# Chatterbait



## Perchy101 (Apr 14, 2004)

Just picked up one last week and I've used it a few times with some luck... I'm throwing it like I would a buzz bait.... long cast, fast retrieve over rock, fallin tree's, etc while working my way down the river... Paired up on a 6'6 Med Rod with 20 pound braid... I've been using this setup for Buzz Baits for 4 years now and no issues... I figured it would work fine with the Chatter... Am I correct?

Also, I've hooked into several smallies the past week while fishing... But, every time they jump they spit the hook... 

Am I doing something? Is it the bait? Or just luck of the course...


----------



## Bassbme (Mar 11, 2012)

I can't offer any advice on the chatter bait, as I very rarely use them. I may be able to offer an explanation as to why you're losing those smallmouth on the jump though. Let me preface this and say that this is just my opinion. I'm sure there will be others that completely disagree, but I'd say it's because you're using braided line. 

Braid has little to no stretch. That's great for sensitivity and hook setting power, but not so great for fighting fish. Especially fish that jump. Since braid has no stretch, it's much easier for a fish to cause slack in the line, and when a fish jumps it pretty much automatically puts slack in your line. Regular nylon, co polymer, and fluorocarbon mono filament lines all stretch, so there isn't a sudden loss of tension at the hook, like there is with braid. My guess is that if you went to a line that stretched, you'd lose less of those jumping smallies.


----------



## Perchy101 (Apr 14, 2004)

The more I think about it, the more I think it's me not getting the hook set.. I don't have a problem with them spitting the hook when I'm running a buzz... 

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Ohub Campfire mobile app


----------



## ducky152000 (Jul 20, 2005)

There is a lot of ways to run a chatter bait, like you are is one, a slower retrieve to get it down a few feet and you can even use it like a jig bouncing it on the bottom and ripping it up a foot and let fall back to bottom. Chatter baits a awesome!


----------



## turkeyt (Apr 13, 2006)

Try using a thin double ribbon trailer attached to the hook. Gives good action when used like a spinner bait and jigged. I make my own Chatterbaits and I change the bend in the lip to change the action.


----------



## Bad Bub (Jan 17, 2006)

I use 50# braid and a 7' mh crankbait rod. Bassbme has a valid point about the slack that a fish can throw, which is why I use a crankbait rod (which has a lot of flex). I use the braid because 99% of the time I'm throwing chatterbaits, I'm ripping, jerking and stop and going through either grass or lily pads. The thing I would check first is your hook. The stock hooks on the original chatterbaits are about as sharp as a telephone pole. Hit it with a stone until it grabs your skin when you touch it. I used to lose a ton of fish on them. Over time, I've dialed in my setup to suit me and the hook sharpening made the biggest difference to hookup/land ratio.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Ohub Campfire mobile app


----------



## Recneck (Mar 30, 2014)

Im not sure about the stretch theory..i always to bow to the bass so you MAKE slack and as i think about it...ive never had a bass throw the hook on a slack jump just a tight line jump.


----------



## Mr. A (Apr 23, 2012)

First, Good posts by bass be me and bad bub. Sage advice IMO.

Second, smallmouth crush baits when they bite, IMO more so than larger fish in most cases. They have very strong jaws, so when they hit, they are able to hold a plastics hook well enough that you move the fish more than the hook on the hookset. So you get less hook penetration; hence, it's easier to throw the hook.

When they start to run their mouth is still as strong as long as it's shut, so I try to set the hook a second time during the fight hoping they have opened the mouth and I can get a better hook up. 

This is what works for me, and I honestly don't lose many fish once they are hooked, less if I can get a second hookset in. I also do not target SMB as much as MLB either.

Hope that helps in some way.....


----------



## Mr.Good (Dec 11, 2006)

I love using Chatter Baits also they are easy to throw with great accuracy, reminds me of a combo of a spinner and a crank bait. BUT I have trouble telling when I have a bite! I've taken to setting the hook when it stops "chattering" in other words when the rod tip stops vibrating...this has helped some. And as the other guy said, setting the hook again during the fight helps too


----------



## Harbor Hunter (Aug 19, 2007)

You should also consider using different trailers.Some trailers are bulkier than others which can cause a poor hook set.I always have two rods on my deck with chatterbaits tied on,I prefer a thinner twin-tail when I'm reeling a fast retrieve/ripping technique,and I like a bulkier trailer when I'm fishing deeper cover so my bait doesn't sink as fast and is easier to keep in the desired zone.In either situation I prefer 20#braid for chatterbaits,but mono works fine also but never fluoro which is difficult to work with if you're fishing shallow baits,or topwaters due to the fact it sinks.


----------



## buckzye11 (Jul 16, 2009)

Thanks for all the good info... ive never used a chatterbait, but plan to some time.
Do any of you just skip the whole spinnerbait skirt and just throw the chatterbait head with a craw, fluke or swimbait? I was thinking of doing this but don't know if it is always more effective using the skirt.

Braided line is great, but does have it's drawbacks with the no stretch... ive really seen this firsthand when Crappie fishing... about 90% of my Crappie fishing is swimming a jig, and for that the braid has some amazing feel... every tap is amplified. But the term "rippin lips" is a real one when using braid, i know crappie have thinner lips then Bass and thats why i see it more when fishing for them, but when a Bass hits on braid the same thing happens... maybe not as extreme, but if you hook that Bass around the lip area and not back into the thick stuff, braid can make a bigger hole... and when the fish jumps, that bigger hole makes a better chance for it to throw the bait.
Im not saying stop using braid... it is probably the best line for the chatterbait when fishing around thick stuff, just take into consideration the power of your hooksets and the "horse" factor when you are bringing the Bass in.

Check the smallies that you catch with the chatterbait.... if every one you land is hooked deep in the mouth, I'd guess that the braid is the culprit... if you are landing the fish that are skin hooked too i'd guess elsewhere.


----------

