how to fish a chatterbait?

[ARfishermen08]

How would you reccomend fishing the booyah boogie bait or any chatterbait? i've heard many methods, but under what conditions and cercomstanses would you guys use them??

[Supermat]

There are a multitude of ways to work the bait but my two most common are very simple. During the times when you would throw a spinnerbait pick up the chatterbait instead. During those pre/post spawn feeding frenzies run the bait fast in, around, and through cover to trigger HARD strikes, during the lazy summer months fish it as slow as you can and still get a "thump" out of the blade with a single tail grub instead of the double tail trailer.

[Other.]

I like to use a steady retrieve right back to the shore/boat. The vibration the blade makes is enough to jiggle the skirt and trailer of the chatter bait to give it dancing action. A lot of people use the Yo Yo retrieve but I don't like that idea for the chatter bait because it slows it takes a couple of fast turns to get the blade going to full power and if you keep pulling then dropping it the blade wont work right. So just stick to a steady retrieve unless you must use a more complex tactic if you think it will improve your strikes. The chatterbait is a great weedless bait so dont be scared to throw it in heavy weeds and right into thick timbers the chatter bait will always come back with out getting snagged.

[BadKarma42]

Experiement.  Fast, slow, slow roll, pause, etc.  Play with it and see what the fish want that day.

I used them last year and seemed to only catch fish on them in the early season/pre-spawn times when I think the fish were more aggressive.

[bocabasser]

i only fish a chatterbait in the winter, and i fish it with a fast steady retrieve. i also live in florida, and i know people in other states fish it differently.

[.ghoti.]

The chatterbait did not quite turn out to be the next great bait for me. I put in a lot of time with one on the line, and caught only a few small bass with it. Had quite a few missed hits. The only decent fish I caught with it came on a yo-yo retrieve, pulling it up off the bottom long and hard enough to feel the vibration, then letting it drop. Rather like a very aggressive jig retrieve.

In my quest to reduce the amount of stuff I'm carrying around, I've been re-organizing my tackle. The chatterbaits will probably not make the cut. If I want a spinnerbait, I'll be using a spinnerbait. Ditto for jigs.

I know a lot of people have reported very nice results using this bait. I'm not one of "em, so off with their heads.

Cheers,

GK

[Guest avid]

I have had decent success with it.  There are days when it is "The lure"  and otheres when it can't seem to catch a cold

I definitly do better in 10-12 water using a yo yo retireve.

[Sam]

I have had good success with the Chatterbait and I like fishing it.

I have fished it in wood on rivers; ponds; and lakes.  

My best results have been on the structure in rivers along the shoreline and in ponds.

I have yo-yo'ed it; reeled it slow; reeled if fast; and reeled it at a medium pace.

I still have memories of the one I lost on a Chatterbait on the Pamunkey River which would have placed me 3rd in a tournament.  I ended up 7th.

She hit the Chatterbait (white and chartruse), jumped clean out of the water, and threw the bait back at me.  What a bummer.  I hate when that happens.

[Other.]

They do that alot for me Sam. If there was a lure that I had the most spit out hooks or short strikes it would be the chatterbait. I still love this lure though.

[RI_Bass_Guy]

The chatterbait definately gets hit, landing the fish is another story even with a trailer hook. I fished last year the same way I would a spinnerbait. You can rip it fast waking the surface, steady retreive it and slow roll it. The first Tournament I used it in I lost the first 9 fish that hit it, and I still haven't figured out how to keep them on with it. I lost more fish than I boated with them.

[Guest avid]

Can't say i have trouble landing them with the chatterbait.  I think we need to differentiate between the different manufacturers when talking about subtleties like throwing hooks.  for example I think the rad lure with the jig eye directily punched through the blade is better for keeping the bass hooked than the gambler of others that use the split ring connection.  At least it seems that way.

But my Number 1 lure to get thrown is a bill lewis ratltrap.   changing out the hooks to qualitiy owneres or gammys definitly pays off

[Ky_Lake_Dude]

I just cast it out and crank it in about a medium retrieve and give a twitch of the rod tip every couple of cranks.Use it in water that is more than 53 degrees around just about any cover.