BuzzBombs can be an effective lure for salmon out in saltwater. It is very popular for pink salmon, but also works on coho (silvers), chinook (kings) and chum salmon. However they can be a little bit tricky to rig up correctly for maximum fishing effectiveness.
In this article I’ll walk through how to rig a buzzbomb correctly with a single hook. I’ll also show you what to do if you loose that little rubber bumper.
It is best to rig the buzzbomb directly to your mainline, as that way you can reel the lure close to the rod tip for easier casting.
However buzzbombs do move on the line a bit and can cause some wear. So it may be a good idea to tie on a length of stronger leader material to mount the buzzbomb on. This is also a good idea if your mainline is high vis or braid.
The specific strength to use depends on the target species. For pinks I often use 10-15 pound mainline. I might use 15-20 pound fluorocarbon leader for the buzzbomb itself.
In this example I’m tying it on a piece of leader, which later will be tied to the mainline with the appropriate knot.
First tie on the hook. Since treble hooks are not allowed in many saltwater fisheries, I use a single hook. (In fact the first thing I do when opening a buzzbomb package is to throw away the treble.) Make sure to pinch down the barb if the area you are fishing requires barbless hooks.
In this example I’m using an octopus style hook and an egg loop knot. This works OK. But ideally you’d want to use a siwash style hook tied with an improved clinch knot.
Next slide on a bead. This bead can protect the knot as the bomb slides up and down on the line.
The third step is to slide on the rubber bumper that came with the lure. If you have lost it (like I always do) then you can use a small piece of rubber tubing, like is shown here.
Lastly slide on the buzzbomb itself. Before doing this examine the lure. You should see the word “hook” with an arrow. When properly threaded on the line the arrow will point at the hook.
The result should look like this:
And there you go – a buzzbomb properly rigged with a single hook and bumper replacement.
If you were to tie this onto your mainline (or leader already attached to the mainline) then the steps are the same, just performed in reverse order.
The single hook rigging method you show is close but not perfect. First of all Buzz Bomb-Zzinger Lures produces a single hook bumper which when used with single hook makes the hook position itself in perfect alignment with the lure. ( product name is single hook bumper. ) If you take your length of plastic tubing, cut it at 45 degrees in its middle, you now have two single hook bumpers. Slide one on line above Buzz Bomb or Zzinger so the angle faces the angle of your single hook eye. The 45 degree angles of both hook and bumper create perfect alignment of the hook every time! You can put the optional round bead between the lure and the single hook bumper if you like but not a necessary requirement. Hope this is a help.
I always loose those little bumper pieces, which is why I use the tubing.
I like your idea of cutting it at 45 degrees to help align the hook. Do you think that would be better than using a siwash hook where the eye doesn’t have that bend?