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How Does Chatterbait Work?
You can tell the difference between a chatter bait and a spinnerbait right away when you cast one. You can feel the vibration of the chatter bait traveling up the line and into the rod as you retrieve it. If you look into the water, you’ll see how its blades flash and how the skirt gives the impression that a bait fish is scurrying through the water.
In addition to having features of both a spinnerbait and a jig, a chatter bait also vibrates like a crankbait. This is similar to a frankenbait because it combines three common fishing lures. I completely understand why fish will pounce on this bait; they can’t help themselves.
History Of Chatterbaits
Inventor Ronny Davis and his son Ron tested prototypes of the original ChatterBaits in 2003, according to Glenn Young, national sales director for Z-Man Fishing, the company that created them. “Young quotes Ronny as saying, “They should call it a ChatterBait because it vibrated so hard it almost made his teeth chatter.” The Davis’ lure became so well-known that they couldn’t fulfill orders and had to sell Z-Man the manufacturing rights.
The popularity of the bladed jig is still rising. “We’ve seen a huge rise in imitations, despite the ChatterBait being covered by numerous patents, says Young. He added that redfish and calico bass have shown the lure to be effective with them. Wherever bladed jigs hit the water, aggressive fish are responding well to them.
Tournament Fishing With A Chatterbait
Chatterbait has become more and more well-liked among weekend warriors and tournament pros over time. Now, a long list of tournament victories is credited to this reaction bait with a wild appearance.
Chatterbaits have assisted many anglers in making the money as dependable bait to throw on the tournament trail with assistance from pros like Luke Clausen, Davin Walker, and Stephen Browning. Chatterbaits are incredibly adaptable due to their three-in-one features and can be fished in a variety of ways and during different seasons.
Different Trailers And When To Use Them
Creature Bait Trailer
It is a great option for both muddy and shallow water because the wider profile will keep the bait in the water column and move more water. The creature bait does a good job of portraying both crayfish and bream in addition to imitating crayfish. So when I want to target bass that is focused on the bream spawn, I always turn to this method.
Straight-tailed Swimbait
The most organized, tightly wound wobble will result from this. I take this approach when fishing ultra-clear lakes, going after smallmouth, or when using a bladed jig to catch those roving fish on blueback herring or cisco lakes.
No Trailer
Unbelievably, you can fish with this bait using only the skirt and no trailer. This gives the bladed jig very different activities that the fish aren’t used to seeing. Before you dismiss it, give it a shot!
Tips For Fishing A Chatterbait
Vary your retrieve. This holds true for the majority of moving baits, but I believe that bladed jigs are particularly susceptible to it. The fish are very accustomed to seeing that presentation because many anglers stick to a straightforward straight retrieve. The fish takes on a different appearance when anglers change the retrieve by adding a few hard cranks, which accurately mimics frenzied, wounded prey. Usually, it’s best to use a faster retrieve when fishing in clear water. Faster retrieval speeds reduce the amount of time picky fish have to consider their options or take a close look at the bait before consuming it. The speed at which I fish the bait tends to be even more erratic in warmer water than it is in cooler water.
Trim the skirt. Several benefits will result from trimming or even taking off the skirt. First, with fewer bodies to hang up, the blade will be able to cut through the grass more easily. But more importantly, it will “hunt” better, meaning the bait will move more erratically from side to side. Your chances of getting a reaction bite rise as a result of the fish’s altered appearance. Removing the skirt makes the bait appear more discrete and streamlined, which is beneficial in clear-water situations. When the fish are focused on shad, this is extremely advantageous.
When fishing with a bladed jig, the best course of action is to keep the lure submerged and listen to the fish. Be open-minded and unafraid to fish it all year long, in any water temperature or variable environmental conditions. It has a track record of success in catching fish and will do so for many more years.
Chatterbait Fishing In Every Season
Spring Chatterbait Fishing
The chatter bait shines as the water warms and the fish begin to awaken from their protracted winter slumber. It’s a fantastic bait for any season, but the spring seems to bring about incredibly powerful strikes that will make your heart skip a beat! On the body of water, I enjoy searching for areas where shallow flats transition into deeper water.
As the waters warm, fish will start to gather in these areas. Additionally, areas with wood and rock will retain heat from the sun’s rays and draw fish. Those would be the best areas to target if there are any rivers or streams that enter the water. The chatter bait frenzy will then reach epic proportions as the fish move shallow to begin the spawning cycle.
Summer Chatterbait Fishing
I enjoy using my chatter bait in the summer to power fish. I want to fish as much of the area as I can while quickly covering water. I have everything I require from the chatter bait to entice that summer bite. Due to the high and intense vibration it emits, it makes an excellent nighttime bait.
[ See also: Expert Tips For Successful Power Fishing ]
This bait screams to the fish, “I’m here, eat me!” If you throw it at night, the trophy fish will actually strike. The vibration of this bait pushes fish over the edge when vision is restricted. I have gotten out of bed at 4:00 a.m. due to strikes on summer nights using chatter bait. to get those big old fish.
Make casts counterclockwise while using a mental grid, then spread the bait across the water. I’ll listen to the fish in the summer when they tell me how they want the bait presented. If you notice that you’re getting strikes but the fish aren’t getting hooked, I’ll cut the trailer down. If that doesn’t work, I’ll fish the chatter bait without a trailer until I start getting bites.
In the summer, you’ll notice that the speed of the retrieves depends on the fish’s attitude; a faster retrieve works when the fish are more aggressive, while a slower retrieve will entice them to bite when they are dormant. Make sure to cast in and around any vegetation if the water you’re fishing in has any. Because they produce more oxygen in the summer, the green, healthy weeds will hold the majority of the fish. The fish will strike out of instinct when you run your chatter bait through them because you are simulating prey moving through the weeds. As one of your baits to entice that summer strike, make sure you have a chatter bait set up.
Fall Chatterbait Fishing
The summer patterns will start to disappear in the fall, and the places where you recently caught those fish will start to change. Fish activity is greatly influenced by the thermocline, which will change with the season this fall. Fishing in the fall can be difficult due to the effects of the fall changeover, which can last for a few weeks. In an effort to catch fish, anglers will throw swimbaits, crankbaits, and jigs.
I believe the fall chatter bait bite is potent and productive, just like it was in the spring. You have the three-in-one feature. In addition to the flash the blade will produce, you can bump it along the bottom and fish it like a crankbait or swim it through the middle of the water column like a swimbait. For fishing bladed baits, the fall appears to be an excellent season. Jigging the chatter bait will be very effective when the fish are suspended.
Winter Chatterbait Fishing
With water temperatures dropping below 50 degrees, the cold water period can be challenging to trigger. The fish have moved into deeper areas of the body of water and have left their haunts in the shallow water. For a long winter’s nap, the majority of anglers have put their tackle boxes and rods away, but if you brave the cold, you can still catch fish.
The first rule of fishing in the winter is to search for your baitfish schools. You can find fish if you find the baitfish. As long as it hasn’t iced over, the lake I like to fish in the winter has a maximum depth of 12 feet. I usually find baitfish and fish between six and nine feet deep when the fish start to move into their winter patterns. I focus on offshore points with structure, such as weeds, rocks, and sunken timber. It’s important to concentrate on sudden changes in depth that could give fish a hiding place. In the winter, it sometimes seems as though you must directly approach the fish with the bait in order to elicit a strike.
A white and silver 3/8 chatter bait will be rigged with a swimbait trailer to match the colors of the bait. Swimbait should match your bait, which should be white and silver. With a larger profile and a larger object to latch onto, the fish will be able to latch onto your bait thanks to the trailer. In the winter, I’ve discovered that a three- to four-inch trailer works great.
Colors Of Chatterbait
I use the same primary colors all year long. Here are my favorite products and when to use them.
Fire Craw/red
This holds true for bladed jigs as well. Everyone is aware of the Rayburn reds and the infamous spring lipless crankbait bite of the Toledo Gold. When the bass is heavily feeding on crayfish, this is the big pre-spawn color. When the fish prefer a lipless crankbait, the bladed jig is a good alternative.
White/white Chartreuse
This is an excellent shad imitator that also performs well in waters with poor visibility.
Green Pumpkin
I want this color when I’m fishing in clearer water, just like I would with a regular jig, to give the fish a more organic appearance.
Black/blue
This is another option for muddy water that is effective when used with a trailer that moves water and is known to attract fish.
Blade
Always experiment with the blade colors. Silver and gold are the two most typical colors for blades, but painted blades have a more organic appearance. I’ll experiment with different combinations until I find the one that seems to be the most successful, but I typically find myself choosing the gold blade in most circumstances, especially in tannic waters.
Consider switching to a slower, more steady presentation if the vertical one doesn’t seem to be working. You can combine all the different methods of retrieving the bait in the fall. It often yields successful results when I bring it back to the boat and fish with it like jerk bait. The fish go crazy for the bait’s quick popping and slow flutter. This time of year, you’ll also notice that you get better-quality bites and larger fish. It’s important to have a chatter bait set up because fall is when fish are most active and your chatterbait is the main course.
