Poll: Best Chatterbait Rod

[AlabamaSpothunter]

1 minute ago, roadwarrior said:

Here ya go: 

St. Croix LBTC 72HM Rip-N-Chatter

 https://stcroixrods.com/products/legend-tournament-bass-2022-new-models

They seem to be OOS on that model, but my local store carries St Croix so I'll see if they have it.   Must be popular as it and only one other rod model are OOS.

 

Appreciate the link!

1 minute ago, PressuredFishing said:

Honestly it's often overthought, any medium heavyish rod will work for all single hook exposed moving baits that are medium-light wire and worm hooks. You can use whatever line you want depending on hook gauge

I've been using them on Loomis GLX Mag Bass MH Fast Action 6'6 rods.   There just doesn't seem to be enough "forgiveness" in perhaps the tip to compensate what is likely a bad habit from myself.   I seem to pull these baits before I have a chance to hook them.  

 

That's what led me down the rabbit hole of finding an optimal solution for this bait.    It's the only other bait besides a JWR type that I feel deserves an optimal rod/reel.   

[PressuredFishing]

6 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

perhaps the tip to compensate what is likely a bad habit from myself.   I seem to pull these baits before I have a chance to hook them.  

What line are you using? You can change the action of any of your rods with your fishing line

[AlabamaSpothunter]

Just now, PressuredFishing said:

What line are you using? You can change the action of any of your rods with your fishing line

I'm using either Pline Fluoroclear 15lb, or Pline 15lb Ultimate Fluorocarbon 

 

 

[roadwarrior]

I just got mine a few weeks ago and have been waiting to post a review until I fished it

extensively on the river. I have mine saddled with a Conquest 100/ #11 Sunline Armilo.

In addition to the Jackhammer, this rod will be used with the Bull Shad and RES.

 

[A-Jay]

21 minutes ago, roadwarrior said:

Here ya go: 

St. Croix LBTC 72HM Rip-N-Chatter

 https://stcroixrods.com/products/legend-tournament-bass-2022-new-models

OUT OF STOCK EVERY-WHERE ! 

A-JAY

[FryDog62]

I bought an Alpha Angler Chatterbound 2 months ago. A bit under the radar brand, absolutely love it! 
 

 

[AlabamaSpothunter]

4 minutes ago, FryDog62 said:

I bought an Aloha Angler Chatterbound 2 months ago. A bit under the radar brand, absolutely love it! 
 

 

Excellent.   The reviews and price point looks like this is gonna be the rod for me.  

12 minutes ago, roadwarrior said:

I just got mine a few weeks ago and have been waiting to post a review until I fished it

extensively on the river. I have mine saddled with a Conquest 100/ #11 Sunline Armilo.

In addition to the Jackhammer, this rod will be used with the Bull Shad and RES.

 

 

[Deleted account]

1 hour ago, PressuredFishing said:

What line are you using? You can change the action of any of your rods with your fishing line

No! You have to sprinkle unicorn horn dust on your rod to change it's action, pixy dust for the power...

[MN Fisher]

2 minutes ago, Deleted account said:

No! You have to sprinkle unicorn horn dust on your rod to change it's action, pixy dust for the power...

Darn it all....I always get those two confused.

[T-Billy]

Ark Invoker Pro 7-4 H MF composite. Took a good bit of trial and error, but I finally have a CB rod I'm completely happy with. Two of 'em actually.

[FryDog62]

   19 hours ago,  FryDog62 said: 

I bought an Alpha Angler Chatterbound 2 months ago. A bit under the radar brand, absolutely love it! 
 

 

Excellent.   The reviews and price point looks like this is gonna be the rod for me.  

__________________________________________________

 

As good as this rod is for chatterbaits, it really excels for spinnerbaits especially when the lure gets slammed. Serviceable as a mid-depth crank bait rod too. Versatile beyond bladed jigs... 

 

[AlabamaSpothunter]

6 minutes ago, FryDog62 said:

 

   19 hours ago,  FryDog62 said: 

I bought an Alpha Angler Chatterbound 2 months ago. A bit under the radar brand, absolutely love it! 
 

 

Excellent.   The reviews and price point looks like this is gonna be the rod for me.  

__________________________________________________

 

As good as this rod is for chatterbaits, it really excels for spinnerbaits especially when the lure gets slammed. Serviceable as a mid-depth crank bait rod too. Versatile beyond bladed jigs... 

 

Excellent, I was really hoping this new setup could perform double or triple duties until I can buy a cranking rod.   

 

Got the reel last night, will be ordering this rod asap.

 

Really appreciate all the excellent help in this thread from you guys!  

[kingmotorboat]

I use a dobyns sierra 684 with 15 pound copolymer. No issues

[AlabamaSpothunter]

Thanks to a fellow member @RDB I learned that Alpha Angler is having a sale....it's on the front page of their site with code for those interested.     Way too good of a deal to pass up on a rod I was already planning to purchase.

 

Now that I see it's public on their site, I figured I would give folks a heads up in this thread. 

 

I got a new complete chatterbait setup now thanks to research/members on this forum, and between the exchange rate and the sale at AA I'm saving almost $200

 

Daiwa JDM Zillion SV TW 1000 reel

Alpha Angler 7'2 Chatterbound rod

P-Line Ultimate Fluorocarbon 15lb 

 

[1984isNOW]

@A-Jay Can we be friends? Solid catches in those videos man, I'm not a jealous person - but you got me turning green like the hulk haha. With your set up for chatterbaits, you still using a moderate rod with 15# fluoro?

 

I just bought a FItzgerald, here's their description: 

VS68MH

6'8"

MH

Casting

8+TIP

8-15

1/4 - 3/4

MOD

14"

Jerkbaits, Topwater, Finesse Cranking, Chatterbait

 

I got it trusting its versatility for the 4 techniques listed, Anybody have any thoughts on that rod and the listed uses? If not that rod specifically, thoughts on its power and action for those techniques...

 

Thanks yall

[A-Jay]

23 minutes ago, PUTitinYOURmouthFISH said:

@A-Jay Can we be friends? Solid catches in those videos man, I'm not a jealous person - but you got me turning green like the hulk haha. With your set up for chatterbaits, you still using a moderate rod with 15# fluoro?

 

Yes ~ 

I'll admit to bouncing from graphite to fiberglass & composite intermittently.

But I keep going back to the composite, just feels the best to me.

And it puts them in the net, which is what it's all about. 

Always 15 lb FC either Tatsu or InvisX.

Here's a decent chatterbait fish from a few weeks ago 

(I'll apologize for the colorful language in advance, I got a little excited)

https://youtu.be/sITpRNLz_04?t=197

A-Jay

 

[AlabamaSpothunter]

1 minute ago, A-Jay said:

Yes ~ 

I'll admit to bouncing from graphite to fiberglass & composite intermittently.

But I keep going back to the composite, just feels the best to me.

And it put them in the net, which is what it's all about. 

Always 15 lb FC either Tatsu or InvisX.

Here's a decent chatterbait fish from a few weeks ago 

(I'll apologize for the colorful language in advance, I got a little excited)

https://youtu.be/sITpRNLz_04?t=197

A-Jay

 

I'd stop fishing if they banned colorful language....it's the only way I cope sometimes ?

[1984isNOW]

@A-Jay Yeah man, good stuff. So what do you think about the specs and techniques of the rod I mentioned? Really curious what you think about the spread of techniques it says.

[A-Jay]

1 hour ago, PUTitinYOURmouthFISH said:

@A-Jay Can we be friends? Solid catches in those videos man, I'm not a jealous person - but you got me turning green like the hulk haha. With your set up for chatterbaits, you still using a moderate rod with 15# fluoro?

 

I just bought a FItzgerald, here's their description: 

VS68MH

6'8"

MH

Casting

8+TIP

8-15

1/4 - 3/4

MOD

14"

Jerkbaits, Topwater, Finesse Cranking, Chatterbait

 

I got it trusting its versatility for the 4 techniques listed, Anybody have any thoughts on that rod and the listed uses? If not that rod specifically, thoughts on its power and action for those techniques...

 

Thanks yall

 

33 minutes ago, PUTitinYOURmouthFISH said:

@A-Jay Yeah man, good stuff. So what do you think about the specs and techniques of the rod I mentioned? Really curious what you think about the spread of techniques it says.

OK ~ But I'm not looking to hi-jack the OP's thread. 

And as a disclaimer, I have ZERO experience with Fitzgerald rods. 

So my thoughts are purely speculation. 

Either way, the techniques listed (Jerkbaits, Topwater, Finesse Cranking, Chatterbait),

first three are usually treble hook baits and the chatterbait obviously is not.

At 6'8" it's too short for my taste, most because casting distance will suffer.

Line range of 8-15, and 1/4 - 3/4 oz baits - 

I usually expect the sweet spot to be somewhere in the middle.

So 12 lb and perhaps 1/2 oz seems about right.

If you're planning on presenting baits in conditions

where the above seems right,

then I'd say you are good to go. 

A-Jay

 

 

 

 

[AlabamaSpothunter]

Just got the new Chatterbound in from UPS.

 

Compared to even the lowest tier Loomis I have, a GL2.....this rod looks like it was put together with child labor, or in some shop in China.    Numerous places where residual glue remains, and more worrisome, one guide is wonky as heck, and a couple others are not centered.    

 

To be fair this rod was like $200 before shipping, expecting high end Loomis perfection is likely not reasonable.   Might fish great, but I like quality controlled and tested products, I highly doubt this rod had either.  I bought a $50 half off Shimano SLX rod weeks ago that has perfect guides and is free of defects from the factory.     Quite disappointing, and I'm at odds with how this rod lines up with hundreds of 5 star reviews on AA's site.    I mean not a single non 5 star review.   Maybe I'm just extremely unlucky, or picky.   

 

Either way it was a valuable lesson.....from now on I'm always gonna buy rods in person.   

 

Just a few examples of the glue left in numerous places, and the guide does concern me.   Second from top.   

 

 

[NavyToad]

10 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Just got the new Chatterbound in from UPS.

 

Compared to even the lowest tier Loomis I have, a GL2.....this rod looks like it was put together with child labor, or in some shop in China.    Numerous places where residual glue remains, and more worrisome, one guide is wonky as heck, and a couple others are not centered.    

 

To be fair this rod was like $200 before shipping, expecting high end Loomis perfection is likely not reasonable.   Might fish great, but I like quality controlled and tested products, I highly doubt this rod had either.  I bought a $50 half off Shimano SLX rod weeks ago that has perfect guides and is free of defects from the factory.     Quite disappointing, and I'm at odds with how this rod lines up with hundreds of 5 star reviews on AA's site.    I mean not a single non 5 star review.   Maybe I'm just extremely unlucky, or picky.   

 

Either way it was a valuable lesson.....from now on I'm always gonna buy rods in person.   

 

Just a few examples of the glue left in numerous places, and the guide does concern me.   Second from top.   

 

 

That’s about as bad as I’ve seen - period. Hopefully they’ll take care of you.

 

[AlabamaSpothunter]

34 minutes ago, NavyToad said:

That’s about as bad as I’ve seen - period. Hopefully they’ll take care of you.

 

Thanks for confirming that seriously, I never want to be the cosmetic complaining Karen type, but I went back downstairs and look at every rod I own, and none of them had these things.

 

That said, from the time I contacted them, and gave an update to this thread, I received the following reply back......

 

"Our apologies......I will get a replacement rod on the way including a return label so we can follow this one back through production. Thank you for the pictures and bringing this back to us.  Any concerns or questions please let me know."

 

I have absolutely no problems with a company that puts out an occasionally bad product which happens to every company, and then is so quick to make it right with the customer.

 

While the rod disappointed me, AA's CS really impressed me.      

 

[RDB]

5 hours ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Thanks for confirming that seriously, I never want to be the cosmetic complaining Karen type, but I went back downstairs and look at every rod I own, and none of them had these things.

 

That said, from the time I contacted them, and gave an update to this thread, I received the following reply back......

 

"Our apologies......I will get a replacement rod on the way including a return label so we can follow this one back through production. Thank you for the pictures and bringing this back to us.  Any concerns or questions please let me know."

 

I have absolutely no problems with a company that puts out an occasionally bad product which happens to every company, and then is so quick to make it right with the customer.

 

While the rod disappointed me, AA's CS really impressed me.      

 

Let us know how this turns out.  I have a number of their rods and know quite a few others who use them as well and this is the first time I have heard a complaint.  Was Jake the person you were dealing with?

[AlabamaSpothunter]

Wow, wow, wow is all I can say.    I can't ever remember having a "EUREKA" moment in fishing like I had today with this new rod.     I figured I had to post this review after posting some dirty laundry before allowing a company to rectify the problem.   

 

Every single 5 star review about this rod, all the gushing verbiage, it was all spot on correct.   

This rod is nothing short of amazing, has the sensitivity of a bottom contact rod, and the action is just ridiculously tuned for chatterbaits, and I can already see this will be true for all other moving baits.    I've never had a rod flip a switch in my fishing game like this one.    Cosmetically it was terrible, functionality however is off the charts.   

 

Started fishing at 4pm.......had one single bite on a roboworm until right before dusk when I got the skunk off the boat with a small LGM and Spot.   Figured I'd try one last spot in the dark on the way home that I've had luck using the chatterbait at.   

   

Long story short in a period of 20 minutes I caught 4 fish, 3 Spots.....and one 4.2lb LGM on this dedicated setup.  You know that feeling you get when you first learned to ride a bike.....I swear I got the same feeling when I went 4 for 5 on fish that bite the chatterbait.  Not just that but I hooked every single fish perfectly, and right in the corner of the lip.    This rod is doing exactly what it actually says it does, and I hoped it would do.    I'm normally an Indian verses Arrow guy, but in this case the Arrow makes all the difference in the world, and that's an understatement.      

 

This place, and the membership's knowledge is unbelievable.    Putting it all together after struggling for 2 months, fishing 45-50 days of that, is a "high" that only a fellow fisherman could understand.      

 

Just now, RDB said:

Let us know how this turns out.  I have a number of their rods and know quite a few others who use them as well and this is the first time I have heard a complaint.  Was Jake the person you were dealing with?

Steve was who sent me the reply.    

 

You guys were more correct than I could have ever imagined.    I really can't stress how big of difference this rod made.   

 

Thanks for all your help specifically as well! 

[Glenn]