Lights Out Buzzbait Bassin’

August in Georgia. Itʼs one of the most uncomfortable places on earth this time of year. Most anglers have given up on fishing for the year and are starting to get in that hunting mode.

Well, thatʼs too bad, because this month is when the bass fishing really heats up—just do it at night.

Hereʼs Dan Cisson of Toccoa, the author, with a 10-lb., 3-oz. lunker that busted a black buzzbait on a hot night last August. Dan takes a store-bought buzzbait and makes special modifications to it. The result is more topwater strikes and bigger fish.

A black buzzbait fished at night is an excellent way to catch really BIG bass this time of year.

One, you get to stay out of the awful summer heat, and two, every turn of your reel handle could yield a violent topwater strike from a lunker largemouth.

During the day, water temperatures soar into the 90-degree range. Bass move out deep and become very sluggish. They wonʼt exert much energy during these hot, daylight hours. But, as the sun sets, water temperatures cool off quickly, especially in the shallows, making bass more active, and easier to catch.

Iʼm not going to get real excited about the nighttime bite until thereʼs been several days in a row of water temperatures in the 90s. Thatʼs when Iʼll hook up the boat, tie on a buzzbait and go fishing.

When I get to the pond, Iʼm looking for four basic ingredients—shallow flats, cooler water, food and anywhere a creek comes into a lake. My best-ever bass, nearly 14 pounds, came from the mouth of a feeder creek on a 30-acre watershed.

My partner, Larry Wiese, and I fish several private lakes and ponds—anywhere from 8 to 35 acres in size. Every one of these lakes has one thing in common. They have been productive for us after dark during the hot, summer months, throwing black buzzbaits.

Before you head out to your favorite fishing hole, read on. Larry and I have seen that making a few modifications to your buzzbait will make a huge difference.

When we first started fishing at night, Larry threw a brand-new buzzbait. I had already made the modifications to mine, and I caught 10 bass to his one quite regularly.

A black buzzbait is a great way to catch big bass after dark.

Some special modifications to a store-bought buzzbait will make a big difference in your catches. When you purchase a buzzbait, make sure you get one that has a good, solid shaft. Those baits with thin shafts will not work.

Fresh from the package, Iʼll take the rivet and the prop off the buzzbait. Then Iʼll take either a rat-tail or chainsaw file and roughen up the shaft the prop turns on. Donʼt roughen up the whole shaft, just the part that touches the prop.

Put the prop and rivet back on the roughened-up shaft. Crimp the face of the rivet with a pair of pliers where it touches the prop, so the rivet will not turn. All these factors creates a chirp and a squeak that drives bass crazy.

I also bend the wire shaft going to the hook. This improves hook-ups on short strikes tremendously because your hooks are beneath the surface, unlike standard buzzbaits where your hooks are up on top. We throw black blades and black skirts all the time, and trailer hooks are a must.

Apply these modifications to your black buzzbaits and fish it after sunset one night. Youʼll quickly see that your strikes per hour will dramatically increase.

A clean buzzbait is paramount to achieve the desired chirp and squeak. Most lakes and ponds have some vegetation growing in them that often wraps around the blade and shaft. Check your bait every few throws. Experiment with your retrieve, but when all else fails and the fish are not hitting good, I slow down the bait. Watch out for bass hitting right at the boat. Have your drag loose or youʼre liable to get your line snapped and your heart broken.

The presentation of a buzzbait is critical. Make long throws and lock your reel just before the buzzbait hits the water. This will hush the splash considerably, and the bait will be on top, ready for retrieve.

Moon phase plays a big part to our success. We normally donʼt fare too well on very dark nights, or on bright, full-moon nights, and we donʼt get on the water on a hot summer night until 9:30 or 10:00 p.m.

Our best catches are from a quarter moon until three days before the full moon. On a quarter-moon night the moon leaves the sky around midnight, and the bass shut down. I also refer to the Astro Tables in GON. They generally hold true with when the bass will be biting. Pay attention to these major-feeding times.

Also, a sudden change in weather, like a thunderstorm or before a low-pressure front, will dramatically turn on the bass.

Our equipment is simple. I use a 7-foot medium- to heavy-action rod. I choose a reel with a good drag system. The 7-foot rods are essential for long throws to get the bait well away from the boat. My favorite rod is a Falcon LFC417. It is very sensitive, and it has tremendous hook-set power. Larry throws Spiderwire, and I throw 14-lb. Stren. I believe line type doesnʼt matter at night, just make sure youʼve got something strong. It will be tested.

Nighttime fishing on small waters requires quietness. A critical investment is a quiet trolling motor that will get the job done but wonʼt spook these shallow fish. Watch your step in the boat. Donʼt be banging around, clashing rods against the sides or rocking the boat. Noises and boat wakes will alarm a bass.

Other than some modified buzzbaits, stiff rods and strong line, youʼll need a flashlight, insect spray and a good digital scale. Also, take along a camera with a flash. Take photos and practice catch-and-release. You can really put a big hurtinʼ on a small lake or pond if you haul out your catch.

I assure you that buzzbaiting at night will increase your odds of landing that big bass of your dreams.

This summer, the bass havenʼt been aggressively feeding much at night due to cooler-than-normal weather and lots of rain. However, August is here and water temperatures have soared well into the 90s. As you read this, itʼs plenty hot enough to go buzzbaiting when the lights go out.