Unconfident baits

[CTBassin860]

So today I decided to break out a couple baits I'm always hesitant to throw since I never have any luck. I felt like today was a goid day to suck it up and learn. One bait is the Spook and the other the Chatterbait. Walking the Spook  didn't take all tgat long to get the hang of walking,but the chatterbaits always frustrated me the most. Fishing the Spook is self explanatory. What is you guys preferred method of fishing the chatterbaits? Do you usually chuck and wind or do you drag,let it sink then reel? I'm sure both work,Just wondering what seems to work best for everyone else. Maybe there is something I'm missing here.

[MasterBasser]

I've had pretty good luck simply cranking the chatterbait back in or fishing it more like a jig and bouncing it off the bottom, letting it chatter on the pull.  

[NHBull]

For me the chatterbait is a substitute for spinner bait.....I fish it the same way., that said, I usually give up on it to soon too.

[riverbasser]

Even though I've caught some decent fish on bladed jigs , they are not a go to for me either.

[CTBassin860]

I've been watching this fish hit topwater for the last half hour.  Throwing the chatterbait and spook right on top of him without even a look. Took off the chatter and toed on the whopper plopper .....got em haha 

[Quarry Man]

I have good luck with the chatter bait around wood and above grass flats especially. it is a lot like the spinnerbait, which went from being my least confident lure to one of my most.

 

I am no longer confident with a senko, even though thats how i learned to fish. I also have no bottom contact confidence, seeing that id rather throw a drop shot and cover more water with better results than most other stuff

[Fishin Dad]

The chatterbait is my confidence bait.   I fish a lot of stained water and this bait catches a lot of bass for me.    I usually just chuck and wind, but I vary my speed to see what the fish want.    I will throw it by likely spits ( wood, weeds, mats, etc.) and let it fall to the bottom, them start reeling.   Have caught a lot of fish on the initial fall.    Colors and trailers are something that has made a big difference for me.    Some lakes black/blue or white, some green pumpkin.    One of those three always seem to work.   Trailers affect the way the bait behaves as well.   Experiment with grubs, craws, and swimbaits.  80% of my fish come on a chatterbait or senko.    I need to get better with a jig though.    Good luck!

[scaleface]

I think I have the lowest percentage of hook-ups per hit ratio with a spook than any other lure . I havent used one for years because of it . 

[CTBassin860]

I'm using a Havoc Subwoofer as my catterbait trailer. It has so much thump it's insane. I got one hit on the Spook in bone. Had it walking 180° slow and supersonic speeds. Hands down the easiest walking bait I've used. I'm hoping in the next couple weeks fall takes over and these fish start eating.

[MassYak85]

I usually go to the chatterbait in muddier water (Charles River), and generally I am fishing it a little slower than a spinnerbait, right along edges of cover like weed edges or the edge of lily pads. I don't ever drag them, not saying it doesn't work but if I am going to fish that slow I'd prefer a jig with rattles or a big black chrome colorado blade spinnerbait. And if I'm going to rip it off the bottom I'd probably give the nod to a lipless. For me it's more of a search bait to just chuck and wind when I feel the vibration is needed to get bites. I do like to vary my speeds though, sometimes I'll give a few really fast turns to get it to kick off to the side a bit and then slow back down. You can do that when it passes a piece of cover sometimes and trigger a bite. Experiment with trailers but I usually toss on a paddle tail. I need to try some more myself though. I do well with green pumpkin but I also got a black I haven't had much chance to fish yet. 

[IndianaFinesse]

The only time I've done well with spinnerbaits (or chatterbaits) is when the water is chocolate milk.  Otherwise I can't seem to catch squat on them.  I suck at drop shotting to.

[Russ E]

I have just started using the Chatterbait this year. it seems to work best in stained water or low light conditions.

it seems to catch big fish. My main problem with them is they are prone to snagging around wood. You can usually rip it free of weeds, but when it hits wood, the bait rolls and buries the hook into the wood. 

[Dtrombly]

40 minutes ago, IndianaFinesse said:

The only time I've done well with spinnerbaits (or chatterbaits) is when the water is chocolate milk.  Otherwise I can't seem to catch squat on them.  

I throw spinnerbaits exclusively in chocolate milk water, they excel there for me. 

[Bluebasser86]

Bladed jigs work for me in all water colors and most any condition, but stained to dirty water and especially around weeds is when they really excel. They've all but replaced squarebill crankbaits in my boat. It's been close to a month since I even got my cranking rod out of the box. I fish them with a slow, steady retrieve for the most part. I like bulky trailers to allow me to slow them down even more. 

[roadwarrior]

5 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Bladed jigs work for me in all water colors and most any condition, but stained to dirty water and especially around weeds is when they really excel. They've all but replaced squarebill crankbaits in my boat. It's been close to a month since I even got my cranking rod out of the box. I fish them with a slow, steady retrieve for the most part. I like bulky trailers to allow me to slow them down even more. 

 

A "Go-To" lure for me. I have my best luck white on white using a Rage Tail Structure Bug for the trailer.

My most productive presentation is a steady slow roll just off the bottom, occasionally ticking cover and

structure.

 

[Choporoz]

On 8/14/2017 at 4:55 PM, Quarry Man said:

I have good luck with the chatter bait around wood and above grass flats especially. ... went from being my least confident lure to one of my most.

yep....and, as @roadwarrior suggested, white Structure Bug is killer trailer.  Only other trailer I use is slim incrediclaws....still a lot of motion, but longer and skinnier

[clh121787]

I've caught some giants on a chatterbait one of my 6 dds came off a chatterbait.iuse a simple straight or stop and go retrieve making bottom contact as much as possible

[J Francho]

Is it lack of confidence or lack of experience?  The idea of "confidence baits" is hooey, if you ask me.  Learn what baits do what in what, and build confidence in locating fish. 

[CTBassin860]

9 hours ago, J Francho said:

Is it lack of confidence or lack of experience?  The idea of "confidence baits" is hooey, if you ask me.  Learn what baits do what in what, and build confidence in locating fish. 

All I meant is I am utterly unconfident with them. I throw them every year with no luck. Maybe i dont throw them enough.

[WRB]

Why continue to use lures you have no confidence in? There are hundreds of bass lures because bass are aggressive feeders when active, find active bass with whatever lure you have confidence in using. Catching bass is a lot more fun then not catching bass.

I usually try new lures when the bass are active, lot easier to catch.

Tom

[RB 77]

With a bladed swim jig its usually a slow and steady retrieve for me. Sometimes "yo-yoing"will do wonders though.

[bigbill]

First it's not luck it's skill.

With a spook I use a 1-2-3 rip then pause. Wait and repeat. Repeat again.

or a slow walk the dog. Don't go too fast.

spinnerbaits,

bass can be finicky and shy Sometimes.  I cast my spinnerbaits out and run it above the sight line near the surface. Sight line is where I can see it.

after a few casts I slow up my line speed so it runs just below the sight line were I can't see it. Now it's in there strike zone.

i have confidence in every bait I use. It's confidence in my presentations that matters. I throw different baits, sizes and colors till I get action. Then I'm on them. Water conditions vs colors vs speed. In the past I found myself fishing way to fast. If it's a slow bite I practice my presentations with different baits. The fish will let us know when we get it right.

 

when I'm fishing, don't talk to me, I'm in the zone, motivated and focused. It's you, your rod setup and your bait, pay attention to what your doing.

On 8/14/2017 at 4:36 PM, MassBassin508 said:

I've been watching this fish hit topwater for the last half hour.  Throwing the chatterbait and spook right on top of him without even a look. Took off the chatter and toed on the whopper plopper .....got em haha 

Don't cast on top of them. You will spook some of them. I cast to either side and work my bait slowly past them. I had heavy action in the pads. I caster ten feet to the right of the edge of the pads. I worked my topwater bait slowly past the pads. I pulled out a 32" fat pickerel. Not a bass but the fight was fun.

[Boomstick]

I find that in some lakes, I kill it with spinnerbaits and in others I can't catch a fish with one if I cast the hook into its mouth. But I have yet to have success with a chatterbait, but I'm not going to say I won't figure them out someday either because I know others who've slayed it with the chatterbait. Also, I hear the bluegill chatterbaits kill it in the fall, so I'll try that out.

 

Haven't really fished a spook enough to comment.

[Djman72]

This might get my BassResource account revoked but......

 

I've never caught a bass on a jig, and I don't even like the thought of tying one on (although I have 3-5 in my Tbox).

 

Please have mercy....

[J Francho]

I was like that for years, always preferring a traditional Texas rigged worm or creature.  Once I got bit on a jig though, there was no turning back.  When you're on a good worm or creature bite, try the jig.