I had a chatterbait, not sure what brand, but before I could use it, I lost it somehow. Looking to try one. I've never used them before.
1.) What is the best Chatterbait?
2.) What is the best value Chatterbait?
A few years ago I got some Gambler bladed jigs that I liked quite a bit. They used a football head. I used to fish the Booyah bladed jig quite a bit. These days I've been more focused on making my own out of various jig heads I have laying around the fishing shed and just buying the blades. Next season I'm probably going back to the Gambler models, at least until I lose them all.
I haven't tried a lot of different ones. But my favorite so far has been the Revenge Viberator. It has a great head design, good skirt colors, screw lock if you want to rig weedless, and it has a tendency to randomly kick out to one side every so often (almost like a hunting action on a crankbait).
Here's a list of all the vibrating jigs I've used:
1. Phenix vibrator version 3 - my new fav, great vibration at all speeds, hook is a bit small but really good, comes in 3/4 oz
2. Original D&M Piranha - awesome bait, great running, good hook and trailer keeper, good luck finding them!
3. Z-Man project Z - great, tight vibration, good hook and really nice trailer keeper, not enough natural colored blades
4. Picasso shock blade - pretty good, nice hook, don't run great at slow speeds
5. Revenge vibrator - nice looking, nice running, not enough natural colored blades
6. SK pure poison - cheap, decent running, NO trailer keeper (unless they added one in the last few yrs)
7. Z-man original - decent running, crappy hook
8. Booyah boogie bait - least fav, runs really high in the water column
1-5 are roughly the same price ($7 to $9). 6-8 are around $5.
Anyone try Karu?
On 10/26/2016 at 8:21 AM, Rusty Shackleford said:Anyone try Karu?
You bet
karu vibrashocks are great.
phenix vibrator 3 is great.
favorites are custom mades.
had way too many quality control issues with project z to ever recommend them.
zman chatterbaits are available almost everywhere but the skirt/hook/blade is junk.
ive had the viberators and didnt like them...they are very snaggy even when texas rigged...which the screwlock is not in line with hook point which makes the trailer sit at a weird angle.
For that price im buying the freedom chatterbaits...extremely snagproof and have an outstanding hunting action.
The Project Z is nice when I want a sharper vibration. I believe baits with more thump seem to attract the larger bites. I build my own so I can get all the qualities I like in one bait and in the color I need. When I started painting blades it opened up even more doors. They've been the hot ticket for me lately.
For me I use just regular Z-man's in wood and Rage Blades in grass/weeds. I run a huge grub trailer too. I don't catch very many fish on them, but when I do it's a keeper.
Ive been liking the V&M Lightning blade. I wasnt thrilled at the Zmans hook sharpness. Plus, the V&M has a longer hook so its supposed to get less short strikes.
The Phenix 3 got discontinued as of September 30th. If you like them, you better buy the rest of them off of T W. I loaded up on D&M Piranha's when they got discontinued. Have yet to find anything I currently like. I guess the Project Z would be what I purchase when I run out of D&M.
What sizes do you guys like?
Depends on brand and style...some are shaped and designed in a way they rise in water column.
I usually go 3/8 but again that will run very shallow for some brands.
You can make 5 for about $15.00 from lurepartsonline.com. That's with the magnum blade & Starflash skirts
Favorite is Bobby D's Grinders followed by the original D&M ones...glad I have a good supply of both!
Many of the models that I see on TW seem to be the same Jigs that Brand sells in the swim Jig or Casting Jig section-Flat Eye Arkie is popular since it only needs 1 split ring, but I would agree that ordering the parts yourself and making your own is not only more cost effective, but you can also experiment with them to get the action you want.
I like the Z-Man Original chatterbaits with the blade attached directly but the hooks are just not sharp. You can get them sharp but they do not hold up well from my experience. I actually think the Strike King Poison? is a good option since it is inexpensive, and comes in different sizes like 3/16 and has a thinner blade and a split ring inside the jig head which seems to give it a unique action, but I like to make my own and put them on either a ball head jig or swim jig bullet head with a flat eye. I like one split ring better than 2 for some reason.
I also like to play around with blade sizes and also use mostly colored blades, black and gold 90% of the time. The Trailer you pick can give the bait completely different actions. A Fluke will make it move completely different than a Grub etc...I like the Project Z, I have not used it much but it looks and feels quality to me.
I have issues with hook up ratios on swinging hooks when texas rigged, I like a swinging hook for leverage but I just rig the trailer open, Chatterbaits are good in weeds and many strikes come when ripping them out like a swim jig/Trap etc...I guess it depends on how you fish them. I use 1/16 Z-Man Minnow versions and then regular jigs in 1/8-1/2. I like a 1/4 oz with a heavy trailer since I can fish it really shallow, but 3/8 is what I use most of the time since I use the Rage Menace most of the time. I love that bait as a trailer, Swim Senko is my other choice, and then a Trick worm.
Does the SK pure poison want to raise in the water column as easy/fast as the SK rage blade ?
I do like dshad's as trailers...the tail whips and flutters side to side and is more finesse than boot tail.
I have no issues with a texas rigged chatterbait when using a soft rod...in fact my hookup ratio is excellent by just reeling into them and sweeping like a crankbait. I also use a heavy pound mono/flouro and can still rip it out of grass and pads without much effort.
On 10/27/2016 at 9:05 AM, chadmack282 said:Does the SK pure poison want to raise in the water column as easy/fast as the SK rage blade ?
I doubt it. The rage blade is essentially an upside down dive bill. Regular blades dont have quite the same severe dynamics
I'm thinking of getting some of the siebert version (pogy I think) with an upcoming order. Has anyone tried them and how do they compare to some of the ones listed above?
i personally use the siebert fogy for my 3/8oz and 1/2oz and z-man project z if i want to throw a 3/4oz
if i am fishing it over wood then i switch to a strike king rage blade. i am also going to place a nice order with mike soon
On 10/28/2016 at 12:03 PM, Torn Thumb said:I'm thinking of getting some of the siebert version (pogy I think) with an upcoming order. Has anyone tried them and how do they compare to some of the ones listed above?
i like them a fair amount they are my main bladed jig they seem to vibrate really well at slow speeds which is what i love about them. working them over grass or around it that slow really works well for me.
I'm a die hard believer in the original D&M Piranha chatterbaits, if you see any sold on eBay there's a good chance it was me that bought them! But since hte D&Ms are no longer made I have tried a few other brands, Picasso Shock Blade, Strike King Rage Blade, ZMan Chatterbaits, Molix Lover. The Rage Blade is built like a tank and maybe my favorite of the bunch, the Shock Blade I actually think it works better when fished slow because when I try to burn it it seems to want to roll on me. The ZMans seem to get the best vibration at any speed, but the coffin blade is also the thinnest of them all. The Molix Lover is a weird bait, not really a true bladed jig, more like a bladed crankbait hybrid.
I'm not a big chatterbait person I like my spinner baits but I do use chatterbaits on occasion.
Not all of mine but most are Zman brand. I have had no problems with them. They are available most anywhere and reasonably priced.
For the life of me I don't know how some of you think Zman has bad hooks. The ones I have come with Mustad UltraPoint hooks that have no issues at all with being way above the sharp necessary to hook a fish. It's like arguing Gillete is sharper than Schick. Either one is more than sharp enough to accomplish the job.
Bluebasser86 makes the best Chatterbaits I have ever used! Color selection is unreal
On 10/30/2016 at 8:17 PM, bradco said:Bluebasser86 makes the best Chatterbaits I have ever used! Color selection is unreal
Yup, have literally caught probably thousands by now off his bladed jigs. So many different skirt and blade colors...and he'll customize anything for you as well.
That thought occurred to me but I thought he said he didn't sell them, just made them for himself.
On 10/30/2016 at 11:40 PM, Torn Thumb said:That thought occurred to me but I thought he said he didn't sell them, just made them for himself.
Contact him, he makes jigs, ned heads, swingheads, etc.
On 10/29/2016 at 2:34 AM, S. Sass said:I'm not a big chatterbait person I like my spinner baits but I do use chatterbaits on occasion.
Not all of mine but most are Zman brand. I have had no problems with them. They are available most anywhere and reasonably priced.
For the life of me I don't know how some of you think Zman has bad hooks. The ones I have come with Mustad UltraPoint hooks that have no issues at all with being way above the sharp necessary to hook a fish. It's like arguing Gillete is sharper than Schick. Either one is more than sharp enough to accomplish the job.
Do you use a chatterbait in the exact same situations you'd use a spinnerbait?
On 10/26/2016 at 7:35 AM, RichF said:Here's a list of all the vibrating jigs I've used:
1. Phenix vibrator version 3 - my new fav, great vibration at all speeds, hook is a bit small but really good, comes in 3/4 oz
2. Original D&M Piranha - awesome bait, great running, good hook and trailer keeper, good luck finding them!
3. Z-Man project Z - great, tight vibration, good hook and really nice trailer keeper, not enough natural colored blades
4. Picasso shock blade - pretty good, nice hook, don't run great at slow speeds
5. Revenge vibrator - nice looking, nice running, not enough natural colored blades
6. SK pure poison - cheap, decent running, NO trailer keeper (unless they added one in the last few yrs)
7. Z-man original - decent running, crappy hook
8. Booyah boogie bait - least fav, runs really high in the water column
1-5 are roughly the same price ($7 to $9). 6-8 are around $5.
**Seems like there is room for improvement in the bladed jig lure category !!
I fish the Z Man Original Chatterbait Elite in a 3/8 and 1/2 ounce weights, the colors that I use are Black Blue, Bluegill, Smokey Shad and White. I use Crayfish Colors, Bluegill Colors and Shad Colors as trailers. The 7" Castaic Baits Jerky J's in Albino, Baby Bass, Bluegill and Green Shad work great in super clear water. By changing the bait’s profile, action and color or by using just about any type of trailer that you can imagine makes this lure have great versatility.
On 11/25/2016 at 1:08 AM, tcbass said:
Do you use a chatterbait in the exact same situations you'd use a spinnerbait?
Pretty much the same. If I just have a day I want to try something different I will use the chatter bait instead of where I would normally use the spinnerbait. Not saying chatterbaits are worse or better I just personally have a much better history with the spinnerbait.
On 11/25/2016 at 1:08 AM, tcbass said:
Do you use a chatterbait in the exact same situations you'd use a spinnerbait?
I don't. To me a spinnerbait is good when I need to fish a bait fast (generally clear water), or it's too snaggy for a bladed jig.
I fish a bladed jig much slower and typically lower in the water column and have much better success on them in stained to muddy water. They're also great at calling fish out of weeds and don't seem to foul as easily as the blades on a spinnerbait do in weeds.
The rare occasions when I'm fishing both in the same type areas, I've seen them greatly prefer one over the other.
I had purchased some bladed Jigs from Bluebasser and they are awesome since he made them with Owner Hooks and bigger hooks, all components matched really well.
I then kind of copied his design although he has the capability to make a flat eye bullet head which is my favorite, I have yet to find a brand that I had as much confidence in, although I now make my own and just use my favorite swim Jig, by the blades and then add either a ring, Wire, or take a spinnerbait and cut the arm off, then twist the head into a chatterbait style head, then just add a blade.
I like the colored blades although I just like to use gold, black, white, dark Nickel, I never really use silver but I am sure they work great. I like a black blade with a black and red or black and blue skirt at night.
I find the trailer, bend in blade, weight all give any bladed jig different actions. The safest trailers imo are the Rage Menace, Small Devil Spear, Subwoofer, Salt Craw, 4" Finesse worm, double tail grubs, single tail grubs, or a fluke...I don't do as well with boot tail swimbaits but when I use them the extra thump seems to get bigger bites, but the swim Senko is money all the time most of the time...Hard to go wrong, they are not as easy to fish as people make it seem. It takes practice and chucking and winding works, but I keep learning new little things & still miss more fish than I should. Really an amazing lure that has endless ways to fish it.
I often run them right under the surface & use a 1/4 oz, I even use the 1/8 oz mini size at times, if using Z-Man, just make sure the hook is sharp & snap is secure. I change the snaps out to a better quality or bigger. I do like taking the z-man blades off of old cheap models and add them to strike King Hack attack swim Jigs.
Also a fan of Clayton's (Bluebasser's) chatterbaits; they're pretty dope.
On 11/30/2016 at 1:33 AM, Senko lover said:Also a fan of Clayton's (Bluebasser's) chatterbaits; they're pretty dope.
Where do we sign up for the 2017 catalog?
On 11/30/2016 at 1:37 AM, Hez said:Where do we sign up for the 2017 catalog?
https://www.facebook.com/CandCcustombaits/
C&C custom baits on FB
On 11/30/2016 at 1:47 AM, Senko lover said:https://www.facebook.com/CandCcustombaits/
C&C custom baits on FB
Awesome! Thank you.
On 11/30/2016 at 1:49 AM, Hez said:Awesome! Thank you.
I've known @Bluebasser86 for many years so I know he knows how to fish, and have been fishin his bladed jigs (Bighead Wobblers as they are known by) for @ 3 yrs or better now and they've pretty much become my go to bait most of the time...and by most of the time I mean I probably catch 70% of my fish per year on them!
On 11/30/2016 at 7:53 AM, Advantage said:I've known @Bluebasser86 for many years so I know he knows how to fish, and have been fishin his bladed jigs (Bighead Wobblers as they are known by) for @ 3 yrs or better now and they've pretty much become my go to bait most of the time...and by most of the time I mean I probably catch 70% of my fish per year on them!
10-4, appreciate the info sir.
ebay sellers can offer up some decent vibrating jigs for as little as $4.19 with free shipping.
i bought one a few weeks ago and it seemed to chatter well but i lost it like 10 minutes later so i dont know how well it catches bass.