Prespawn: squarebill, chatterbait, or spinnerbait -which do you prefer? 2024

clemsondds reply :

Just curious what your go to is for hitting the shallows. I know each has certain conditions it’s better at, but what’s your go to and why. I personally have a tough time choosing between these three; they are so much fun to throw.

Bluebasser86 reply :

Of those two, a spinnerbait.

Suspending jerkbaits are king during the prespawn though.

scaleface reply :

Spinnerbait. Bass are aggressive and hungry and spinnerbaits fish through wood cover the best . i'll usually retrieve it just deep enough that the blades are barely visible in the stained to muddy water around here . I almost always use willows . Colorados are not needed , bass will detect willows just fine .

MIbassyaker reply :

I'll use any of the three, depending on conditions, cover, types of water and such.

-Calm day, clear weedy waters with very little wood or hard cover usually get a chatterbait.

-a little wind, murkier waters, and more wood/hard cover get a spinnerbait

-rocky or sandy places with light weeds, maybe some wood but not too much get a squarebill. Also squarebill for some select places with certain kinds of subsurface vegetation where I can crank it with pauses over the top, letting it catch and ripping out occasionally is effective.

jimmyjoe reply :

In rivers? Spinnerbait, double Colorado.

In lakes? Twitchbait, usually Bomber Long A.

That's my story, and I'm stickin' to it. jj

Dens228 reply :

I would go with the conditions.

Windy, cloudy, I'm using a spinnerbait.

Other than that I'm using a squarebill.

But.........if it's too weedy for a squarebill I'd use a chatterbait..........

Last year early season I won big bass in a tournament with a chatterbait, the guy who won the tournament used a squarebill.

RHuff reply :

On 1/26/2020 at 11:00 PM, clemsondds said:

Just curious what your go to is for hitting the shallows. I know each has certain conditions it’s better at, but what’s your go to and why. I personally have a tough time choosing between these three; they are so much fun to throw.

Big Spinnerbait = Big Bass....... slow roll it

Paul Roberts reply :

My waters are shallow. Jerk, and shallow crank regardless of bill shape. More important seems to be rise rate, at least until the water warms. Lipless is in the running too.

keagbassr reply :

Personally I like to start out early spring with a Jig, however of the 3 about which you asked I'd go spinnerbait, chatterbait,squarebill, though I'll usually have all 3 rigged to see what they want each time out.

Mobasser reply :

Spinnerbait

Tizi reply :

Of those three a spinnerbait would be my favorite followed by a square bill, then chatterbait. I get more bites on a jerkbait during pre-spawn. I like super flukes this time of year too.

Columbia Craw reply :

Spinnerbait

Scott F reply :

Any of those baits will catch pre-spawners. But if you want to keep up with me, on my lake, you better be fishing a suspending jerkbait.

clemsondds reply :

On 1/27/2020 at 7:53 AM, Scott F said:

Any of those baits will catch pre-spawners. But if you want to keep up with me, on my lake, you better be fishing a suspending jerkbait.

Jerkbait is a given. I’m just talking about these three right now... I have a separate rod for a jerkBait

On 1/27/2020 at 7:33 AM, Columbia Craw said:

Spinnerbait

Mind sharing why? Thanks

Hawkeye21 reply :

Chatterbait reeled in slowly.

Columbia Craw reply :

Each Lure is effective in the right situation. I " prefer " the spinnerbait because of it's ability get in and out of cover without hanging up and covering water quickly. In certain situations I would prefer a vibrating jig because I want to minimize the flash but add some thump and cover water. In other situations where the area is dominated by hard cover, the squarebill shines and, again, covers water effectively. Left to one choice, the spinnerbait gets the first shot. Realize this is for largemouth. When working pre spawn smallmouth, things change and the jerkbait becomes king.

clemsondds reply :

Thanks everyone! I must say I’m a little surprised. A lot of the YouTube guys seem pretty obsessed with squarebills, then chatterbaits, and finally spinnerbaits. Seems you hardly ever hear anyone talk about spinnerbaits much. I do love them too...I love anything that doesn’t get hung up ha. I guess I’ll have all of these tied on...but then you throw in swim jig as well... some great baits!

2tall79 reply :

I like a spinnerbait in most cases. I like being able to "helicopter" it into holes and next to objects.

Mbirdsley reply :

Last year was my first time fishing early April. Usually I waited untill weather was warmer. All my fish except a musky came on my home made chatter baits. So with limited experience chatter bait. However, I have a whole box of square bills I didn’t touch last year. First time using spinners and did well but, didn’t tie one in untill July.

min my to do list is is throw more square bills, spinner baits, and figure out the drop shot

ChrisD46 reply :

On 1/26/2020 at 11:20 PM, scaleface said:

Spinnerbait. Bass are aggressive and hungry and spinnerbaits fish through wood cover the best . i'll usually retrieve it just deep enough that the blades are barely visible in the stained to muddy water around here . I almost always use willows . Colorados are not needed , bass will detect willows just fine .

+1 ... Time to try a new Jason Christie or Luke Clauson spinnerbait (Booyah & ZMan respectively ) !

Bankbeater reply :

In the water that I fish I’d go with crankbait, chatterbait, and spinnerbait in that order.

Bird reply :

Squarebill, chatterbait or Spinnerbait ?

Spinnerbait in a landslide.

Derek1 reply :

Spinnerbaits became my favorite last year.

scaleface reply :

On 1/28/2020 at 4:50 AM, clemsondds said:

Thanks everyone! I must say I’m a little surprised. A lot of the YouTube guys seem pretty obsessed with squarebills, then chatterbaits, and finally spinnerbaits. Seems you hardly ever hear anyone talk about spinnerbaits much. I do love them too...I love anything that doesn’t get hung up ha. I guess I’ll have all of these tied on...but then you throw in swim jig as well... some great baits!

Spinnerbaits seem to have taken less of a role than they once had , I'm using them more than ever .

Oklahoma Mike reply :

Spinnerbait would be my top preferences out of those for most situations, as I seem to experience a better hookup rate with them... but I may opt for a squarebill or chatterbait instead if the conditions warrant it.

king fisher reply :

I start with a spinner bait most of the time. I start off fishing it fast on the surface, if that doesn't work I slow down and fish mid depth, finally I will slow roll it along the bottom. If that doesn't work I find another place to fish.

If I catch fish on the surface, I will try a buzz bait, or other fast moving surface lure to see if it preforms better. If I catch some in the middle of the water column, I will try swim baits, crank baits, and chatter baits to see if one of those is a better choice. If I catch them slow rolling, then I will switch to jigs, or soft plastics. Sometimes I switch back to the spinner bait, but usually I find another lure that works better. I love the rare days, when they hit a spinner bait any way I fish it and I never have to take it off.

Catt reply :

All 3 plus a Rat-L-Trap, Texas Rig, & Jig-n-Craw

clemsondds reply :

very cool! Thank you all. For those using spinnerbait, do most of you use a trailer hook? I know that makes it a little less weedless though

keagbassr reply :

I always use a trailer hook. 4/0 siwash is my preference for lmb.

scaleface reply :

On 1/29/2020 at 1:38 AM, clemsondds said:

For those using spinnerbait, do most of you use a trailer hook?

Nope .

Fishes in trees reply :

When I go by myself, I carry all 3, throw all 3, and over the course of the day conditions will tell me the way to go for the day. In addition to the spinnerbait, chatter bait and square bill, I will have a half ounce lipless crank tied on and a bubba square bill ( usually the Academy version of the Strike King 8XD). I might have a Mann's Minus 1 tied on, for throwing over shallower weed beds and sometimes it has worked for me throw over average depth or deeper weed beds. Some kind of swimming worm might be tied on another rig. A big part of pre spawn fishing is covering the water and I get more confident covering the water with a variety of baits.

stratoliner92 reply :

Chatterbait for me mostly because water clarity is usually bad during pre-spawn where I fish

clemsondds reply :

Does water temp affect your choice? For example, right now around our area, water temps are in low 40s...I know a lot stay deep but sometimes the days warm up a little and I like to hit shallower areas/points. In that case, do you still go with the same as when temps are higher? Or does one of these three shine better during cooler temps? Again, just looking at these three baits...I know there are other good winter baits. Thanks!!

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Prespawn: squarebill, chatterbait, or spinnerbait -which do you prefer? 2024

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