I'm not to fancy with chatter bait trailers and usually will use a zoom fluke style plastic.....yesterday tried a caffeine shad.....OMG.....enough said.
Rage Structure Bug for me.
Rage Menace or the Zako for me! I personally prefer the Zako in clear water and the Menace in murkier waters. Tight Lines!
I am not very original and use the Zako a lot also on my chatter baits. The Caffeine Shad is one of my favorites though rigged weightless on a 4/0 and twitched through the grass beds. Our favorite color is baby bass (the fish and me).
I use the Berkley Grass Pig Jr.
If you want a compact profile and a trailer with subtle action, try a Larews Bass Shooter, turned sideways so the bait is shaped like a bluegill.
I had a bag of these & was disappointed in how they worked as a soft jerkbait. While trying to find a use for them, I found they make a good Chatterbait trailer when you are trying to imitate a small bluegill.
I've become a huge fan of the Razor Shadz. They fit well and move perfect for me.
On 4/12/2019 at 8:50 PM, Oregon Native said:I'm not to fancy with chatter bait trailers and usually will use a zoom fluke style plastic.....yesterday tried a caffeine shad.....OMG.....enough said.
You saying the caffeine shad was better than a fluke? If so how?
Any paddle tail I can get at a good price. Split tails. Just started using Havoc Pit Boss because of good reviews on here.
About paddle tails - gotta be honest, I don't care for them on chatterbaits. I'm looking into new options.
I'm intrigued. Super Flukes are my go to chatterbait lure but I'm always up for trying something new.
With regards to paddle tails the only one I've sorta liked on a chatterbait out of the few I've tried is the Grass Pig because it's heavy so it casts well and I like how it kind of lumbers through the water. Seems like a good profile and the fish don't seem to complain.
Zakos are all I use.
Toward the end of April I will start using a Zoom fat albert. Right now I’m using a Zoom super chunk.
UV speed craw for me
On 4/13/2019 at 7:35 AM, DSTN said:I'm intrigued. Super Flukes are my go to chatterbait lure but I'm always up for trying something new.
I usually use flukes as well but also intrigued. Suspense is killing me.
Lake Fork Tackle's Live Magic Shad ????
Usually the keitechs that get torn up get put on the chatterbait.
Strike King Blade Minnow
On 4/13/2019 at 1:43 AM, Glaucus said:
About paddle tails - gotta be honest, I don't care for them on chatterbaits. I'm looking into new options.
Same here. I like paddle tails on swim jigs. But not on chatters.
On 4/13/2019 at 10:00 AM, bassheel said:UV speed craw for me
This is my choice now also!
KVD blade minnow
Havoc Pitboss, Devil's Spear, or Rage Menace rigged vertically instead of horizontally are my main trailers. Also like a 4.8 fat impact style trailer when they're eating big gizzard shad.
On 4/13/2019 at 1:16 AM, waymont said:You saying the caffeine shad was better than a fluke? If so how?
Seems to at least in the size I used for the Zoom was a four inch and caffeine is a four. For some reason it just wiggles different...believe the caffeine is softer. Just know that the two times I've used it here in the last week life has been good and have had the best chatter days of my life....probably coincidence but.....not changing for awhile
On 4/13/2019 at 10:00 AM, bassheel said:UV speed craw for me
These and Z-craws seem to work best for me.
The Havoc Pit Boss in the Perfection color on a Z-Man bluegill colored chatterbait just slays them in my area. I've tried Rage Tails and different Power Baits as well with absolutely no luck.
On 4/14/2019 at 1:17 AM, MIbassyaker said:Strike King Blade Minnow
+1 ... Outstanding choice !!
Good ol' Kalin's 4" or 5" single tail grub.
Asked this same question and had my best like with rage bug rigged sideways. Perfect profile. I take the top 2 appendages off
As I mentioned before I prefer the bluegill chatterbait with a dark trailer, but the other day the Bait Monkey grabbed me and I bought a white chatterbait. I put a white Zoom paddletail on it, fished it in murky waters and caught a couple of three pounders and a one pounder.
They had stopped hitting the darler chatterbait but hit white spinnerbaits so I decided to try a white chatterbait. I'm glad I did.
On 4/13/2019 at 1:15 AM, Drew03cmc said:I've become a huge fan of the Razor Shadz. They fit well and move perfect for me.
Same.
I do not care for paddle tails or "action' style baits as a chatterbait trailer. The Razor Shad has just the right amount of subtle movement. A Zako is a close second, but I prefer the Razor for it's durability. I save the paddle tails, and other baits with more built in action for swim jigs.
Thanks, I will try that. I use a lot of fluke trailers, keitech's and Lake Fork Live Magic Shad.
Zman Razor Shadz, or Yamamoto Zako's are about all i throw them with anymore...and i only buy the zako if i cannot get the Razor Shad, Razor Shad is much more durable
if those aren't an option....everyone, everywhere will have a fluke style bait available!
Not saying the caffeine is better than a fluke as a chatter trailer, but just fished weightless Texas rigged. It is heavy enough to cast by it self weightless. I always have one on a bait caster in baby bass.
Hog Farmer Spunk Shad - it moves in sync with the blade.
*Anyone tried a Zoom "Speed Worm" on a chatterbait as a trailer (just about everyone has some stashed away) ? That big oval , flat Zoom speed worm tail rigged vertically as a chatterbait trailer may be interesting with an inch or so cut off of the head ... If too much then a Zoom Ultravibe version speed worm as a chatterbait trailer with an inch or so cut off of the head may be a cool deal with a little less tail thump .
On 4/13/2019 at 1:43 AM, Glaucus said:Any paddle tail I can get at a good price. Split tails. Just started using Havoc Pit Boss because of good reviews on here.
About paddle tails - gotta be honest, I don't care for them on chatterbaits. I'm looking into new options.
I've caught some on the pit boss but not as many as I have with any of the paddle tails. Whichever ones I've used have all caught fish. I like the idea of the pit boss but I can't figure out why they work when they do because a lot of the time, I don't do as well with the craw style baits. And there's always the possibility that I fish them differently, whether I know it or not.
Anyways, just when I feel like I should throw a craw-style trailer even though I don't WANT to...if I put the pit boss on, they catch em.
On 4/13/2019 at 7:49 AM, Bankbeater said:Toward the end of April I will start using a Zoom fat albert. Right now I’m using a Zoom super chunk.
The chunks work well? Seems like that's the only trailer that gets bit for me on a jig. Never thought about using them on chatterbaits.
On 4/23/2019 at 6:50 AM, ChrisD46 said:*Anyone tried a Zoom "Speed Worm" on a chatterbait as a trailer (just about everyone has some stashed away) ? That big oval , flat Zoom speed worm tail rigged vertically as a chatterbait trailer may be interesting with an inch or so cut off of the head ... If too much then a Zoom Ultravibe version speed worm as a chatterbait trailer with an inch or so cut off of the head may be a cool deal with a little less tail thump .
I use a zoom fluke stick as a trailer alot and it catches them.
On 4/19/2019 at 9:27 AM, Koz said:As I mentioned before I prefer the bluegill chatterbait with a dark trailer, but the other day the Bait Monkey grabbed me and I bought a white chatterbait. I put a white Zoom paddletail on it, fished it in murky waters and caught a couple of three pounders and a one pounder.
They had stopped hitting the darler chatterbait but hit white spinnerbaits so I decided to try a white chatterbait. I'm glad I did.
IMO you only need two chatterbait colors; mostly dark and mostly white....I have different variations of each, some white-ish ones with chartreuse or lavender....and dark ones that are mostly black, or mostly blue. I've thrown green ones, but don't any more. The light baits get white Rage Tail Structure Bugs and the dark ones get dark Structure Bugs. Except for occassionally working heavier ones deep, it's that simple. I've tried other trailers and nothing works like the Structure Bugs. I start with white-ish -- if they don't hit that, I try dark. If they don't hit either, I move or start throwing something really slow and tedious. There just isn't anything as consistent, easy to throw, versatile, etc. There's lots of good chatterbaits out there, but if I had to go with one forever, I'd get them all from @Bluebasser86 . Aside from great hooks, excellent start-up action, etc...his are really hard to hang up. You can throw them deep into the pads or pull them right through most laydowns.
The only negative thing I have to say about chatterbaits is that some days it is nearly impossible to keep the snakeheads off of them.
How do you fish these things ? never had a single bite on one. Fished it like a texas rigged worm, fished it like a spinner bait, bounced it along texas worm style but faster so I can feel a bit of vibration... These are new since I got back into fishing this year after a 19 year break
Lots of ways....but three of the best conditions for me are pads, laydowns and submergent grass. Bringing over the top and bumping a submerged trunk of horizontal tree is money. If theres grass within 3 feet of the surface....perfect. And, into, around, and ,through pad fields.
One more thing...if you aren't getting bit on a particular day, try mixing up the retrieve a bit before putting it away. Slight kills, (with reel or rod, or both) on a relatively fast retrieve can trigger strikes. Rare days require dramatic kills: quick retrieve with sudden stop/drops of as much as 5 feet. And one memorable day boated biggest fish by just hopping them off the bottom.
On 4/12/2019 at 8:50 PM, Oregon Native said:I'm not to fancy with chatter bait trailers and usually will use a zoom fluke style plastic.....yesterday tried a caffeine shad.....OMG.....enough said.
Zoom Split Tail trailer https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Zoom_Split_Tail_Trailer_20pk/descpage-ZOSTTR.html They come 20 in a pack and are CHEAP
Seen ZERO pads, and ZERO grass, in places that had both years ago. Think all the rain and high water last year killed it all.
On 5/3/2019 at 11:21 AM, Fishingintheweeds said:The chunks work well? Seems like that's the only trailer that gets bit for me on a jig. Never thought about using them on chatterbaits.
They work pretty good. They have some action, but it’s more subtle.
On 5/4/2019 at 9:14 AM, Bankbeater said:They work pretty good. They have some action, but it’s more subtle.
I guess you hook them on instead of threading them?
On 5/4/2019 at 11:47 AM, Fishingintheweeds said:I guess you hook them on instead of threading them?
Yes I just hook them straight through the center like a jig.