Chatterbait rod

[Shimano_1]

I know guys fish em on glass rods but I personally agree with the above statements. Its not quite a jig hook set for me but definitely more than treble hooks.  If I'm fishing more open water I like a med heavy, if I'm in a lot of thick grass I like a heavy to help me rip it out of the grass. Obviously this is one technique that isn't a one size fits all kinda deal. I fish these baits a lot and have never felt a need for a softer rod

[lunkerboss923]

Dobyns 734c for all skirted single hooks. 

[RichF]

20 hours ago, roadwarrior said:

Hmm...

 

A sweeping hook set seems more appropriate for treble hooks. For single hooks I want a more powerful set.

 

Guess my hooks are sharper than yours;)

[roadwarrior]

Just now, RichF said:

Guess my hooks are sharper than yours;)

Touche'

 

[jbsoonerfan]

I went ahead and ordered a 2020 Zodias 7' MH to try out. If I don't like it, I can swap some stuff around. Now I need to order a reel. I'm guessing a new Met would work well

[bunz559]

I have 2 rods I use to throw chatterbaits, the Orochi XX EMTF and Diablo Spec R. I also have a Dobyns 735cb that I previously used also but didn't really like the tip for the application. I preferred the Dobyn's 734c XP. Of the 2 Orochis, I actually really like the EMTF more, but it seems slightly under-powered when casting 1/2 ounce bladed jigs. The Diablo is a great middle ground.  

[txchaser]

This won't answer your question but may give you some ideas on what to try while you are on the water. 

 

IMO the hookset on braid (no stretch), heavy flouro (some stretch), and mid weight flouro (good bit of stretch)  are all very different approaches. The heavy flouro stretches less at the same level of force than midweight, before we have the flouro doesn't stretch fight. Fishing it on mono was just like flouro but made worse by being very tough for me to feel what was going on with the bait.

 

Having some give somewhere is nice, and alledgedly the right combo of it will pop it out of the weeds with just the right accelleration. 

 

Cover seems to matter a lot for me - mid-weight flouro on a bendy rod makes me crazy because I have to haul off too hard to snap it out of the weeds. 

 

I'm still searching for just the right mix, latest try is heavy flouro on daiwa's MH mod-fast they call a 'regular'. It's ok. I'm sure I don't want a crankbait-style parabolic bend. I'm sure I don't want it on a pool cue. I think by the time I'm all the way done it'll be a 50/50 shot of braid with a MH mod-fast or heavy flouro on a heavy mod-fast. And on the heavy I need enough bend during retrieve that I'm halfway (that's a guess) into the hitting backbone. I want to be able to hard wrist flick out of the weeds.

 

My point is this - try throwing it across combos of flexibility of rod and stretchyness of line. 

 

PS: I might try my frog rod with it this weekend if the CB bite is on. Tip is just a smidge stiff, but compared to the other H rod it's really limber. 

[Choporoz]

4 hours ago, txchaser said:

This won't answer your question but may give you some ideas on what to try while you are on the water. 

 

IMO the hookset on braid (no stretch), heavy flouro (some stretch), and mid weight flouro (good bit of stretch)  are all very different approaches. The heavy flouro stretches less at the same level of force than midweight, before we have the flouro doesn't stretch fight. Fishing it on mono was just like flouro but made worse by being very tough for me to feel what was going on with the bait.

 

Having some give somewhere is nice, and alledgedly the right combo of it will pop it out of the weeds with just the right accelleration. 

 

Cover seems to matter a lot for me - mid-weight flouro on a bendy rod makes me crazy because I have to haul off too hard to snap it out of the weeds. 

 

I'm still searching for just the right mix, latest try is heavy flouro on daiwa's MH mod-fast they call a 'regular'. It's ok. I'm sure I don't want a crankbait-style parabolic bend. I'm sure I don't want it on a pool cue. I think by the time I'm all the way done it'll be a 50/50 shot of braid with a MH mod-fast or heavy flouro on a heavy mod-fast. And on the heavy I need enough bend during retrieve that I'm halfway (that's a guess) into the hitting backbone. I want to be able to hard wrist flick out of the weeds.

 

My point is this - try throwing it across combos of flexibility of rod and stretchyness of line. 

 

PS: I might try my frog rod with it this weekend if the CB bite is on. Tip is just a smidge stiff, but compared to the other H rod it's really limber. 

Great post.   Might also explain the differences of opinion above on hooksets.  

I agree with all of them.  Most of my chatterbait fishing is fairly fast retrieve in grass and pads with MHF/braid and not much hookset required.  But if I'm slow working the bottom with flouro, I'm trying to cross their eyes.

[jbsoonerfan]

Thanks guys! I am going to try it first on a 7' MH Zodias (new model) with 40 lb Sufix 832. If I don't like that, I am going to switch to a 7'2 H Zodias with 14 or 16 lb Sniper. I tried throwing one the other day with a 6'10 MH Zodias and 14 lb Sniper and I don't feel like I had enough "umph" to set the hook on long casts or enough power to keep them out of cover when fishing near or around brush and timber (which I fish a lot of).

 

Thanks for all the replies.