New To Chatterbaits. Help With Color And Size? 2024
PaJay reply :
Well started on the Swing Jig ride this year and things are what they say they are. Now looking to try the Chatterbaits. Looking for a little help before investing. Thanks all!!!
ABW reply :
3/8 oz in black/blue, green pumpkin, and white/chart. Experiment with different trailers ie. grubs, paddle tail swimbaits
Ozark_Basser reply :
Same colors as spinnerbaits. I like paddle tail swimbaits for the trailer.
Jon G reply :
I primarily use 2-3 colors and only one size. I use a black and blue, green pumpkin, and some sort of white. The size I use is a 3/8 oz.
bait__Monkey reply :
U needz 'da new Zmans Project Zs Chatterbaits. New and improved, much betta den old ones. Da Houdini and zee black and blue is good, but meybe tryz zem all?
Bluebasser86 reply :
I like black and blue, kind of a firetiger color I make, and green pumpkin. Lately I've been using a special one I did with green pumpkin, some chartreuse, and a black blade. It's really been tearing them up!
ndejohn27 reply :
3/8 oz chartreuse and white with a white paddle tail or split tall trailer. Try to bump it off rocks on the bottom or along the banks and keep it right above the weeds.
gardnerjigman reply :
PM bluebasser from above. His baits are made of quality components and have a wire tied skirt. The colors he makes are great, and he usually has no problem tweaking a color for you.
Welcome to the addiction.
Miller's Ferry 8 reply :
I fish these a lot and caught some very nice fish on them. I fish two colors determined by water clarity. If its muddy I use black/blue with a matching 6 inch swimbait trailer. It sounds large and it is but you'll be surprised how small of a fish will hit it. I've caught fish from 0.75lb-5lb on them. If the water is anything other than muddy I use something close to a green pumpkin color. Here's the important part, dip the tail in chartreuse dye. Only the round paddle tail part though. I use a gambler Big-EZ as my trailer. Your chatterbait needs to be the Elite model because it has a bigger hook on it for the large trailer. The chatterbait is perfect for drawing reactions. Anytime you get close to the hot spot where you think he's waiting to ambush it give it one or two quick twitches. The only time I use white or chartreuse is in the shad spawn.
wytstang reply :
I use chatterbaits were the blade attaches directly to the head vs. using a split ring. It gives off a ticking sound from the blade to head contact along with the vibration of the lure. I also use a craw or a paddle tail lure as my trailer.
Here is a perfect video with sound displaying the ticking sound a blade to head chatterbait makes
roadwarrior reply :
Try white on white using a Rage Tail Structure Bug for the trailer.
Mr Swim Jig reply :
I use a 3/8oz chatter bait in white, black and blue and green pumpkin shad.
CWB reply :
Had one of my best days ever this spring on Z-Man Project Z 3/8 oz in Breaking Bream with a Green Pumpkin/Blue Havoc Beatshad trailer. Bass just annihilated it. went through 2 packs of trailers. Looks just like a bluegill. Hard to beat if you fish clear water and gills are one of the main forage treats for the bass. All my other brands are being sold on E-bay. $8 bucks but well worth it.
MrBigFishSC reply :
Black/blue for muddy water in spring and bluegill or green pumpkin otherwise. I prefer crawl trailers for the action especially when slow retrieved or rip and pause. I agree that light colors are only for shad spawn. 3/8 is the most versatile but 1/2 ounce are good if you want to fish deeper or slower. This bait in b/b is killer for spawning fish as you slow retreive over or around beds. The fish hate this bait and will usually attack it faster than a lizard or other soft bait.
Coherence reply :
Not much I can add to this topic as far as colors and weights go - everyone has suggested the 3/8 oz black/blue and green pumpkin ones that I throw most often.
One thing that I do when the fish aren't taking my chatterbait with a craw or small swimbait trailer is to put on a KVD perfect plastic finesse worm - that cupped tail gives it a strange and erratic action. Has caught me some big fish when the bite seems off.
ww2farmer reply :
3/8 oz is the only size (for now) that I use. Black/blue in dirty water, and a bluegill color in stained water. In clear water, I lose the blade and fish a swim jig. My favorite trailers for both (chatterbaits + swimjigs) this year have been a Yum Swimming Dinger, a Yum Thumping Dinger, a Yum Bad Jamma, or a Yum Christie Craw. My go to trailer for the past few years was a simple single tailed grub, and it's still in the rotation, but not as much as the past few years. Last year I had decent results with Havoc Grass Pigs, and Subwoofers as trailers..............but..........I like the Yum stuff better, especially on slower retrieves.....that Swimming Dinger is a winner.
blckshirt98 reply :
Sexy shad/chartreuse shad for muddy/stained water! I'm a big fan of the D&M swim jigs, though I do have some of the Molix Lover and Picasso Shock Blades that I haven't used yet, that look fantastic up close. D&M uses some beefy hooks on their vibrating jigs, especially their 1st gen Piranhas with the beast hooks. Those things are built like tanks.
BASSPATROL247 reply :
I like the tour grade rage blades most, i throw blk/blu and anything with bluegill colors. If they ever stop producing for me i'll try other colors butt hey work well here. For trailers i like split tail from zoom in white or chartreuse and a bass assasin paddletail in
..electric chicken
BarefootBassin reply :
Great info on the thread! I'll add that in my experience, the craw trailers have worked well in warmer or stained waters, while swimbait trailers have worked better for me when the water is cooler. I throw craw trailers from spawn through October in TX and swimbaits the rest of the year. If there are shad present and the water is clear I'll throw white, but I throw black/blue or GP most of the time. Rage, Christie, z-craws craws...any craw with a good kick when slow-rolling is preferable.
For swimbaits I prefer something with with a faster kick, like a Gambler EZ swimmer, swim senko or Jackall rythm wave. The action of the Keitech swing impact fat and the chatterbait seem to counter each other and I haven't had great results with them, but I'm sure some would disagree. There's my two cents.
TBAG reply :
What rod and line are you using for these? I'm assuming the same as a spinnerbait setup?
BarefootBassin reply :
On 8/15/2018 at 1:39 AM, TBAG said:What rod and line are you using for these? I'm assuming the same as a spinnerbait setup?
I fish them on a MH fast most of the time. The hooks on most bladed jigs are pretty beefy, so I wouldn't go any light than that. They usually knock slack in the line, like a swimbait bite, so reel down and set hard when that happens. The one exception is if I'm fishing grass, then I prefer a MH moderate/fast with a little more give. Like a lot of grass fishing techniques, they tend to hit when you hit the grass and rip it free. A faster action tends to rip it away a bit too fast and they seem to miss if more often. Sounds weird, but another angler turned me onto the slower action for grass and it works. I use 3/8 oz for water less than 6 feet deep and 1/2 oz for anything deeper. Trailers that move more water tend to make the bait ride up a little more too, so keep that in mind.
FishDewd reply :
Here's my thoughts on chatterbaits.... I know I'll get retorts and comments about this, buuuuut.
I don't like them. I've gotten them in several different colors, used different trailers, and never gotten so much as a nibble off of one, using different retrieves and speeds. I like how the thump like a crankbait and all... they feel really cool to fish. However, crankbait has been more effective for me. Maybe it's my waterways, or maybe it's just that I can't fish it right. But I hear of others using them with success in the same waterways I fish. They just do not work for me and they've gone into the "retired" tackle box as of now cause they just do not work (for me).
Bluebasser86 reply :
On 8/15/2018 at 1:39 AM, TBAG said:What rod and line are you using for these? I'm assuming the same as a spinnerbait setup?
I fish mine on a 6' 9" H/F rod with a 6.2 reel and 17lb Pline CX, pretty similar to a spinnerbait rod.
Beetlebz reply :
On 8/15/2018 at 3:54 PM, Bluebasser86 said:I fish mine on a 6' 9" H/F rod with a 6.2 reel and 17lb Pline CX, pretty similar to a spinnerbait rod.
Same. I threw mine on a few different MH combos until I tried my 7'6" H/F jig rod with 15lb YZH. I feel like I have the control that I'm supposed to over the chatterbait.
CroakHunter reply :
On 8/15/2018 at 1:39 AM, TBAG said:What rod and line are you using for these? I'm assuming the same as a spinnerbait setup?
7' heavy, 7.1 reel, 17lb fluorocarbon. Also throw Spinner baits on this set up
Hawkeye21 reply :
On 8/15/2018 at 1:24 PM, FishDewd said:Here's my thoughts on chatterbaits.... I know I'll get retorts and comments about this, buuuuut.
I don't like them. I've gotten them in several different colors, used different trailers, and never gotten so much as a nibble off of one, using different retrieves and speeds. I like how the thump like a crankbait and all... they feel really cool to fish. However, crankbait has been more effective for me. Maybe it's my waterways, or maybe it's just that I can't fish it right. But I hear of others using them with success in the same waterways I fish. They just do not work for me and they've gone into the "retired" tackle box as of now cause they just do not work (for me).
Must be something with where you fish or maybe the colors you use. The chatterbait is my go-to confidence bait. I've caught my largest fish on it, large mouth, small mouth and northern pike.
I fish the Mississippi River a lot and it's pretty stained to muddy. I use black/blue with matching color paddle tail trailer 99% of the time. I prefer 1/2 ounce. Ever since I started using a chatterbait my bass fishing has improved greatly and it's already won me some money in fishing tourneys.
J Francho reply :
I like my jig colors when I'm hopping them and spinner/buzzbait colors when using a horizontal retrieve.
GReb reply :
Chatterbaits are great down here in our stained and heavy vegetated waters. I prefer a swim jig most of the year but there are days where the blade really gets their attention. The Yamamoto Zako is a killer chatter trailer.
I fish both on 6’10” falcon headturner. 30lb braid to 12lb mono leader
FishDewd reply :
On 8/15/2018 at 9:01 PM, Hawkeye21 said:
Must be something with where you fish or maybe the colors you use. The chatterbait is my go-to confidence bait. I've caught my largest fish on it, large mouth, small mouth and northern pike.
I fish the Mississippi River a lot and it's pretty stained to muddy. I use black/blue with matching color paddle tail trailer 99% of the time. I prefer 1/2 ounce. Ever since I started using a chatterbait my bass fishing has improved greatly and it's already won me some money in fishing tourneys.
Maybe. Originally I just had a white/chatreuse one cause I was thinking it be effective for real muddy water. After changing to different trailers and watching someone else effectively use a black/blue one I decided mine wasn't right. I bought a black/blue that was on sale at walmart (I time only deal, stupid walmart) and had no luck at thesame location. The next time I fished with it at a fairly new location I snagged it and lost it on some rocks. I have a black/yellow one but I don't think it'll be any better than black/blue and I almost lost it last time I tried to use it. They get snagged up real easily I have found.
GReb reply :
On 8/15/2018 at 11:53 PM, FishDewd said:Maybe. Originally I just had a white/chatreuse one cause I was thinking it be effective for real muddy water. After changing to different trailers and watching someone else effectively use a black/blue one I decided mine wasn't right. I bought a black/blue that was on sale at walmart (I time only deal, stupid walmart) and had no luck at thesame location. The next time I fished with it at a fairly new location I snagged it and lost it on some rocks. I have a black/yellow one but I don't think it'll be any better than black/blue and I almost lost it last time I tried to use it. They get snagged up real easily I have found.
I prefer chatterbaits in stained, mud bottomed, grassy water. If fishing rocky bottom I throw a square bill instead.
FishDewd reply :
On 8/16/2018 at 4:33 AM, GReb said:
I prefer chatterbaits in stained, mud bottomed, grassy water. If fishing rocky bottom I throw a square bill instead.
Yeah this was a fairly new waterway I didn't realize how rocky it was. Where I would normally fish it is around the grassy bank areas of a different pond that's primarily a muddy botom.
Hawkeye21 reply :
Muddy water is usually the best and grassy. I have some of the best luck running right above weeds or through some of them. When I get into some weeds I just rip it out and many times I get a bite from that action. Chatterbait can work almost every part of the year.
Munkin reply :
I have not caught anything on them yet but I know they will work.
Allen
DSTN reply :
Chatterbait is definitely one of my favorites. White chatterbait with white or smokin shad super fluke has done the best for me. The lake I fish most has a lot of gizzard shad.
ChrisD46 reply :
I'm no expert by any means - but to me a paddle tail trailer fights against the action that the chatterbait generates thus I like a simple Fluke as a trailer with less action and thus let the chatterbait supply the action . *My favorite is a Strike King KVD Perfect Plastic Blade Minnow (can be found at Academy , TW , etc.) as a trailer in a light color such as Pearl or Ghost Shad - then a darker color such as Green Pumpkin or Bluegill as needs dictate . I'll reserve paddle tail trailers , grubs and craw type trailers for swim jigs (which have no action of their own other than the skirt).
DSTN reply :
@GReb, totallt agree about the paddle tail trailer on a chatterbait. Never liked it myself but seems like a lot of people do. I mostly use super flukes too, with the occasional craw style bait. Whatever works.
Choporoz reply :
On 6/19/2015 at 12:31 AM, roadwarrior said:Try white on white using a Rage Tail Structure Bug for the trailer.
Yep!
I will, on occasion, use Culprit IncrediClaw Slim and Zman Razor Shadz -- but, mostly now just to use them up. I believe that 95% of the time....maybe more...the white Rage Tail Bug will do better than anything else
mattkenzer reply :
On 6/19/2015 at 12:31 AM, roadwarrior said:Try white on white using a Rage Tail Structure Bug for the trailer.
Never would have put those two together ....
I will give it a go this weekend.
Thank you.
Original Chatterbait or Rage Blade?
Or something else?
Big Rick reply :
It's been my experience than any bladed jig that is mounted straight to the eye of the jig is far superior to the other ones with the split ring connecting the blade and jig head. For years Z Man had the patent on that design and prevented the others from copying them. That patent has since expired thus allowing other brands to imitate and improve on the Z Man design. The latest is the Booyah Melee Vibrating Jig. Whereas this configuration is not yet proven on the field, I am certain it will produce as it is just a little different and will be vibrate at a new wavelength that fish have not experienced yet..
GReb reply :
On 8/22/2018 at 2:10 AM, DSTN said:@GReb, totallt agree about the paddle tail trailer on a chatterbait. Never liked it myself but seems like a lot of people do. I mostly use super flukes too, with the occasional craw style bait. Whatever works.
Agreed. Paddle tails do not work on chatterbaits. I typically go with a Zako or other flat style tails.
blckshirt98 reply :
I like to use a basic 4"-5" single tail grub as my trailer, usually a Kalin's. Cheap, and easy to find everywhere.
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