One of the absoloute deadliest presentations for ice out bass (large and smallmouth) is yo-yoing a silver buddy. You toss it out and let it settle, then yank it about 1-2 ft. off the bottom, and repeat all the way back to the boat, kind of like a kastmaster. It produces well when nothing else will. I have seen people take 5-6 lb. bass in 35 degree water using this technique.

Worked the same way on Dale Hollow in the Winter. One of the presentions Billy taught me. If you get snagged you can get directly over the lure and jiggle the lure and it will come loose 9 out of 10 times. Of course Billy got the free and I still have several dozen he gave me.

Kelley

Triton21 reply :

RW, The Silver Buddy was originaly developed for catching Sauger below the Greenup Locks and Dam on the Ohio river.

Kelley

roadwarrior reply :

I don't think I would be fishing those Silver Buddies. Some type of display with the lures and a picture of you and the legend would be cool. Did you know Westmoreland well?

justfishin reply :

RW, I had a thread on Silver Buddy's in the Fishing Tackle thread. Triton spoke of Bill in there. He was a great fisherman. I agree that Silver Buddy's can be tough to fish around a rocky bottom. Goodness knows I have lost my share. I rarely use them in the river for this reason. I do like them at a local smallie lake here though. I pretty much fish them on a free fall and then yo-yo them back to the boat and use a snap of the wrist presentation as well. I also burn them over the grass like a trap. I have caught some good fish on this bait.

roadwarrior reply :

Yep, I saw your thread. There is no doubt that the Silver Buddy is a great lure and I'm not afraid of losing them, but I lose my fair share staying off the bottom! I'm certainly going to fish them as Triton21 described when I have an opportunity, but it won't be on the Tennessee River.

Triton21 reply :

RW, I am sure I have a picture somewhere around here. If you call Horse Creek Dock and talk to Jack he will verify Billy and my relationship. Ask him about the guy from Kentucky that made the MARABOU SPINN. I just move here to IL from Eastern KY 4 years ago. I will bring what I find to Fork. What reason would I have to LIE?

Kelley

roadwarrior reply :

Whoa!

Triton21,

I was complimenting you, NOT questioning you AT ALL. I think pictures and lures would make a nice display if you had a place for it, that's all. I also think the technique you were describing would be KILLER! It's just that I lose plenty of Silver Buddies when I'm trying to stay off the bottom and I don't think I can fish it that way most of the time.

Sorry for the confusion, I meant NOTHING disrespectful. I wish I would have had the opportunity to meet Billy Westmoreland. To have him as a friend is something very special.

slinging southpaw reply :

Quote
RW, The Silver Buddy was originaly developed for catching Sauger below the Greenup Locks and Dam on the Ohio river.
Kelley

That's good to know. The first time I ever fished a Silver Buddy was while pre-fishing for the B.A.S.S. Eastern Regionals back in the late 80's on the Ohio River. All I caught with it was Sauger.

Triton21 reply :

I apologize RW for taking it the wrong way. I have had people question my relationship with Billy over the years. Again I am sorry. Guess got up on wrong side of bed this morning. I will bring some of my NOS lures to Fork. Bass Mag. had a write-up in Feb 2000 on the Marabou Spinn. Did not mention my name but gave my Co. name(TOP SHELF LURES) and phone number in E. KY.

Forgive me for any misunderstanding on my part.

Kelley

Zel... reply :

Quote
It would seem like if you were going to use this technique, you would need about fifty of them to account for all of them that you would lose.

Using old spark plugs are the best way to retrieve them when they get hung up. I hardly lose any and I use blade baits in some real nasty locations.

MickD reply :

My son and I use silver buddies in deep water both vertically and on long casts and have little trouble with snags. We encounter weeds and rocks, very little wood, which might be a different issue.

I think I remember an article recently in which the leading hook of the front treble was cut off, maybe one of the rears, too, and it prevented snagging without significantly affecting the action.

At the right times of the year, they are very effective. If fished vertical, they are a piece of cake to fish-even jigging-challenged guys like I am can do it.

Another time they work very well is if you find midsummer pike off Canadian lake points in very deep water (40-50 feet). Just hang the boat over them and jig the silver buddy-usually pike cannot resist. Oops, talked pike on a bass site again.

john087 reply :

If anyone has any Silver or Gold Buddies in 1/4 to 1/2 oz let me know please, the company is out of business now and I can't find them anywhere! I've caught some huge fish for where I live on them. They are an excellent bait

roadwarrior reply :

BPS still has Silver Buddies, I recently bought a few. A very similar lure is the Cordell Gay Blade, also available at BPS.

slinging southpaw reply :

Quote
If anyone has any Silver or Gold Buddies in 1/4 to 1/2 oz let me know please, the company is out of business now and I can't find them anywhere! I've caught some huge fish for where I live on them. They are an excellent bait

I'm pretty sure you can get them at Northernbass.com

slinging southpaw reply :

Quote

Quote
If anyone has any Silver or Gold Buddies in 1/4 to 1/2 oz let me know please, the company is out of business now and I can't find them anywhere! I've caught some huge fish for where I live on them. They are an excellent bait

I'm pretty sure you can get them at Northernbass.com

I was wrong. They have some knockoffs though.

GRIZZ reply :

Up here on Cape Cod in the Northeast, the farther you go down the Cape, the more sand you run into. We fish a few places in Wellfleet and Eastham that is all white sand beaches, bottom bouncing the Silver Buddys is a killer procedure. BUT like most here will agree, if you dont know the lay of the land, a steady retrieve is best.

A group of us (12) are heading down the Cape next weekend to fish for Smallies and a few will be trying for trout (Brown-Rainbow's-Tiger trout) Yes I will have about a half dozen SB in my tackle box for the trip

Wayne P. reply :

Silver Buddys are still being made but not in the original location. They are being made in Florida (according to the new package). The original inventor has them back in production since his son died that was operating the business and the business was down for a while. The newer ones have salt water type hooks on them. The silver color is the only ones I have seen lately being available. I prefer the gold. I have about 75 of the 1/4 oz silver ones. Most of the Silver Buddy practitioners prefer the 1/2 oz.

Do a web search for Silver Buddy and you will find several retailers the carry them.

http://www.silverbuddy.com/

Crestliner2008 reply :

Very interesting discussion on a very effective lure presentation for smallmouth bass. I use blades ice out until the water gets above 55. Then again in the late fall. I cast & retrieve it quite differently than what's been talked about here though. First, you must use some kind of a braded line with little or no stretch. This is the problem with most hang-ups.

This is how I present it: when the lure hits the bottom on a cast, you tighten up a bit and just barely pop it off the bottom, letting it settle back right away. This pop stops as soon as you feel the vibs start, so it usually doesn't get more than 3" - 5" off the bottom. This is repeated, all the way back to the boat. It can also be worked vertically in the same manner, but the cast gives you more coverage, obviously.

If you get hung, move directly over it and use the weight of the lure as a "plug knocker". This will free it up most times, especially if you use the 3/4 oz. sizes like I do. Or you can use a separate plug knocker or lure retriever; there are many on the market.

Why go thru all this trouble? Because in rivers, during the cold water period, this technique will far outfish any other, hands down. You have to locate the bass, but when you do, you can really get into some of the best fishing of the year. Fish the upside of dams in deep water. Find a current break down there and you'll get bit! And the strike is bone jarring!

BTW, you do not need to spend $5.00 (or more) for a blade bait. There are plenty of knock-offs out there, and they all work equally as effective. If you spend over $2.50/ea., you're wasting your money.

Olebiker reply :

It's funny to see this topic right now because I just found a Silver Buddy that Billy Westmoreland gave me about 20 years ago. He told me that it was the best smallmouth bait he had ever used, but the manufacturer was too small to pay him an endorsement fee so he didn't use them on his show.

Wayne P. reply :

A good thing about lures that produce for many years and still do is that they don't need to be promoted or advertized. They get their reputation from the successful anglers that use them and from anglers that get outfished by others using them when they don't use them.

fishingfrenzy reply :

I've done pretty good with blade baits.. they will catch just about every specie out there. I prefer a bait called "the binsky," a friend makes them and they will out produce a silver buddy any day of the week. Way more flash and vibration. Awesome bait.

roadwarrior reply :

Quote
Very interesting discussion on a very effective lure presentation for smallmouth bass. I use blades ice out until the water gets above 55. Then again in the late fall. I cast & retrieve it quite differently than what's been talked about here though. First, you must use some kind of a braded line with little or no stretch. This is the problem with most hang-ups.
This is how I present it: when the lure hits the bottom on a cast, you tighten up a bit and just barely pop it off the bottom, letting it settle back right away. This pop stops as soon as you feel the vibs start, so it usually doesn't get more than 3" - 5" off the bottom. This is repeated, all the way back to the boat. It can also be worked vertically in the same manner, but the cast gives you more coverage, obviously.

If you get hung, move directly over it and use the weight of the lure as a "plug knocker". This will free it up most times, especially if you use the 3/4 oz. sizes like I do. Or you can use a separate plug knocker or lure retriever; there are many on the market.

Why go thru all this trouble? Because in rivers, during the cold water period, this technique will far outfish any other, hands down. You have to locate the bass, but when you do, you can really get into some of the best fishing of the year. Fish the upside of dams in deep water. Find a current break down there and you'll get bit! And the strike is bone jarring!

BTW, you do not need to spend $5.00 (or more) for a blade bait. There are plenty of knock-offs out there, and they all work equally as effective. If you spend over $2.50/ea., you're wasting your money.

Thank you for sharing a secret. I'll give this technique a try on the

Tennessee River.

8-)

Matt 825 reply :

Crestliner, You let the cat out of the bag man......lol

JK....this technique is absolutley deadly on the smallies around here and will outfish all other methods 4 to 1 when temps dip below 45.

scotti g reply :

Hi guys and gals. New to the site seemes like a lot of good fisherman here. Glad I stumbled on the site.

When I seen Silver Buddy's I had to look twice. A lot of good ways to fish the buddy. I myself like to cast it out and work it back to the boat with the slitest lift possible so that I can just feel the blade vibrate, then let it back to the bottom. I live in Ct. The blade is a cold water bait for me 40 to 50 degrees. I've done the best with it when it's the coldest and nastyest days. I was in the June 2005 lunker page with a 6.2 Smallie on Candlewood Lake. I can't wait to try some of the methods that I have read on this site. Also when the water gets in the low 50's and colder if you see a smallie busting water try casting out your blade a retreiving it fast so that the blade breaks the surfess. I read this in a magazine and I tried it and it worked.

Tight lines Scotti G.

SLO_ROLL reply :

This is a good one. Crestliner's technique sounds like how I fish a jig in the spring. I wonder how the blade v/s a spoon ripped off the bottom all the way to the boat would turn out? I fish a spoon like that when the water gets cold. I guess you could do the same with a trap?

Crestliner2008 reply :

Sorry Matt 825 ;D. But most folks won't give this a try anyway, so don't be too concerned! It does take patience and you have to know where the bass are. Most folks are not that "into" their sonars enough, to make it work for them. If I were concerned about competition, I wouldn't have posted it!

SLO_ROLL - No comparison....period. Spoons just don't have the vibrations that a blade put out. Tie one on braided line, drop it staight down about 10' or so, and twitch it up. You'll feel something no other hard bait can even begin to think about. You'll be convinced! The vibs put out with blades twitched along the bottom are pure dy-no-mite! Trust me. Spoons shine best when bass are suspended in the water column....not when they are on the bottom as they are now, with the water in the mid-40's.

Remember one thing folks; don't over-work a blade. Barely twitch it off the bottom - stop when you first feel vibs and let it settle. Let it sit on the bottom for 10 - 15 seconds even! Your patience will be rewarded. Thankfully, most bass aficionados will ignore this ;D.

Wayne P. reply :

Put a slight bend in the blade behind the rear hook (no more than 10 degrees) and it will start vibrating sooner and have more vibration.

Paul Roberts reply :

Great thread. Thanks Crestliner, Matt825, and WayneP, for those details.

SLO_ROLL reply :

10-4 I'm on it.

roadwarrior reply :

I had some luck with the Silver Buddy Saturday,

but quit after loosing three lures. The first lasted

awhile, but I didn't have a snap swival on the other

two.

WARNING: Sharp Metal Cuts Line When A Lure Gets Hung-Up!

8-)

Crestliner2008 reply :

Quote
I had some luck with the Silver Buddy Saturday,
but quit after loosing three lures. The first lasted

awhile, but I didn't have a snap swival on the other

two.

WARNING: Sharp Metal Cuts Line When A Lure Gets Hung-Up!

8-)

I only use snaps on a blade bait - never a snap swivel! First of all, you WILL get hung up....period. Accept that as part of the presentation. Now you have two options. Get one of several "lure retrievers" that are out there in the market or go to Cabela's and buy some of their (rather expensive) spring-type split rings which, under pressure, open and release the hook. Either way, this presentation is way too powerful to give up on, trust me!

roadwarrior reply :

I had some luck and will pick up a few more, plus snaps, no swival!

Matt 825 reply :

Yeah like crestliner said you will lose plenty of them. One day last year I lost a dozen of them fishing a tree in 25ft, but it was well worth it.

I was buying them in bulk for cheap from a guy on ebay the last few years, but now he is gone. Looks like I'll be making my own shortly.

SLO_ROLL reply :

This one or? http://www.barlowstackle.com/acb/showdetl.cfm?&DID=6&Product_ID=2721&CATID=59

stratosjoe reply :

yep 1/2 oz is my favorite. I powder coat them white ,black and kinda bronze brown. I use snap rings on hooks and line tie. I like mustad triple grip . I also use weedless hooks for river fishing and weed lines in the summer. One thing about buddies I feel is most guys yank then too high use just your wrist not your whole arm. if you do this when you flip your wrist if she is there you can then use your arm to set the hook(not slam it hard either). Man sound like a know it all but I really love this bait.In the summer time I have even used a 3/4 oz on Ky lake off the ledges in deep water and caught just about anything that swims.... :

Matt 825 reply :

Quote
This one or? http://www.barlowstackle.com/acb/showdetl.cfm?&DID=6&Product_ID=2721&CATID=59

Yes sir that is the mold (ZV-5-A) that I ordered the other day. I like 1/2 OZ best but in wind will use 3/4 OZ

roadwarrior reply :

Quote
yep 1/2 oz is my favorite. I powder coat them white ,black and kinda bronze brown. I use snap rings on hooks and line tie. I like mustad triple grip . I also use weedless hooks for river fishing and weed lines in the summer. One thing about buddies I feel is most guys yank then too high use just your wrist not your whole arm. if you do this when you flip your wrist if she is there you can then use your arm to set the hook(not slam it hard either). Man sound like a know it all but I really love this bait.In the summer time I have even used a 3/4 oz on Ky lake off the ledges in deep water and caught just about anything that swims.... :

Would you be interested in selling a dozen!

8-)

SLO_ROLL reply :

10-4 O Man another mold, good thing I have a ton of lead. More things to do in the "Man Room"

stratosjoe reply :

Silver buddy came thru again Sunday, no smallies but a 20+ lb golden Carp by the tail! 36 degrees wind out of the west 20-28+mph white capping but my buddy and I the fools we are , are still trying. About the time I am ready to say lets move to some calm back water Bam the buddy stops and goes the other way. I am using a 7 1/2 ' med heavy bc witha Quantum burner with 10 lb test too lazy to put something a little heavier on. This bad boy ran drag like crazy and I thought oh man a real toad....It never quit running drag so i got on the TM then knew it was a big cat or something last year about same time got a 12lb cat on a buddy. After about a 10-15 minute stretch I got him too the net( didn't want to lose my buddy) I had snagged him in the tail!! I know no smallmoth but still warmed me up and we got a heckuva laugh at it. I would post some fish pictures caught on buddies if I knew how.. :-/

justfishin reply :

You are very lucky to have fished with Billy Westmoreland. He was one of my smallmouth hero's. I agree that Silver Buddies are great for brown bass too. Its just out river and silver buddies can be a terrible experiance. Its almost like there is velcro down there,lol. I still use them though. They definitly catch fish. I really like them on suspended fish in the winter.

TournyFish001 reply :

What kind of gear are you guys using, like rod and reel- casting spinning - M MH Lt 6' 8' ect ect? Also as crestliner mentioned braid- what #test and do you use a leader at all? What line do the rest of you guys use? One last thing is 1/2oz a pretty universal weight to cover a wide range of depths? Thanx in advance

Wayne P. reply :

I use a medium 6' baitcasting rig with 14# fluorocarbon line. For the depths I fish (less than 20'), I prefer the 1/4 oz size. I only use those bait types when the fish are on/just above the bottom and the water temp is below 43 degrees and not increasing (mid Winter).

thetr20one reply :

WOW this thread has legs. I didn't follow the whole thread but are the buddies becoming hard to find or something.

Matt 825 reply :

I use a 6'6" MH spinning rod with braid line and a 8Ib Fluro leader. I mostly use 1/2 OZ Buddies but will use 5/8 or 3/4 if conditions warrent it. I fish mostly in the 20ft- 50ft range with 35ft being my target zone for the most part.

roadwarrior reply :

Nice fish.

The 5-2 is a fatty!

;D ;D

justfishin reply :

Nice fish dude. I love them footballs. Anyhoo, I use a 6'6" med/moderate action rod, Curado reel and 8lb test line.

scotti g reply :

I just had a tourney last week at Candlewood lake in ct. I was throwing a blade bait out let it hit the bottom and work it back to the boat SLOW while it bounces off the rocks wood and bottom. I had 8 smallies for 32.47 pounds. 2 of the fish were only 2.5 pounds the rest of them were slobs. In my experiance with the blade I want it to hit the bottom. If you get it hung up I get right over the top of the blade and shake the heck out of my rod and most of the time I get it back. You have to know the differance between a fish and the bottom.

Scotti G

roadwarrior reply :

Quote
I just had a tourney last week at Candlewood lake in ct. I was throwing a blade bait out let it hit the bottom and work it back to the boat SLOW while it bounces off the rocks wood and bottom. I had 8 smallies for 32.47 pounds. 2 of the fish were only 2.5 pounds the rest of them were slobs. In my experiance with the blade I want it to hit the bottom. If you get it hung up I get right over the top of the blade and shake the heck out of my rod and most of the time I get it back. You have to know the differance between a fish and the bottom.
Scotti G

That's a fine day!

8-)

MDbassinmike reply :

Would this same technique work with a Little George?

13330

Bottom bumping Silver Buddys 2024

related Smallmouth Bass Fishing topic

previous topic

next topic

most viewed Smallmouth Bass Fishing topic