Chatterbait colors

[Junk Fisherman]

I don't throw Chatterbaits that often but when I do I throw white or some kind of shad color.    My question is if it is cloudy and rainy but the lake has tons of shad, will you go to a black/blue color or stick with a shad-colored Chatterbait?  I know guys throw the black/blue and a green pumpkin color but is that more for a bluegill-forage lake?  The old adage I always heard was white in sunny conditions and black in cloudy conditions but does that change if the main forage is shad?  Any input is appreciated.  

[gim]

5 minutes ago, Junk Fisherman said:

The old adage I always heard was white in sunny conditions and black in cloudy conditions

That’s generally how I roll too. Water clarity can play a role as well though. I generally lean towards a more natural color in clear water and spice up the colors in turbid water.

[A-Jay]

 

Between water temp, color & turbidity, sunny, over cast & even just low light,

it's so hard to know from day to day what the heck they will respond to.

At least for me it is.

I'm trying to have my bases covered. 

 

And this is what it looks like when I get it right

https://youtu.be/zIqCmH_52IQ?t=387

 

A-Jay

[steve-pierce]

21 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

 

Between water temp, color & turbidity, sunny, over cast & even just low light,

it's so hard to know from day to day what the heck they will respond to.

At least for me it is.

I'm trying to have my bases covered. 

 

 

A-Jay

What is that segmented body trailer?  I bought some of the Z man non skirted bladed heads that I’m looking for something like that to throw on them. Sorta like what you have there

[casts_by_fly]

1 minute ago, steve-pierce said:

What is that segmented body trailer?  I bought some of the Z man non skirted bladed heads that I’m looking for something like that to throw on them. Sorta like what you have there

the one by its lonesome in the box (and also on a couple in the middle)?  Zako standard tail. 

[A-Jay]

@casts_by_fly has it right.

The Zako 

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Yamamoto_Kickin_Zako_Swimbait/descpage-YKZ.html

 

A-Jay

[DitchPanda]

I throw a green pumpkin/ bluegill color as we get close to spawn and postspawn. I throw shad colors starting in summer thru fall when they target shad more here. I rarely if ever throw black and blue anymore. Last spring I had some decent success on fire craw...about the only reddish bait I've ever had much luck on.

[casts_by_fly]

5 hours ago, A-Jay said:

@casts_by_fly has it right.

The Zako 

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Yamamoto_Kickin_Zako_Swimbait/descpage-YKZ.html

 

A-Jay

a-jay- this post made me think of something. Do you ever fish just a zako on a jig head/swim bait hook or as a swim jig trailer?  I see you have one on a chatterbait without the trailer. 
 

thanks

rick

[steve-pierce]

Thank you gentlemen 

[A-Jay]

11 minutes ago, casts_by_fly said:

a-jay- this post made me think of something. Do you ever fish just a zako on a jig head/swim bait hook or as a swim jig trailer?  I see you have one on a chatterbait without the trailer. 
 

thanks

rick

I do not.

The Zako is my preference for a sort of 'do nothing' type trailer.

I'm looking for a 'profile' mostly here. 

It's what IMO make it so good on the vibrating jig. 

It doesn't fight or compete with the blade thus jacking up the action.

That said, hanging it on just about anything else that doesn't have it's own action,

like a plain jighead, might mean the Zako wouldn't be doing a whole lot.

A-Jay

[casts_by_fly]

47 minutes ago, Junk Fisherman said:

I don't throw Chatterbaits that often but when I do I throw white or some kind of shad color.    My question is if it is cloudy and rainy but the lake has tons of shad, will you go to a black/blue color or stick with a shad-colored Chatterbait?  I know guys throw the black/blue and a green pumpkin color but is that more for a bluegill-forage lake?  The old adage I always heard was white in sunny conditions and black in cloudy conditions but does that change if the main forage is shad?  Any input is appreciated.  

i fish three main colors. Greenback shad, black and blue, and variations on bluegill.  If the water is dirty I’ll fish black and blue.  It’s usually clear here so I’ll start with one of the other two. Grass lakes with bluegill get bluegill patterns and the rest get greenback shad. 
 

Rick

[TriStateBassin106]

Absolutely, I'm a big bladed jig guy and have a bunch in my boxes. Here are some of my most popular colors. I only really throw green pumpkin and some kind of black n blue. I also throw white and chartreuse colors in ponds/lakes that have no shad in them. It's up to you to see what works in what conditions and water clarity, but yes black n blue and green pumpkins are a must for skirt colors! Hope that helped! 

[Deleted account]

I fish a couple of gin clear lakes, there I'm trying to get as close to the forage color as possible. When I fish places with stained to dirty water, I just do dark, natural, and light, actual color not that important. Sometimes even in clear water something bright and loud is the ticket. It's easy enough to change the skirt and trailer in no time, no need to carry a gazillion baits. 

[CrashVector]

I like the shad colored chatterbait, the white and chartreuse, and the bluegill colored one.

 

That's the three I throw.

[Bluebasser86]

Cloudy and raining, I know what color I'd be throwing.

 

These are my main colors I carry in my bladed jig box.

[tander]

I have a bunch of color chatterbait but 80% of the time it is going to be chartreuse/white just like my spinnerbaits.

[LrgmouthShad]

17 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Cloudy and raining, I know what color I'd be throwing.

 

These are my main colors I carry in my bladed jig box.

Are those star-spangled crocs? 
 

you’re a trendsetter

[Aaron_H]

When I throw a chatterbait I typically am only trying to imitate bluegill, I stick with green pumpkin for that. Sometimes I do want to throw something more shad-like and I have white/chartreuse for that. I've thought about picking up a couple in fire craw to try, but have yet to be so bold. 95% of the time I'm throwing the green pumpkin.

[Bluebasser86]

1 hour ago, LrgmouthShad said:

Are those star-spangled crocs? 
 

you’re a trendsetter

 

[Bankbeater]

White, and green pumpkin.  Those are the only two colors I fish with.  Most of the time it's white.

[MIbassyaker]

The only two chatterbait colors I fish are "dark" and "light".

[Mbirdsley]

On cloudy or sunnier days with dirtier stained water. white and chartreuse historically has been a very good color for me in chatter baits and swim jigs. Black and silver has also been a good color in the same water conditions but, cloudy. 
 

Now, I may not catch a bunch of fish when I throw the white and chartreuse but, when I do catch fish on that color combo it’s usually an above average fish . 
 

I don’t really throw chatter baits in clear water 

[ironbjorn]

7 hours ago, LrgmouthShad said:

Are those star-spangled crocs? 
 

you’re a trendsetter

O say can you see, by the crocs on his feet, what so proudly he wore...

[ajschn06]

I throw a chatterbait religiously, but never throw black and blue.  If i throw a shad, its green pumpkin shad with a green pumpkin trailer.  Mostly GP or GP/Chart though...

[GReb]

I have the most success on darker colors. My go to is the thunder cricket bluegill pattern with a black/blue trailer. White and Shad patterns have never produced for me.