How Do I Fish A ChatterBait?

[RippinLips57]

I picked up a chatterbait the other day and I'm not to sure where to throw it and what situations to use it in so if you have any advice on  when I should be chunkin my chatterbait out there then please tell me, I have a boat so I can fish it anywhere Thanks  

[Skunked again]

Curious also

[RoLo]

You can fish your chatterbait in the same places and the same way you fish your spinnerbait,

in fact, a chatterbait is a spinnerbait. Most bladed-jigs are noisier than most overhead spinners,

so they're preferred in murky water. On the other hand, an overhead spinner tends to be

a bit more weedless than a bladed-jig, but that can vary from brand to brand.

Maintain a cranking speed that produces the most pronounced blade throbbing.

 

 

Roger

 

[RHuff]

You can throw it and straight retrieve it like a spinnerbait, you can hop it like a jig, you can slow roll it over submerged grass like a squarebill, you can slowly drag it on the bottom like a jig, you can burn it like a double willow spinnerbait....

 

I've fished it all of these methods without success 

[A-Jay]

For me, the bait excels around grass.

 

 So perhaps think of a Vibrating Jig / Chatter Bait like a crank bait that you can effectively present in very close proximity or even right in, most all aquatic vegetation. 

 

A-Jay

 

[Oklahoma Mike]

One retrieval method not mentioned here that I like to use at times is a yo-yo retrieve. Throw it out and let it drop to the bottom and sit for a moment, then lift your rod tip and take up the slack as you let it fall again. Pretty much the same way you'd work a yo-yo retrieval on a lipless crank. I use this method more when the water temps are a little cooler and the bass aren't as active.

[RippinLips57]

14 minutes ago, RoLo said:

You can fish your chatterbait in the same places and the same way you fish your spinnerbait,

in fact, a chatterbait is a spinnerbait. Most bladed-jigs are noisier than most overhead spinners,

so they're preferred in murky water. On the other hand, an overhead spinner tends to be

a bit more weedless than a bladed-jig, but that can vary from brand to brand.

Maintain a cranking speed that produces the most pronounced blade throbbing.

 

 

Roger

 

I don't know if my chatterbait is broken or what but when I'm reelin it through the water It don't vibrate unless I really burn it back and I thought that they were supposed to vibrate at a low reelin speed but I don't know if it's broke or im doin something wrong or does it only vibrate at i high reel speed

[jr231]

What kind do you have ??? Some are not as good as others... I just started using one last season. And Everytime I've used it I caught at least one. 

 

Some people like to use paddle tails on their chatter baits... What works best for me is a kalins single tail grub. Same for my swim jigs. 

[RippinLips57]

5 minutes ago, Yeajray231 said:

What kind do you have ??? Some are not as good as others... I just started using one last season. And Everytime I've used it I caught at least one. 

 

Some people like to use paddle tails on their chatter baits... What works best for me is a kalins single tail grub. Same for my swim jigs. 

I have a zman project z I heard that those were pretty good and I put a craw on mine but that that isn't workin out to well lol I've only thrown it a couple times  

[RoLo]

1 hour ago, RippinLips57 said:

I have a zman project z I heard that those were pretty good and I put a craw on mine but that that isn't workin out to well lol I've only thrown it a couple times  

 

Hmph, I'm surprised you're not getting a good throb (I would check the hardware around the blade assembly).

You definitely want a bladed-jigs that produces a perceptible thump at a low forward speed.

For what it's worth, I'm currently throwing a Revenge Viberator, which vibrates at low speeds.

One stem of grass however can kill the blade action, where an over spinner might excel.

 

Roger

[RippinLips57]

12 minutes ago, RoLo said:

 

Hmph, I'm surprised you're not getting a good throb (I would check the hardware around the blade assembly).

The best bladed-jigs produce a perceptible thump at a low forward speed (definitely important).

For what it's worth, I'm currently throwing a Revenge Viberator, which vibrates at low speeds.

One stem of grass however, can kill the blade action, where an over spinner might excel.

 

Roger

When I get home I'll check it out but last time I fished it I remember lookin at it and it seemed fine but I'll check it out. Oh you know how the blade is kinda bent at the end would bending it a little more maybe help but I don't want to tear up a 7 dollar lure but if it's not vibrating it's not doing anything.

[RoLo]

1 hour ago, RippinLips57 said:

When I get home I'll check it out but last time I fished it I remember lookin at it and it seemed fine but I'll check it out. Oh you know how the blade is kinda bent at the end would bending it a little more maybe help but I don't want to tear up a 7 dollar lure but if it's not vibrating it's not doing anything.

 

 

I'd hesitate to bend the blade.

Of course, bending the blade will change the action, but that shouldn't be necessary.

On the other hand, if I was ready to toss the lure in the dumpster,

I'd turn it into a Guinea pig and reshape the blade as a learning experience.

 

Roger

[blckshirt98]

1 hour ago, RHuff said:

You can throw it and straight retrieve it like a spinnerbait, you can hop it like a jig, you can slow roll it over submerged grass like a squarebill, you can slowly drag it on the bottom like a jig, you can burn it like a double willow spinnerbait....

 

I've fished it all of these methods without success 

 

This covers it all, though some chatterbaits work better in some ways than others.  A local company makes a chatterbait with a blade the size of a golf ball that is made to fish verrrrrrryyyy slow witha pronounced thump and side to side wobble.  Other chatterbaits like an original Z-Man I find works better with a faster retreive like a crankbait/spinnerbait.  Just make sure you test each method with whatever chatterbait to make sure it's doing what you want it to do.

[ib_of_the_damned]

2 hours ago, A-Jay said:

For me, the bait excels around grass.

 

 So perhaps think of a Vibrating Jig / Chatter Bait like a crank bait that you can effectively present in very close proximity or even right in, most all aquatic vegetation. 

 

A-Jay

 

What bladed jig is the top right? I like the look of that...

[A-Jay]

2 hours ago, ib_of_the_damned said:

What bladed jig is the top right? I like the look of that...

 

It's the Z Man Chatterbait Freedom ~ A partnership between Z-Man and Freedom Tackle, this bait combines Z-Man's patented, industry-leading bladed swim jig design with Freedom's proprietary advanced interchangeable hook design. 

https://zmanfishing.com/store/categories/chatterbait/chatterbait_freedom

A-Jay

[ib_of_the_damned]

58 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

 

It's the Z Man Chatterbait Freedom ~ A partnership between Z-Man and Freedom Tackle, this bait combines Z-Man's patented, industry-leading bladed swim jig design with Freedom's proprietary advanced interchangeable hook design. 

https://zmanfishing.com/store/categories/chatterbait/chatterbait_freedom

A-Jay

Sorry, I meant the top left with the plastic blade.

[A-Jay]

Just now, ib_of_the_damned said:

Sorry, I meant the top left with the plastic blade.

 

It's the O.S.P BLADE JIG ~   a Japanese Company

http://www.osp-lures.com/product/o-s-p-blade-jig/

A-Jay

[RoLo]

6 hours ago, RHuff said:

You can throw it and straight retrieve it like a spinnerbait, you can hop it like a jig, you can slow roll it over submerged grass like a squarebill, you can slowly drag it on the bottom like a jig, you can burn it like a double willow spinnerbait....

 

 

All of those deliveries are equally viable with a spinnerbait, and therefore a bladed-jig

[RippinLips57]

I checked the blade and around the blade and it looked fine I don't know why it's not thumpin or maybe I was doin somthin wrong I don't know I'll fool with it when I get on the water this weekend. What kinda trailers do y'all use I have a Zman craw on it but it don't have that much action what's some good trailers that have a lot of action?

[thebillsman]

I fish a lot of stained water in PA and counter-intuitive to what they were design for I love to bump chatterbaits. I use the 1/4oz mini with the eyes, and I just deadstick short hops with a random strong vibrating pull and it's worked really really well for me. I was catching fish on half frozen lakes in January and February exclusively with the mini zman and a Keitech crazy flapper on the back. 

[RoLo]

 

56 minutes ago, RippinLips57 said:

I checked the blade and around the blade and it looked fine I don't know why it's not thumpin or maybe I was doin somthin wrong I don't know I'll fool with it when I get on the water this weekend. What kinda trailers do y'all use I have a Zman craw on it but it don't have that much action what's some good trailers that have a lot of action?

 

I used to throw a Phenix bladed-jig and now fish a Revenge bladed-jig, and both throb at a low speed.

It's possible that the Z-man chatterbait requires more forward speed to activate, I don't know.

 

Popular trailers include the fluke, sickle-tail grub and small swimbait (esp. Keitech)

 

Roger

[RippinLips57]

I looked up the revenge one they look pretty cool, I'll have to grab me one of them. Are they pretty good?

[RoLo]

3 minutes ago, RippinLips57 said:

The revenge ones looked pretty cool I'll have to grab me one of them. Are they pretty good?

 

Yes, it generates a nice, reliable throb.

I fish weedy natural lakes almost exclusively, so my biggest gripe are the weeds.

One thin weed stem in the wrong place can shutdown the vibrating blade.

With respect to weedlessness, I prefer an overhead spinner, but our waters are also murky

where the louder chatterbait is more audible.   In any event, good luck and report back 

 

Roger

[Robert Riley]

I'm just like most and throw the Z-man baits, the original has the best vibration, but the elites come with colored blades. I fish them on a glass rod (mojo now, dobyns 735cb soon), with braid and a 6:1 reel. Cover usually dictates chatterbait vs spinnerbait, as the latter gets hung up less in my opinion.

A good rule that I abide by, is never throwing what my buddy throws, he loves throwing chatterbaits, so I usually throw something else. 

Here are some finer details for you. I pretty much keep my colors simple, as they're an irritating reaction bait, so I don't think color is as important. Black and Blue at night and in chocolate milk. Any mix of white, gray and chartreuse is for later in the season. And right now I've been having lots of luck on green pumpkin and brown colors. As far as trailers go, darker colors get a rage craw and lighter colors get a rage swimmer or a Keitech. 

*I've heard that the SKT naked rage blade cuts throw grass a lot better, so I'll be trying that this summer*

[bigfruits]

 I like fishing them over grass or slow rolling heavy ones bumping the bottom every once and a while.