Prespawn: squarebill, chatterbait, or spinnerbait -which do you prefer?

[clemsondds]

Just curious what your go to is for hitting the shallows. I know each has certain conditions it’s better at, but what’s your go to and why. I personally have a tough time choosing between these three; they are so much fun to throw. 

[Bluebasser86]

Of those two, a spinnerbait.

 

Suspending jerkbaits are king during the prespawn though.

[scaleface]

Spinnerbait. Bass are aggressive and hungry and spinnerbaits  fish through wood cover the best . i'll usually retrieve it just deep enough that the blades are barely visible in the stained to muddy water around here . I almost always use willows . Colorados are not needed  , bass will detect willows just fine .

[MIbassyaker]

I'll use any of the three, depending on conditions, cover, types of water and such.

-Calm day, clear weedy waters with very little wood or hard cover usually get a chatterbait.

-a little wind, murkier waters, and more wood/hard cover get a spinnerbait

-rocky or sandy places with light weeds, maybe some wood but not too much get a squarebill. Also squarebill for some select places with certain kinds of subsurface vegetation where I can crank it with pauses over the top, letting it catch and ripping out occasionally is effective.

 

[jimmyjoe]

   In rivers?  Spinnerbait, double Colorado.

   In lakes?  Twitchbait, usually Bomber Long A.

 

   That's my story, and I'm stickin' to it.    jj

[Dens228]

I would go with the conditions.  

Windy, cloudy, I'm using a spinnerbait. 

Other than that I'm using a squarebill.  

But.........if it's too weedy for a squarebill I'd use a chatterbait..........

 

Last year early season I won big bass in a tournament with a chatterbait, the guy who won the tournament used a squarebill.  

[RHuff]

3 hours ago, clemsondds said:

Just curious what your go to is for hitting the shallows. I know each has certain conditions it’s better at, but what’s your go to and why. I personally have a tough time choosing between these three; they are so much fun to throw. 

 

  Big Spinnerbait = Big Bass....... slow roll it

[Paul Roberts]

My waters are shallow. Jerk, and shallow crank regardless of bill shape. More important seems to be rise rate, at least until the water warms. Lipless is in the running too.

[keagbassr]

Personally I like to start out early spring with a Jig, however of the 3 about which you asked I'd go spinnerbait, chatterbait,squarebill, though I'll usually have all 3 rigged to see what they want each time out.

[Mobasser]

Spinnerbait

[Tizi]

Of those three a spinnerbait would be my favorite followed by a square bill, then chatterbait.  I get more bites on a jerkbait during pre-spawn.  I like super flukes this time of year too.

[Columbia Craw]

Spinnerbait

[Scott F]

Any of those baits will catch pre-spawners. But if you want to keep up with me, on my lake, you better be fishing a suspending jerkbait. 

[clemsondds]

9 minutes ago, Scott F said:

Any of those baits will catch pre-spawners. But if you want to keep up with me, on my lake, you better be fishing a suspending jerkbait. 

Jerkbait is a given. I’m just talking about these three right now... I have a separate rod for a jerkBait

29 minutes ago, Columbia Craw said:

Spinnerbait

 Mind sharing why? Thanks

[Hawkeye21]

Chatterbait reeled in slowly. 

[Columbia Craw]

Each Lure is effective in the right situation.  I " prefer " the spinnerbait because of it's ability get in and out of cover without hanging up and covering water quickly. In certain situations I would prefer a vibrating jig because I want to minimize the flash but add some thump and cover water.  In other situations where the area is dominated by hard cover, the squarebill shines and, again, covers water effectively. Left to one choice, the spinnerbait gets the first shot. Realize this is for largemouth.  When working pre spawn smallmouth, things change and the jerkbait becomes king.

[clemsondds]

Thanks everyone! I must say I’m a little surprised. A lot of the YouTube guys seem pretty obsessed with squarebills, then chatterbaits, and finally spinnerbaits. Seems you hardly ever hear anyone talk about spinnerbaits much. I do love them too...I love anything that doesn’t get hung up ha.  I guess I’ll have all of these tied on...but then you throw in swim jig as well... some great baits! 

[2tall79]

I like a spinnerbait in most cases.  I like being able to "helicopter" it into holes and next to objects.

[Mbirdsley]

Last year was my first time fishing early April.  Usually I waited untill weather was warmer.  All my fish except a musky came on my home made chatter baits.  So with limited experience chatter bait.  However, I have a whole box of square bills I didn’t touch last year.  First time using spinners and did well but, didn’t tie one in untill July. 
 

min my to do list is is throw more square bills, spinner baits, and figure out the drop shot 

[ChrisD46]

On 1/26/2020 at 10:20 AM, scaleface said:

Spinnerbait. Bass are aggressive and hungry and spinnerbaits  fish through wood cover the best . i'll usually retrieve it just deep enough that the blades are barely visible in the stained to muddy water around here . I almost always use willows . Colorados are not needed  , bass will detect willows just fine .

+1 ... Time to try a new Jason Christie or Luke Clauson spinnerbait (Booyah & ZMan respectively ) !

[Bankbeater]

In the water that I fish I’d go with crankbait, chatterbait, and spinnerbait in that order. 

[Bird]

Squarebill, chatterbait or Spinnerbait  ?

 

Spinnerbait in a landslide.

[Derek1]

Spinnerbaits became my favorite last year. 

[scaleface]

18 hours ago, clemsondds said:

Thanks everyone! I must say I’m a little surprised. A lot of the YouTube guys seem pretty obsessed with squarebills, then chatterbaits, and finally spinnerbaits. Seems you hardly ever hear anyone talk about spinnerbaits much. I do love them too...I love anything that doesn’t get hung up ha.  I guess I’ll have all of these tied on...but then you throw in swim jig as well... some great baits! 

Spinnerbaits seem to have taken less of a role than they once had , I'm using them more than ever .

[Oklahoma Mike]

Spinnerbait would be my top preferences out of those for most situations, as I seem to experience a better hookup rate with them... but I may opt for a squarebill or chatterbait instead if the conditions warrant it.