![](https://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Lester-Buzz-Sabine.jpg)
Here that? That’s not a mosquito or a cicada. That’s a huge percentage of the Bassmaster Elite Series field slinging buzzbaits in an effort to garner an above-average-sized bite from a Sabine River bass, and Team Toyota’s Brandon Lester is one of them.
“I learned early in my pro career that anytime we competed at a venue with the word ‘river’ in it, you’d better have a buzzbait tied on,” grins Lester.
“I don’t care if it’s the James River, Potomac River, Tennessee River, or Sabine River, especially during the hot weather post-spawn events, you’d better be throwing a buzzbait,” emphasizes the highly likable Tennessee pro.
He estimates he caught a dozen non-keeper largemouth on a buzzbait during Day 1 of the Folds of Honor Bassmaster Elite on the Sabine River, but just never got lucky enough to score a big one. However, that won’t stop him from throwing it again on Friday.
“I feel like a buzzbait gets you a bigger-than-average bite, and that’s so critical here, so I’ll definitely continue to throw it,” he says.
![](https://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Lester-buzz-2.jpeg?w=1024)
As far as the specifics of what he’ll throw, gold blades are for sure his favorite, and a 5/16-ounce garners more playing time than any other size. He’ll mix in a chrome blade if he knows they’re feeding heavily on shad, and he always adds a soft plastic trailer beneath the skirt.
“There’s so many people throwing buzzbaits with just a soft plastic craw or toad these days, that I feel the traditional skirt actually makes your bait look a little different, but I always add a plastic trailer, and no trailer hook,” says Lester.
Hopefully, his slightly different-looking offering gets the attention of a bigger-than-average Sabine largemouth Friday, because one thing’s for certain, he’ll need to stand out in a crowd amid the swarm of topwater buzzers being thrown in order to separate himself from the pack and make a major leap in the standings.