Chatterbaits

[rowyourboat]

Hey guys, i've just started using these recently and im wanting to pick up a few more. I just have a few questions.

 

1. What Brand do you like? z-man, d&m, strike king, etc.

 

2. what colors work best for you

 

3. What trailers do you like to use on them?

 

thanks for the help.

 

 

[Catch and Grease]

http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/144465-chatter-bait-tips/

[bradc36]

*** Crazy Jig with a Zoom Fat Albert grub or a Power Team Lures 3.6 Hammer shad. Green pumpkin/blue, white, or their smoke shad color, trailer varies.

[Dypsis]

http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/144465-chatter-bait-tips/

This is a good post from just a couple days ago.  I will say that I am pretty new to fishing, but I bought and used a couple Zman then a couple months ago bout a half dozen D&M and IMO they are far superior and like them a lot.   FYI TW has the old Swim Jigs on sale as the #2 just came out.  http://www.***.com/DM_Custom_Baits_Piranha_Swim_Jig/descpage-DMPR.html

[ww2farmer]

I like the ones that I made myself. I got the heads and blades from WNYbassman, and the skirts are from z man.

Bluegill is my favorite color

And I use the same three trailers on them that I use on my swim jigs. A havoc sub woofer, a havoc grass pig and/or a single tail grub. I tried a havoc rocket craw on one the other day, and I liked what I saw enough I am going to experiment further with it.

[aavery2]

Do some research and find a bait called the Big Head Wobbler, I have used and had very good luck on a bait very similar.  The guy that makes them is a good fisherman and uses the baits to catch a lot of fish.

[corn-on-the-rob]

stay away from zman's. Skirt might as well not be there as it falls off frequently and the hooks aren't very sharp. Just feels cheap. I grabbed a couple of the SK rageblades and I really like them so far. I don't see the need for me to explore other brands as the rageblade does what I need it to and seems of good quality so far.

[doyle8218]

D&M, TNT and Siebert.

[Heron]

1. Z-man, but looking to try others

 

2. So far, white has been working well.

 

3. My preferred trailer is a a 5" Mr. Twister Fat curly grub, in matching color. 

[Heron]

stay away from zman's. Skirt might as well not be there as it falls off frequently and the hooks aren't very sharp. Just feels cheap. I grabbed a couple of the SK rageblades and I really like them so far. I don't see the need for me to explore other brands as the rageblade does what I need it to and seems of good quality so far.

Well, I suppose we all have varying experiences, but I'll just go ahead and say, that Ive never once encountered those particular problems with Z-man at all.

 

But I certainly dont like the Elaztech trailer that comes with them.  

[Mike L]

Z Man or Sk with a headless RI Skinny Dipper as a trailer

Mike

[desmobob]

I have several of the regular Z-Man, a couple of Z-Man Pro, and a few Buddha Baits Swagger Jigs.

 

They all seem to work well, but I prefer versions with a barb on the jig to help hold trailers in place, like on the Buddha Baits Swagger Jig.

 

Tight lines,

Bob

[ClackerBuzz]

This is a good post from just a couple days ago.  I will say that I am pretty new to fishing, but I bought and used a couple Zman then a couple months ago bout a half dozen D&M and IMO they are far superior and like them a lot.   FYI TW has the old Swim Jigs on sale as the #2 just came out.  http://www.***.com/DM_Custom_Baits_Piranha_Swim_Jig/descpage-DMPR.html

$6.49 on sale? how much were they before the 'sale'? 

honestly i don't know how some people sleep at night

if i had time i'd start a tackle business and under cut everyone's prices..and still make a fortune

[Dypsis]

$6.49 on sale? how much were they before the 'sale'? 

honestly i don't know how some people sleep at night

if i had time i'd start a tackle business and under cut everyone's prices..and still make a fortune

I think they are $8 or 9 normally.  Yes they sure are pricey.  

[Bluebasser86]

I make my own because I couldn't find any that held together very well or worked as well as I felt like they should. I do best with black and blue, bluegill, crappie, and sexy shad colors.

 

I use a ton of different things for trailers; 2/3 of a trick worm or stick worm, grubs, pit boss, Rage craws or Menace, subwoofers, beat shads, C tail worms, just about anything. Lately I've really be doing well with a 4" Havoc Pit Boss trimmed down and rigged sideways, they have a ton of action rigged that way and you can catch a couple dozen before it either won't stay up on the hook or all the legs get ripped off. 

[fishballer06]

I started off using the Zman's, and they work well. I've picked up a few D&M and the quality is a lot nicer with them. 

 

Any color will work depending on what the fish want and the water conditions. 

 

The stock trailers are nice. I also like to use the Trigger X Flappin Grubs and depending on the color, a 3" Havoc Pit Boss. 

[Big Swimbait]

+3 on the D&M. They didn't get sued by Z-Man because their baits sucked. The new design looks just as awesome.

[primetime]

I make my own because I couldn't find any that held together very well or worked as well as I felt like they should. I do best with black and blue, bluegill, crappie, and sexy shad colors.

 

I use a ton of different things for trailers; 2/3 of a trick worm or stick worm, grubs, pit boss, Rage craws or Menace, subwoofers, beat shads, C tail worms, just about anything. Lately I've really be doing well with a 4" Havoc Pit Boss trimmed down and rigged sideways, they have a ton of action rigged that way and you can catch a couple dozen before it either won't stay up on the hook or all the legs get ripped off. 

I learned about bladed jigs for night fishing from this site about 6 months ago and I now fish bladed jigs as my #1 lure at night and I have replaced spinnerbaits  with bladed jigs...The custom lures pictured above are way better than any you can buy as I was lucky to get my hands on a few, and you end up saving money and catching more fish, much more durable, colors custom, way more vibrant, and the design gives more vibrations, better hooks, and overall just flat out better.....I found that a Zman or Booyah would get 1-2 fish and be destroyed, and in saltwater I wouldn't land most snook or Reds. Alot of these mass marketed lures look like a deal when you see chatterbaits for $2.99, but trust me they are not worth it and will not work as well as the better models. I am told the new Rage Blade,D&M Piranha jigs are good quality and Zman has gotten better but for $5-8 each, and 6 color options I will pass. You also do not lose alot of these lures either and can cover alot of water and are surprisingly weedless.....This site has introduced me to alot of new lure and baits and I have also learned to appreciate the craftmanship in lures and tackle that are done with precision and not on a production line....

 

Sorry for the ramble, I get frustrated when i catch one fish and the blade and snap are bent, and the skirt only has 10 strands left.

[ClackerBuzz]

^ agreed. you can get far better quality from Mike at Seibert, Bluebass etc. And you can order the most important thing....an EWG hook. you can T rig ur trailer and it's totally weedless.  That means coming thru timber flawlessly and lasting 10x's longer b/c you don't snag/break off

[BasshunterJGH]

D&M baits makes the best chatterbait. The megabass chatterbait that's coming out soon looks great too. Curly tail grubs and small swimbaits are good trailers.

[L a r r y]

I like to use the zmann chatterbait elite in 1/2 ounce in bluegill with a Lake Fork boot tale swimbait in 4.5" in watermelon red or sun perch.  I've caught more fish with this combo and the size of fish has increased.