RHuff Posted January 12, 2015 Posted January 12, 2015 I got one at the end of the fall last year and fished it for a couple of months but didn't have any luck. I casted and retrieved it like a typical spinnerbait. I saw a thing online saying that a good method is to let it fall and make it rise, let it fall and make it rise. My question is how do you fish a chatterbait and what seems to produce the most strikes with it for you? What conditions do you fish it? Quote
Super User Choporoz Posted January 12, 2015 Super User Posted January 12, 2015 Been lots of chatter about these lately. I suggest try a simple search for "chatterbait" first....or 'advanced' search for topics....and/or check out the first few pages of 'Tackle' sub-forrum. Quote
Super User roadwarrior Posted January 12, 2015 Super User Posted January 12, 2015 By Bluebasser86 Spinnerbaits for me are a more clear water or faster retrieve bait or when fish are feeding on smaller baitfish. I fish my bladed jigs extremely slowly, just fast enough to keep the blade vibrating, even bumping the bottom if possible. In lakes that see lots a spinnerbaits, a bladed jig is a good replacement. They also shine in stained or dirty water or around vegetation because the strong vibration helps the fish hone in on the bait. There are times I will fish them faster (over vegetation for example), but 9 out of 10 larger bass I catch on them will be during a very slow retrieve. I've had good success with them using a stroking or pumping retrieve, letting them settle to the bottom then lifting the rod quickly before letting it settle again. I think 2 of the biggest mistakes I see guys make with bladed jigs are, 1. fishing them too fast and 2. not recognizing a bite. Like I said, I like to fish them slowly. The issue then becomes that a big bass can lazily swim up to the bait, inhale it while maintaining a similar pace, then spit the bait out without it ever feeling much different. I can't count the number of big fish I've caught on them where it felt just slightly different. Sometimes it feels like the blade has quite working, other times like I've caught a leaf or piece of weeds. I think the common notion is that since it's a moving bait the strikes will be vicious, which they certainly are at times, but more often than not they're much more subtle than I think most fishermen expect. I first realized this by fishing clear water and actually seeing bass strike my bait and noticing that I felt very little despite the bait being almost completely inhaled on a couple occasions. I thought back and realized I'd felt similar strikes lots of times before but never realized they were strikes. Once I started setting the hook on those little bumps and when the blade just wasn't vibrating as hard, I was amazed how many fish I was catching that I didn't even know were there before. Lastly, it's always possible that they just aren't a good tool in the areas you're fishing them. If you fish anywhere with stained water and vegetation though, I'm 100% certain there is a time when they will shine for you. 9 Quote
Super User gardnerjigman Posted January 12, 2015 Super User Posted January 12, 2015 By Bluebasser86 Spinnerbaits for me are a more clear water or faster retrieve bait or when fish are feeding on smaller baitfish. I fish my bladed jigs extremely slowly, just fast enough to keep the blade vibrating, even bumping the bottom if possible. In lakes that see lots a spinnerbaits, a bladed jig is a good replacement. They also shine in stained or dirty water or around vegetation because the strong vibration helps the fish hone in on the bait. There are times I will fish them faster (over vegetation for example), but 9 out of 10 larger bass I catch on them will be during a very slow retrieve. I've had good success with them using a stroking or pumping retrieve, letting them settle to the bottom then lifting the rod quickly before letting it settle again. I think 2 of the biggest mistakes I see guys make with bladed jigs are, 1. fishing them too fast and 2. not recognizing a bite. Like I said, I like to fish them slowly. The issue then becomes that a big bass can lazily swim up to the bait, inhale it while maintaining a similar pace, then spit the bait out without it ever feeling much different. I can't count the number of big fish I've caught on them where it felt just slightly different. Sometimes it feels like the blade has quite working, other times like I've caught a leaf or piece of weeds. I think the common notion is that since it's a moving bait the strikes will be vicious, which they certainly are at times, but more often than not they're much more subtle than I think most fishermen expect. I first realized this by fishing clear water and actually seeing bass strike my bait and noticing that I felt very little despite the bait being almost completely inhaled on a couple occasions. I thought back and realized I'd felt similar strikes lots of times before but never realized they were strikes. Once I started setting the hook on those little bumps and when the blade just wasn't vibrating as hard, I was amazed how many fish I was catching that I didn't even know were there before. Lastly, it's always possible that they just aren't a good tool in the areas you're fishing them. If you fish anywhere with stained water and vegetation though, I'm 100% certain there is a time when they will shine for you. Amen! Quote
Super User Fishes in trees Posted January 12, 2015 Super User Posted January 12, 2015 I use chatter baits interchangeably with spinner baits. I am more likely to "slow roll" a chatter bait than I am to keep it close to the surface. An exception to this rule is when you are fishing grass flats that are 3 to 7 or so feet deep. Anything that you try to slow roll will immediately become tangled in vegetation, so I try to tick the tops of the vegetation. Chatterbaits just go into the rotation with rattle baits - spinner baits and for a slower more finessful presentation - a slug go. If the fish are hanging out in the grass flats, one of these presentations generally work. On any given day, it seems to be a toss up which one will work, but one will always work much better than the other 3 on any given day. If the subject is grass beds in the 5 to 7 foot range, sometimes a flashy jerk bait, like a Rogue, that dives down, but doesn't get really close to the tips of the vegetation has been the ticket. The Rogue has never worked for me in shallow grass beds( i.e. 3' or less) because it hangs in the vegetation too often. Quote
Super User K_Mac Posted January 13, 2015 Super User Posted January 13, 2015 Some really good advice here. In, over and through grass or slow rolled can kill. As Bluebasser said sometimes it is very hard to know when you get bit, especially in grass. Other times you might get your arm broken. It is definitely a big fish bait for me. Finding the right speed, depth, and cadence is part of the fun. Enjoy! Quote
Jon G Posted January 13, 2015 Posted January 13, 2015 By Bluebasser86 Spinnerbaits for me are a more clear water or faster retrieve bait or when fish are feeding on smaller baitfish. I fish my bladed jigs extremely slowly, just fast enough to keep the blade vibrating, even bumping the bottom if possible. In lakes that see lots a spinnerbaits, a bladed jig is a good replacement. They also shine in stained or dirty water or around vegetation because the strong vibration helps the fish hone in on the bait. There are times I will fish them faster (over vegetation for example), but 9 out of 10 larger bass I catch on them will be during a very slow retrieve. I've had good success with them using a stroking or pumping retrieve, letting them settle to the bottom then lifting the rod quickly before letting it settle again. I think 2 of the biggest mistakes I see guys make with bladed jigs are, 1. fishing them too fast and 2. not recognizing a bite. Like I said, I like to fish them slowly. The issue then becomes that a big bass can lazily swim up to the bait, inhale it while maintaining a similar pace, then spit the bait out without it ever feeling much different. I can't count the number of big fish I've caught on them where it felt just slightly different. Sometimes it feels like the blade has quite working, other times like I've caught a leaf or piece of weeds. I think the common notion is that since it's a moving bait the strikes will be vicious, which they certainly are at times, but more often than not they're much more subtle than I think most fishermen expect. I first realized this by fishing clear water and actually seeing bass strike my bait and noticing that I felt very little despite the bait being almost completely inhaled on a couple occasions. I thought back and realized I'd felt similar strikes lots of times before but never realized they were strikes. Once I started setting the hook on those little bumps and when the blade just wasn't vibrating as hard, I was amazed how many fish I was catching that I didn't even know were there before. Lastly, it's always possible that they just aren't a good tool in the areas you're fishing them. If you fish anywhere with stained water and vegetation though, I'm 100% certain there is a time when they will shine for you. This is the best answer you will get!! Quote
Super User FishTank Posted January 13, 2015 Super User Posted January 13, 2015 How Do You Fish A Chatterbait? You leave it in the tackle box and try something else...... Just joking..... I fish just as RW said above. It's a loader spinnerbait in my opinion. I have tried fishing it with a slow and stop retrieve and had no luck. I think when you fish it slow, the fish that is attracted to this type of bait is spooked by the sound. Quote
JGBassinAL Posted January 13, 2015 Posted January 13, 2015 Half the time I fish them around docks/grass and the other half I fish 3/4-1 oz chatterbaits on ledges. I like them around docks because they are easy to skip to the back of the docks and if you can buzz it buy a big ones face a lot of the time they bite. When I fish them on ledges I take the skirt off and put a big swimbait on the back. Works wonders. 1 Quote
Global Moderator Bluebasser86 Posted January 13, 2015 Global Moderator Posted January 13, 2015 By Bluebasser86 Spinnerbaits for me are a more clear water or faster retrieve bait or when fish are feeding on smaller baitfish. I fish my bladed jigs extremely slowly, just fast enough to keep the blade vibrating, even bumping the bottom if possible. In lakes that see lots a spinnerbaits, a bladed jig is a good replacement. They also shine in stained or dirty water or around vegetation because the strong vibration helps the fish hone in on the bait. There are times I will fish them faster (over vegetation for example), but 9 out of 10 larger bass I catch on them will be during a very slow retrieve. I've had good success with them using a stroking or pumping retrieve, letting them settle to the bottom then lifting the rod quickly before letting it settle again. I think 2 of the biggest mistakes I see guys make with bladed jigs are, 1. fishing them too fast and 2. not recognizing a bite. Like I said, I like to fish them slowly. The issue then becomes that a big bass can lazily swim up to the bait, inhale it while maintaining a similar pace, then spit the bait out without it ever feeling much different. I can't count the number of big fish I've caught on them where it felt just slightly different. Sometimes it feels like the blade has quite working, other times like I've caught a leaf or piece of weeds. I think the common notion is that since it's a moving bait the strikes will be vicious, which they certainly are at times, but more often than not they're much more subtle than I think most fishermen expect. I first realized this by fishing clear water and actually seeing bass strike my bait and noticing that I felt very little despite the bait being almost completely inhaled on a couple occasions. I thought back and realized I'd felt similar strikes lots of times before but never realized they were strikes. Once I started setting the hook on those little bumps and when the blade just wasn't vibrating as hard, I was amazed how many fish I was catching that I didn't even know were there before. Lastly, it's always possible that they just aren't a good tool in the areas you're fishing them. If you fish anywhere with stained water and vegetation though, I'm 100% certain there is a time when they will shine for you. What this guy said 1 Quote
Super User HoosierHawgs Posted January 13, 2015 Super User Posted January 13, 2015 Been lots of chatter about these lately. I suggest try a simple search for "chatterbait" first....or 'advanced' search for topics....and/or check out the first few pages of 'Tackle' sub-forrum. 'Chatter', pun intended? Quote
Super User HoosierHawgs Posted January 13, 2015 Super User Posted January 13, 2015 Forum hack... But what set ups do you guys fish bladed jigs on? Quote
Super User roadwarrior Posted January 13, 2015 Super User Posted January 13, 2015 Whatever you fish spinnerbaits with will be just fine. Quote
wytstang Posted January 13, 2015 Posted January 13, 2015 In the ponds I fish chatterbait are mostly effective when a crawdad is used as a trailer and cast and retreive at a slow speed. The vibration causes the claws to flutter constintly which causes strikes, I've caught both bass and crappie this way (I don't fish for crappie either they just hit it). Gamblers flappy daddy has a nice narrow body with wide claws that flutter really well when behind a chatter bait. Netbait's paca chunk have an even wider appendage set up that "wave" to the bass and they hit it pretty hard. Quote
Super User A-Jay Posted January 13, 2015 Super User Posted January 13, 2015 Like always, there's been some great advice offered here so far. While my experience with the bait is somewhat limited, my success with a chatter bait has steadily improved. There's a few factors that I've come to believe have added to the number of bass landed. Though the bait does fish like a spinnerbait, there are some decided differences as well. Where I can often illicit strikes with a spinnerbait using speed as the trigger, the vast majority of my success with a chatterbait involves a slow to medium retrieve speed at best. Not unlike so many of the most effective techniques for bass, presenting the bait in & around cover makes sense. Having a place for the bass “to come from” just works. Although the bait does vibrate quite a bit, I was having trouble both detecting bites and then hooking & landing the fish. After trying a few difference tackle combinations I’ve settled one that works for me; a glass or composite rod and Braided line. This rod & line combination works well together to fix a few challenges I was facing. The braid’s sensitivity allowed me to detect the difference between the cover & the strike. Then, because the rod responds slower to my hookset, the fish are being provided just a bit more time to get the bait (without me pulling it away prematurely). This combined with the no stretch properties of braid has resulted in more stout chatter bait hooks pinning up & landing bass. A swim senko or swim bait trailer has been good too. Quote
Super User Choporoz Posted January 13, 2015 Super User Posted January 13, 2015 A swim senko or swim bait trailer has been good too. Interesting. Thanks. Do you use the whole swim senko? Cut it in half? I've got a large pile of swim senkos that were all but out the door...it'd be nice to find a use for them that involves actually catching bass 1 Quote
Super User A-Jay Posted January 13, 2015 Super User Posted January 13, 2015 Interesting. Thanks. Do you use the whole swim senko? Cut it in half? I've got a large pile of swim senkos that were all but out the door...it'd be nice to find a use for them that involves actually catching bass That's funny - me too. Can't take credit for the idea however - after reading about FLW Pro Brett Hite's success on Lake Toho in March 2008 and again on Lake Okeechobee last February, I tried it and liked it. I prefer the 5 inch bait a bit better than the 4 inch. I used the 4 inch whole & snip 3/4 of an inch or so off the 5 inch. A-Jay 1 Quote
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