Bladed Jig?

[papajoe222]

Only because the bass have been hammering a blade bait, I've decided to give a bladed jig a go and maybe gain a little confidence in using one.  I've never used one and am not sure about retrieves.  I'm thinking about using the same one I've been using with the blade bait (slow lift and slow drop), but I'd like to know how you guys use one.

[A-Jay]

9 minutes ago, papajoe222 said:

Only because the bass have been hammering a blade bait, I've decided to give a bladed jig a go and maybe gain a little confidence in using one.  I've never used one and am not sure about retrieves.  I'm thinking about using the same one I've been using with the blade bait (slow lift and slow drop), but I'd like to know how you guys use one.

This works for me in cooler water conditions - Like right now.

Some of my best results come when I only move the bait a foot at a time.

And it's definitely NOT a lift but a slow drag.

Just want to feel the bait thump a few times and then stop - all done with the rod.

Bass will eat it as it rests on the bottom.

This is from a recent trip . . . water temps @40 degrees. 

A-Jay

[DitchPanda]

13 minutes ago, papajoe222 said:

Only because the bass have been hammering a blade bait, I've decided to give a bladed jig a go and maybe gain a little confidence in using one.  I've never used one and am not sure about retrieves.  I'm thinking about using the same one I've been using with the blade bait (slow lift and slow drop), but I'd like to know how you guys use one.

I've had some success on a yo yo type retrieve similar to hopping a lipless but I've always had much better luck slow rolling a chatterbait just fast enough to get the blade going...similar to fishing a spinner bait in cold water. I'd also like to add that a subtle trailer that doesn't have an overpowering action does better for me than something like a paddle tail that has alot of thump. My best 2 trailers the past couple years have been a big bite baits swimon and the 4in regular zoom fluke.

[Aaron_H]

Hopping/jigging bottom like A-Jay said can be very productive, especially in colder conditions. Down here my most productive retrieve is a simple slow straight retrieve, with the occasional 1-2 fast reel pumps interspersed which will usually trigger a follower to strike. The bladed jig won't just surge forward, but will roll/cut out to the side. I'm using a 6.3:1 reel with 25 IPT, and I go as slow as I can while keeping the blade vibrating.

[Fishin Dad]

I have had success at times ripping it off bottom and letting it fall.  You can really feel the vibration.  Typically, however, I will chunk and wind while adding in some rod movement or reeling erratically.  I use a 10,000 fish Yoto, Zman Razorshadz, or similar trailer with limited action on its own.  I also use a 6x:1 reel to slow me down most of the time.  I do prefer a glass rod with 17 pound fluoro.  I have also used a moderate action composite rod, but I am currently looking for another Chatterbait rod.  This is my most productive technique and I have caught the majority of my 6+ pound bass on a chatterbait so far.  I usually have two tied on at all times.  I can't imagine fishing without one.  I have over 80 vibrating jigs of different brands, styles, and sizes.  Love them.

[gim]

I have found them to be a very versatile lure the last few seasons.  The beauty of it is you don't really have to do one specific type of retrieve or use a specific type of plastic trailer.  Its worth experimenting on the weight of the jig itself, the trailer, and the retrieve.  I have caught a fair amount of fish (not just bass) on them in recent years, but there are times when they won't even touch it either.  Generally, the colder the water, the slower the retrieve.  I essentially just have two colors: white and dark.  My favorite trailer is the Rage Tail Menace rigged vertically.  Not a big fan of paddletail trailers or the zako because of the lack of durability when pike attack (which happens regularly).  I just simply got sick of constantly replacing the zako trailer.

 

I prefer Z-man chatterbaits, but the Strike King Thunder Cricket has also caught some fish for me too.  I would recommend against the Z-man Stealthblade though.  It does not have enough "thump" for me.

[Bankbeater]

I let the bladed jig sink to the bottom, and then slow roll it back.  Sometime I stop the retrieve and let it sit on the bottom for a few seconds then start the retrieve again.

[Koz]

Lift and drop in cold weather for me. In warmer weather I'll do a straight retrieve, drag it on teh bottom, or a retrieve with an occasional rip.

[Bankc]

I fish it like a jig or crankbait (or spinnerbait).  Either lift and drop, making sure to lift it fast enough to get it to thump, or a steady retrieve, often with a few pauses in between.  Sometimes fast, sometimes slow.  

 

The trick to a bladed jig, in my opinion, is to find grass.  I can't get them to produce in open water, and they'll get hung up on wood too easily.  So grass is the only place I have luck with them.  They're basically spinnerbaits to me, only designed for grass instead of wood.  

[PhishLI]

On 4/30/2022 at 10:30 PM, papajoe222 said:

I've never used one and am not sure about retrieves.

Try every retrieve you can think of until they tell you how they want it. They've gotten attention lately here being slow rolled/paused, hopped, or burned. No way to know which way is right beforehand. I tend to work a zone over completely before moving on, so a single bait will be presented with several different retrieves/cadences. Very often a zone that seems to be dead will light up with bites once you find out what they want. Selecting a dark or light version can be just as impactful regardless of retrieve. If bass are there it's usually for a reason. It's hard to know ahead of time what they're keyed in on. They'll tell you, but you might completely miss the boat if you don't show them what they want.

 

Last trip out I started with the black/blue because it's been working well. Not a sniff in several areas. I switched up to the lighter shad colored version and immediately started getting bites. It was that drastic. The fact that it was dusk may have had something to do with it. The extra flash, which is usually rejected at this lake, might've been the difference maker under this particular ambient light condition. Whatever the reason, they wanted it. I ended up with a jumbo running it exactly where I'd ran the black/blue one several minutes earlier.

 

[Mgfan58]

I’ve had my best luck with a slow steady retrieve, with sight jerks or pauses added in. I’ve also caught bass on a straight retrieve as well as dragging it like a regular jig. It’s a very versatile bait. 
 

Green pumpkin/red has always worked well for me, but chartreuse/white has been more productive lately. If you’re fishing any wood, I’d suggest a normally rigged craw. It doesn’t let the hook fall over and catch wood as easily as a swim bait still trailer. Keeps the hook more upright. 

[thediscochef]

I used the micro almost all year last year. There's really not a wrong way to do it other than snapping it off. Slow straight, just fast enough to thump plus a couple speed variations has been the most productive for me. On the small baits I use BPS split tail stiko, the regular less bulky fluke, and Yamamoto shad shape worms. Sometimes crawz if I'm fishing it bottom contact. I tend to shy from paddletail and thick middle baits on smaller chatterbaits; it'll vibrate at a lower retrieve speed. Bigger blades get bigger plastics like the Zako and the Razor shadz

[A-Jay]

The Jackhammer Insanity continued . . . . 6 1/2 lb brown bass. 

A-Jay

[Bluebasser86]

Slow and steady wins the race for me, even in very cold water. A lift drop retrieve catches snags, catfish, and drum a majority of the time, but I never rule it out. 

 

When I say slow and steady, I mean like bumping the bottom if possible.