Spinnerbait V. Chatterbaits And Building Confidence

[Choporoz]

PSA:  Spinnerbaits don't come out of overhanging trees very well. 

[robster80]

i havent thrown spinnerbaits long but im really getting into the technique. love the war eagles with a colorado willow or dbl colorado. i like feeling the thumping blades. ive had luck varying retrieve speeds,killin it. mostly white chartreuse or black is what i use.

[Mr_Frodo]

The two biggest fish I've caught on artificial lures have been on a spinner bait . The biggest fish I've ever caught was on a gigantic live shiner in Lake Okeechobee. As far as numbers of large fish goes I've caught them mostly on jigs with trailers. A big jig with a big trailer catches big fish .

[bigturtle]

If there are no logs or very dense vegetation, I always fish a bladed swimjig (ie. chatterbait). 

[Ohio Dave]

I am starting to get a much better picture of how and when.  Much appreciated 

[CWB]

Didn't throw a spinnerbait for a few years. It seemed everybody and their brothers was throwing them. I always went in a different direction. Couple years ago started throwing a double Colorado blade and did well and have been doing well ever since. I seem to get more bites on the double Colorado. Fished behind guys using Willow and picked up fish. Call me old school but double Colorado for me when not using chatterbait.

[einscodek]

Let me begin with a confession that must seem completely absurd to most bass veterans:   I have never caught a bass on a spinnerbait.  There I said it in public and well I still feel dumb for it, but at least its out there.   

 

I have bass fished for many years: mostly as a soft plastics guy. June and July I can hold my own against most anyone on the Ohio lakes I have haunted through the years.  But there are times when I know there are bass to be had but I just can not connect with what they want.  I need to expand what I fish and how. 

 

I have added jerk baits to my fall plans and done well with those.  I have bought into square bills for some structures but they just are not quite a go to sort of bait:   I know that is a product of confidence and I will need to force myself to use those baits.  (any commentary here is of course welcome) 

 

Spring time: I have watched the videos and read all most all of which is pointing toward spinnerbaits being the best choice.  To be honest, I am still not sure I have a real clue as to how to select the right version of a spinnerbait or how to fish that bait as spring goes on.  

 

Please help me get onto a color and brand along with how to know the size that I can just plain tie on and fish until I get how to use the bait basically figured out.  

First off many many years I ago I was where you are.  How the heck does a fish hit such a clunky and ugly thing?

Nowadays I practically have one tied on one of my rods in nearly all conditions including blue bird days high noon.. yes even now prespawn cold water.. caught one today on a 1/4oz spinnerbait.. barely felt the hit but there he was in my hands a few seconds later.

Brand?  Any.. I used to catch lots of fish on walmart cheapos and Bomber spinnerbaits $1 a piece.. I'd modify them etc.. kinda fun.

Nowadays I'm finding myslef doing lil less modifying and stickin to a base Booyah spinnerbait with minor mods.

But the answer still is if a walmart el cheapo can catch lotsa fish.. so can most other brands.

You want at least a small 1/8-1/4 oz spinnerbait for when the fish are finnicky and 1/2oz+ one for when you find they arent hittin the midgets and want somthing BIG for dinner.

Oh and chatterbaits are great too but theyre more useful before the weeds start overgrowin later on.. so chatterbaits Ill use now in early spring into the spawn and alil afterwards.. and then its all spinnerbaits baby!

Advice is to get a natural looking 1/4oz spinnerbait and take nothing else.. learn to throw that thing every which way shallow/deep fast slow.. adjust the blades.. put colorados on put willows on.. see the difference fer yerself.

 

If its good enough fer Jimmy Houston, Rick Clunn, KVD.. its good enuf fer you and me.. those guys put ALOT of confidence into spinnerbaits.

[hatrix]

I much prefer bladed jigs over spinnerbaits unless I'm in really clear water. Stained to dirty water and around vegetation is when bladed jigs really shine!

Pretty much this. I rarely throw a spinner any more but always have a chatterbait tied on. Plus a chatterbait comes through vegetation better although a spinnerbaits does pretty good also.

[Ohio Dave]

I am thankful for all of you taking time to share your thoughts.  Much appreciated     Now if it would stop snowing and warm back up a bit.  29 for a low tonight yikes!!

[CWB]

Pretty much this. I rarely throw a spinner any more but always have a chatterbait tied on. Plus a chatterbait comes through vegetation better although a spinnerbaits does pretty good also.

Not sure about chatterbaits coming through vegetation better. Might be type of vegetation. Was out Sunday and weeds are coming up. Found a few spots where chatterbait didn't get fouled but when fishing the weeds (which is where I caught all my fish) the chatterbait would get caught in weeds and muck every cast unless I burned it back and kept it on top. Didn't get any bites doing that. Spinnerbait did much better. Northern Ill. natural lake. Caught most fish on Shadalicious swimbait anyway.

[hatrix]

Not sure about chatterbaits coming through vegetation better. Might be type of vegetation. Was out Sunday and weeds are coming up. Found a few spots where chatterbait didn't get fouled but when fishing the weeds (which is where I caught all my fish) the chatterbait would get caught in weeds and muck every cast unless I burned it back and kept it on top. Didn't get any bites doing that. Spinnerbait did much better. Northern Ill. natural lake. Caught most fish on Shadalicious swimbait anyway.

They have a stronger vibration and you can rip them really hard and clear it usually. Spinnerbaits go through weeds pretty well themselves but weeds can get wrapped around the arms or blades and make it almost impossible to unfoul. 

[aprilbass101]

Both are great baits! You can't go wrong with either but the chatterbaits is a little more weedless than the spinnerbaits! I usually throw some type of trailer on the chatterbaits (swimbaits) most of the time! Spinnerbaits "Trailer Hooks" a must at least for me! My opinion! You won't worry about the skirt slappers! Z-man Original Chatterbaits are very good but at BPS your limited to only hand full of colors & sizes! Where as Tackle Warehouse has 27 colors to choose from along with different makes, models, & sizes so you have a larger variety to choose from! As for spinnerbaits War Eagle, Strike King, & Booyah all make pretty good ones at a reasonable price. Here in Northwest Ohio....Depending on water clarity & cloud cover chartreuse/any color "dark" works well in stain water with single colorado blades or tandem with a willow blade for the western basin of Lake Erie. If your fishing more towards the North, Middle, & South bass islands the water is very clear you would want to use more natural colors like whites, silvers, & greens with tandem willows or indiana blades! More flash than thump-like you would get from the colorado blades! Just like crankbait selections! You can use them any time of the year but spring is a good time to use them to cover a lot of water! Hopefully this helps

[hatrix]

I am thankful for all of you taking time to share your thoughts. Much appreciated Now if it would stop snowing and warm back up a bit. 29 for a low tonight yikes!!

Tell me why it was snowing yesterday in Cleveland... I still went out in the evening though and caught half a dozen on cranks Its crazy to think just last Saturday when I was fishing I actually thought d**n it really hot out right now with the sun beating down.

[Ohio Dave]

bass pro is about 30 min or so from my house so that is where I am going to go.  I like to see all the goodies before I buy LOL

 

Thanks again for all of you sharing thoughts.  I am glad that we don't all agree on which is better.  That means to me that both will out fish the other in certain times and I should have both  

[hatrix]

FYI you can actually make a kind of ghetto chatter bait for any lure by putting a hole through a suction cup and put it on in front of your lure facing out.

[5fishlimit]

I roam around most of Northwest Ohio.  I plan to hit Erie for the first time bass fishing this year.  When I find the time that is:  

 

thanks to all for taking time to share your thoughts

 

When you do find the time to get to Erie then you should check out East Harbor.  You can stay in the harbor and get your fill of green fish, and if you feel like getting some brown fish then you can quickly head over to the islands and go for them!  I love going to East Harbor!!!

[Ohio Dave]

not heading to the islands in my 10' plastic boat but the Harbor is always an option when the wind it not to high 

[CWB]

They have a stronger vibration and you can rip them really hard and clear it usually. Spinnerbaits go through weeds pretty well themselves but weeds can get wrapped around the arms or blades and make it almost impossible to unfoul.

Most likely depends on type of weeds. Up here in the natural lakes there are several types of weeds an alot of muck on them too. Once this crap gets caught between the blade of a chatterbait and the line tie it's not going anywhere. A spinnerbait sheds this kind of crap with a good yank or two alot of times. I don't see where vibration plays a part, at least where I'm usually fishing. There are some weeds you aren't getting either through clean.

[Ohio Dave]

I will have to read up on how to post picks but my first bass of the year was also a chatterbait largemouth.  3+lbs   fish two 4 lb small mouth on the same green chatter.  I am starting to get the hang of these baits.  Thanks so much guys!!!

[ChrisWi]

Didn't throw a spinnerbait for a few years. It seemed everybody and their brothers was throwing them. I always went in a different direction. Couple years ago started throwing a double Colorado blade and did well and have been doing well ever since. I seem to get more bites on the double Colorado. Fished behind guys using Willow and picked up fish. Call me old school but double Colorado for me when not using chatterbait.

my favorite lake gets pounded with Spinnerbaits, so I decided to change it up with a swimjig last year and ive been killing fish on them ever since!

[Ohio Dave]

I worried a bit about that too but I have had some early success.  I think I will keep a spinnerbait tied up on one of my rods from now on