What's the difference between swim jig & chatterbait?

[pauldconyers]

As the question states what's the main difference? I read a lot about guys loving throwing a swim jig but I don't get it. Is the only difference that a chatterbait has a vibrating blade and the swim jig doesn't?

[Chunk_Chaser]

You’re right. That’s the difference.

[DanielG]

And even though I never catch anything with a chatter bait, there's somehow a very satisfying feeling of that tip vibration when reeling it in. In fact, it's the most enjoyable bait I never catch anything on.

[Dens228]

And the chattering blade vs no blade my be the "only" difference but it can be a very big difference. 

Personally I do better with a swim jig but I fish a lot of very clear water.  In murky or muddy water the chatterbait does well. 

[Cdn Angler]

Usually a swim jig has a weed guard, so they will come through cover differently. 

 

Most of my chatterbaits also have a longer hook shank than most of my swim jigs. 

 

Aside from one vibrating, I think the weedguard/more compact size/absence of a blade makes it easier to use a swimjig to throw like a normal jig into cover, under docks, hop off bottom etc...and to then swim it back to the boat in a manner similar to a chatterbait. Chatterbait is more chuck and wind exclusively. 

[fishballer06]

Basically, the only differences are:

 

Blade

Weedguard

Head shape

Hook style

[FryDog62]

6 minutes ago, fishballer06 said:

Basically, the only differences are:

 

Blade

Weedguard

Head shape

Hook style

And usually price too

[OnthePotomac]

51 minutes ago, FryDog62 said:

And usually price too

Ya boy.  Last summer grandson and I were way up stream on a tributary of the Potomac and I had on my new JackHammer $$$.  Grandson has a line problem so I step back to help him and in doing so brought my line with JackHammer $$$ back to the TM blade and when I stepped on the TM good bye $$$.  Wanna guess what my next comment was? ? So I have stuck with just up scale Z man chatter baits.

[moguy1973]

From what I've seen a paddle tail swimbait on the back of a swim jig will give a similar action to a chatterbait, although much slower wiggle.  I'm more of a chatterbait fisherman than a swim jig fisherman though.

[2tall79]

I believe "Chatterbait" is a brand name. 

[FryDog62]

9 hours ago, OnthePotomac said:

Ya boy.  Last summer grandson and I were way up stream on a tributary of the Potomac and I had on my new JackHammer $$$.  Grandson has a line problem so I step back to help him and in doing so brought my line with JackHammer $$$ back to the TM blade and when I stepped on the TM good bye $$$.  Wanna guess what my next comment was? ? So I have stuck with just up scale Z man chatter baits.

I think my sons learned their first “colorful” terms from me on some of those early fishing excursions...

 

But it’s amazing to me how adding a simple coffin blade to a swim jig can more than double the price.

[DitchPanda]

I use a bladed jig alot like I'd use a squarebill or spinnerbait usually in stained to muddy water but tend to throw them more in open water or grass as they hang around wood..a swim jig I throw around more cover as in wood or grass but usually in cleaner water..swim jig is much more subtle to me

Also the trailer seems to be much more important on a swim jig from what I've seen..it provides the action or lack of for a swim jig as where a bladed jig gets its primary action from the blade and the trailer adds secondary action

[Mbirdsley]

I would say the big difference is how they come through weeds. A bladed jig will attract every piece of grass in a ten ft radius of it ( ok it’s not that bad).  I didn’t throw swim jigs a lot last year but, they come through grass better. From what I noticed from what little I did throw swim jigs.

 

only blaided jigs I used last year were the ones I made.  I used a Arkie head that I poured and just left out the weed guard. Attached the blade via snap ring and twisted up some wire to tie on to.  In the spring I was using just 3 inch curly tail grub for a trailer And caught a lot of nice bass 

[Tizi]

I have only caught 1 fish on a chatterbait.  I have caught close to a hundred on a swimjig:  both skirted and non-skirted.  All with a Keitech trailer.

[Dwight Hottle]

The blade but that blade serves more than one purpose. It creates vibration & also light flash off the metallic blade that you don't get with a conventional swim jig. 

[Ratherbfishing]

About 3 dollars.

[rmcguirk]

I try and try with a chatterbait, but I never catch many. I catch a lot on swim jigs. I can’t say why. 

[lo n slo]

40 minutes ago, Ratherbfishing said:

About 3 dollars.

beat me to it

[Michigander]

8 hours ago, Tizi said:

I have only caught 1 fish on a chatterbait.  I have caught close to a hundred on a swimjig:  both skirted and non-skirted.  All with a Keitech trailer.

Biospawn Exoswim is also killer if they aren't into the Keitech.

[buzzbaiter83]

I love both but at different times. I have a lot of success with the chatterbait in cooler waters 45-55. Once it hits 55-60 I catch more on the swim jig. That may because that’s what I have confidence in but it just seems that way. It also coincides with water levels where I fish. When the water is down I fish the chatterbait. When it gets up in the grass and trees I like the swim jig. 

[Bluebasser86]

Heavy cover=swim jig

sparse cover=bladed jig

 

If I'm throwing it IN the weeds/wood, I need a swim jig. If I can fish it around, over, through the cover, I'm going with a bladed jig.

[ryanerb]

On 2/27/2020 at 5:45 PM, rmcguirk said:

I try and try with a chatterbait, but I never catch many. I catch a lot on swim jigs. I can’t say why. 

Could depend on your water clarity. Also the chatterbait has a distinct sound/vibration that bass may be trained to avoid, where the swim jig is a 'silent' killer  

[MIbassyaker]

I've never truly gotten the hang of a swim jig...every time I catch one by swimming a jig it seems completely accidental.  Of course, people use them successfully all the time around here, so I'm sure it's just me.

 

But bladed jigs get hammered quickly and often.  One thing I like about them is vibration gives a lot of feedback about what's going on with the bait, especially useful for feeling my way around weedtops and weed-edges. And I've never found water clarity to matter at all -- I've been just as successful in 10+ feet of visibility as I have in water with a foot or less.

 

I agree with avoiding chatterbaits around wood, though.

[Kdizzle]

Ive always found that they both tend to excel in the same conditions, primarily along heavy grass lines(note not actually in grass) where bass create ambush points.  I think the primary difference maker is water clarity.  Clear water will prefer a swim jig and stained or murky water will prefer a bladed jig.