chatterbait

[rboat]

I have yet to catch one on a chatterbait type lure. I hear some leave the skirt on and add a soft bait trailer, others remove skirt and add a soft bait trailer. What way seems to work the best for you? I assume the retrieve is similar to a spinnerbait, steady with an occasional pause? Any other bladed jig tips? Thanks.

[Dens228]

I leave the skirt on and use a short trailer, usually a grub or a small paddletail. 

Sometimes I use a steady retrieve, sometimes I bounce it like a jig. 

It's one of my go to lures and have good luck with it. 

[A-Jay]

I'm far from a vibrating jig 'expert' but here's my offering.

Most success is realized with a low & slow retrieve in 10 ft or less, in & around vegetation.

Skirt on with a trailer for me.

 Favorite trailers include; (but are not limited to)

4 - 5 inch Swim Senko rigged tail up

Strike King KVD Perfect Plastic Blade Minnow

Yamamoto 4" Zako Swimbait

A-Jay

[Russ E]

35 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

I'm far from a vibrating jig 'expert' but here's my offering.

Most success is realized with a low & slow retrieve in 10 ft or less, in & around vegetation.

Skirt on with a trailer for me.

 Favorite trailers include; (but are not limited to)

4 - 5 inch Swim Senko rigged tail up

Strike King KVD Perfect Plastic Blade Minnow

Yamamoto 4" Zako Swimbait

A-Jay

I agree. Add a twin tail grub and a creature/craw style of bait.  You should have it covered. You don't need trailers with a lot of action. The vibration of the blade will give the trailer plenty of action.

[Beetlebz]

Lately I've been fishing 3/8oz Project Z chatterbaits. Good value and quick start up. Rarely I run them with twin tails or craws, sometimes it works when they're looking for something more compact or if I'm fishing it like a normal jig bit with vibrating hops. 

 

More often and especially in the wind I will throw it in and over vegetation and swim it. My favorite trailers are 4" creme reel screamers, they're very stiff so they have a tight wiggle that goes well with the chatterbait. I throw 3.8" Jackall rhythm wave swimmers... a little more floppy but tough as nails and a beautiful action on the fall. And if I feel like they want something shorter a 3" swim senko or double tail grub, but usually at that point I'll go to a square bill or MVMT depending on depth. 

[NorthernBasser]

My go to is a white chatterbait with either a white Keitech or black/blue NetBait Paca Chunk for trailer. 

[jeffo21]

I caught a 10.52lb beauty this morning on a chatterbait with full skirt and a small crawdad trailer with orange claws on it

[NorthernBasser]

17 minutes ago, jeffo21 said:

I caught a 10.52lb beauty this morning on a chatterbait with full skirt and a small crawdad trailer with orange claws on it

?Pics??!!

[jeffo21]

[ww2farmer]

I am not the best chatterbait angler, but when ever I seem to throw one, it usually works out.

 

I use the chatterbait as a dirty water swim jig, I use the same trailers on them as I would a swim jig, throw them in the same places on the same gear, same line, and keep it simple.

 

Rod tip down, steady moderate retrieve, I try to hang it in grass and pop it free. They also seem to draw bites more in colder water than swim jigs, even in fairly clean water. For clear, cold water chatterbaiting, I have become fond of blacked out blades, cuts down on the flash and seems to get more bites.

 

I adjust weights according to depth, 3/8's for the bank out to 5-6 feet or so, or over the tops of grass. 1/2 for slow rolling along mid depth bottoms in cold water, and 3/4- 1oz. for along deep grass lines. 

 

Color selection is simple. I make my own, and use black or green pumpkin heads. Gold, silver, or black blades. And two basic skirt colors, black and blue, and a green pumpkin based one with a few strands of blue, orange, and chart. My go to trailers are the Yum Christie Craw, in black/blue, or green pumpkin/purple flake, or single tail 5" grubs in the same colors. Often the green pumpkin baits will get claws/tails dipped in chart. or orange dye.