Swim jig vs. Chatterbait

[flyingmonkie]

8 hours ago, Fishin' Fool said:

Okay since it's my post I can diverge lol.  When should you fish an underspin versus the other 3??  I'm assuming it's more a finesse spinnerbait scenario so probably fairly clean water and less wind.  Is that correct?

 

Again, not a straightforward answer here.  For me, an underspin is a variation of a swimbait... not a spinnerbait.   I've been throwing an underspin EWG lately with a 4.5" Biwaa swimbait on it.  The subtle flash gets the fish's attention in stained water, then the natural action of the swimbait closes the deal.

[Bluebasser86]

I fish bladed jigs far more than the other two. Spinnerbaits get quite a bit of use still, swim jigs I'd be surprised if I caught 2 dozen fish on them all year. 

For me, I start with bladed jigs unless there's lots of wood (snags), or stringy grass (tangles the blade). I mostly fish them very slowly, just fast enough to get the blade thumping. Bites are often just the blade stops vibrating. 

Spinnerbaits get the nod in clear water, or fishing lots of wood. 

Swim jigs I mainly fish around heavy grass, but in those situations I'll often reach for a frog or punching rod first. 

[mwh33]

All three have a time and place in my arsenal.

[K_Mac]

Bluebasser86 makes a great point. Bites on a chatterbait can be very subtle. 

[Fishin' Fool]

12 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

I fish bladed jigs far more than the other two. Spinnerbaits get quite a bit of use still, swim jigs I'd be surprised if I caught 2 dozen fish on them all year. 

For me, I start with bladed jigs unless there's lots of wood (snags), or stringy grass (tangles the blade). I mostly fish them very slowly, just fast enough to get the blade thumping. Bites are often just the blade stops vibrating. 

Spinnerbaits get the nod in clear water, or fishing lots of wood. 

Swim jigs I mainly fish around heavy grass, but in those situations I'll often reach for a frog or punching rod first. 

 

What action rod are you fishing your bladed jigs on?

[RB 77]

 

On 2/10/2017 at 7:11 AM, Fishin' Fool said:

Thanks for all the advice guys.  I know the difference between each lure I just really wasn't sure when you would choose one over the other.  Can anyone recommend a good swim jig?  I'd imagine I would probably need a 1/4 or 3/8 ounce size.  In addition to a swimbait, I heard that the Rage Tail menace grub makes for a fantastic swim jig trailer. 

 

I prefer my own, but Warbaits makes a killer factory jig.

[Bluebasser86]

9 hours ago, Fishin' Fool said:

 

What action rod are you fishing your bladed jigs on?

I use a 6' 9" H/F rod by Hammer Rods. It has a very parabolic action, not like what you'd think with a typical Heavy baitcaster. I believe it was @smalljaw67 that suggested the rod, and it's been fantastic so far. The only downside is the micro guides ice up so fast in the cold weather. 

[Fishin' Fool]

For those of you that thought I was crazy to make those comments that a bladed jig (chatterbait) is replacing a spinnerbait for them, here is BASS pro Mark Davis making the same claims.

 

http://www.***/outdoors/***/story/1483974-how-to-fish-a-bladed-swim-jig

 

Or not. The actual video is on wired two fish.

[Paul Roberts]

Different animal.

[Deleted account]

I wish I could fish a spinnerbait 100% of the time, and I have total confidence in it. I always have one tied on. A swimjig is a more subtle presentation, and can be fished as a spinnerbait or a jig, or somewhere in between, and accounts for a lot of fish for me. I have a love/hate relationship with chatters, there is certainly a time and a place for them, and I usually catch some really big fish prespawn with them, I just don't like the whole rattle the rod thing. But if fish want them, I'm fishing them. I guess I'm saying like others above, that they are different baits, and they each excel at different times/places. 

[WPCfishing]

Spinner baits are a great weapon.. Can be used in many ways.. I don't like chatter baits at all. Swim jigs can be good depending on structure. I use a light weight punch head to rig my swim jigs. Ton's of options and always weedless. Tubes and cut skirts are King.

[Choporoz]

My answer a year ago would be different than my answer today.  My bladed jig fishing came a LONG ways last year.  I went from near zero confidence to having it be one of my best lures of the year.  I got some good chatterbaits that vibrate at slower speeds (and have sharper hooks than I'd used in the past) and found myself in places where they excelled.   I fished a lot of water last year that had skinny water between the top of the grass and the surface.  Bladed jigs were the ticket and remained so much of the year.  Spinnerbaits were more likely to get thrown when there was a ripple (or more) and there was more water column to work with. Spinnerbaits were also the more likely bait of the three when in and around laydowns.   My swim jig fishing needs a lot of work.  I have had success using them around bass that were feeding at or near the surface, but not so much in other situations.