TackleTour

What's you favorite chatterbait and why?

I'm looking for one that runs true at all speeds, looks good and is tough, meaning it will stay together.

I recently got some Jackall Break Blade baits, but I haven't had a chance to fish them yet...

The Break Blade is a great jig, very weedless and gets the fish in the boat with the Owner Cutting Point hook. I stocked up on the original D&M Pirahnas and they were the best on the market. Blade makes a lot of noise hitting the head, big Gamakatsu hook, and multiple sizes. Zmans patent forced them to stop making them but they can be found. The Pirahna 2 works good as well but doesn't have the direct blade attachments which I like. I won't support Zman at this point, since they like to sue all their competitors while still copying what they make(Freedom chatterbait is exact copy of Pirahna Beast).

JBcrankaddict wrote:The Break Blade is a great jig, very weedless and gets the fish in the boat with the Owner Cutting Point hook. I stocked up on the original D&M Pirahnas and they were the best on the market. Blade makes a lot of noise hitting the head, big Gamakatsu hook, and multiple sizes. Zmans patent forced them to stop making them but they can be found. The Pirahna 2 works good as well but doesn't have the direct blade attachments which I like. I won't support Zman at this point, since they like to sue all their competitors while still copying what they make(Freedom chatterbait is exact copy of Pirahna Beast).

I have some of the original D&M's and I like the Jackall Break Blades.

Another well made chatterbait was the older Phenix Vibrating Jigs--looking forward to seeing the new Evergreen Jackhammers that Bret Hite designed (he did the old Phenix ones).

Those Original Phenix were great jigs, very hard to find now unfortunately. TT member Smalljaw makes some great looking custom chatterbaits as well.

The ones coming out now in the US seem to be going backwards. The most important thing with chatterbaits is the way the blade attaches. I hate to see every company using split rings now. Hard to get around that patent though

JBcrankaddict wrote:Those Original Phenix were great jigs, very hard to find now unfortunately. TT member Smalljaw makes some great looking custom chatterbaits as well.

The ones coming out now in the US seem to be going backwards. The most important thing with chatterbaits is the way the blade attaches. I hate to see every company using split rings now. Hard to get around that patent though

A chatterbait with no split ring like that ZMAN on the picture?


Fish Arrow makes chatterbaits the same way

Cracker wrote:

JBcrankaddict wrote:Those Original Phenix were great jigs, very hard to find now unfortunately. TT member Smalljaw makes some great looking custom chatterbaits as well.

The ones coming out now in the US seem to be going backwards. The most important thing with chatterbaits is the way the blade attaches. I hate to see every company using split rings now. Hard to get around that patent though

A chatterbait with no split ring like that ZMAN on the picture?


Fish Arrow makes chatterbaits the same way

Yes a Zman has no split ring, which is what their patent covers. The Fish Arrow is not sold in the US so it has no problems with the patent. Same with the Jackall Break Blade and the Megabass Wild Header. The patent is the only reason Jackall will not bring it to the states. Hope that clears up any confusion I may have created.

JBcrankaddict
What you don't like about Zman's chatterbaits?
Quality of hooks, skirt material, blade?
I'm not sure about quality of the blade and skirt material, but I believe Zman has a model with a Trokar hook.

Cracker wrote:JBcrankaddict
What you don't like about Zman's chatterbaits?
Quality of hooks, skirt material, blade?
I'm not sure about quality of the blade and skirt material, but I believe Zman has a model with a Trokar hook.

I used to fish the Original and Elite(Gamakatsu hook) a lot, and have caught some good fish on both. However, the components used were not always up to the task. Hook problems was the main reason I started looking elsewhere. After several hooks opened up, my money had to go elsewhere. I usually always change my skirts and eyes from factory no matter what, so that's not an issue. The snap opens up a lot, though I never lost the whole jig. There's just much better bladed jigs on the market, but it seems Zman has a monopoly on the market.
The quality of fish caught with the D&M is much better as well. Not sure if it's the profile, sound, vibration or what, but the 5lb+ fish love them. The big(either 5/0 or 6/0), long shank Gama hook is needle sharp and keeps those fish hooked deep, and they don't come off. When it comes to tournament time, there's nothing else I'd have tied on early fall through early summer. I'm glad I loaded up when Monster and TW had them on clearance.
The Pirahna Beast is an awesome chatterbait for fishing in thick grass.

Pirahna w/Skinny Dipper

Pirahna w/Skinny Dipper and Break Blade w/Swing Impact Fat 4.8

JBcrankaddict

Thanks for explanation! I have a hand full of Japanese chatterbaits - Deps, Megabass, Fish Arrow and Zman, and haven't caught a fish yet. I live in mountainous area and our lakes are deep with clear water with no grass.
I just don't have a confidence in chatterbaits, should probably spend more time using them instead of using proven baits.
It seems to be you love chatterbait fishing - I see you have so many same model chatterbaits in the same color, do you believe some chatterbaits can out fish other ones even if it is thesame model in identical color (same applies for a trailer)?
Some folks strongly believe if you take several crankbaits of the same brand, model, and color - one of them would trigger more bites on average. And they usually save that "unique" crankbaits for tournament situations.

I make my own by getting a bunch of the blades (I think they're made by boss) off TW and add them to whatever jig I feel like.

Cracker wrote:JBcrankaddict

Thanks for explanation! I have a hand full of Japanese chatterbaits - Deps, Megabass, Fish Arrow and Zman, and haven't caught a fish yet. I live in mountainous area and our lakes are deep with clear water with no grass.
I just don't have a confidence in chatterbaits, should probably spend more time using them instead of using proven baits.
It seems to be you love chatterbait fishing - I see you have so many same model chatterbaits in the same color, do you believe some chatterbaits can out fish other ones even if it is thesame model in identical color (same applies for a trailer)?
Some folks strongly believe if you take several crankbaits of the same brand, model, and color - one of them would trigger more bites on average. And they usually save that "unique" crankbaits for tournament situations.

No problem, I do love to throw a chatterbait. There's something about ripping it out of some submerged hydrilla and getting that vicious reaction strike from a 7lb+ fish that I can't get enough of. I fish lake Seminole, and certain times of the year you better have at least one rigged up. I always have 2 rods rigged with chatterbaits no matter what(2 843 or 843 and 873), usually a bluegill and shad pattern. Stained water and grass is what you want to look for, but they can be used in other situations. Deep, clear lakes are usually not the best place to throw them though, the vibration and flash just don't seem natural. You definitely have some nice baits, just need to spend some time throwing them and trying to figure out the bite. I've heard those Deps and Fish Arrow are really nice, but haven't used them yet.

The main reason I carry so many duplicate patterns is that there are a bunch of big pickerel that like to move up into the shallow grass in spring, and they like to cut you off in hurry. I also use different trailers, so some baits stay rigged with a different swimbait or color. Some definitely do seem to work a little better than others, and I have a few that don't see the water unless it's a tournament, but that may just be a confidence thing. We don't catch many small fish on these, usually 3lbs and up.They've never really been a numbers bait, but when you are looking for some big bites, a chatterbait will get the job done. I hope they start to pay off for you, and catch you some big fish!

Abu Daimano wrote:I make my own by getting a bunch of the blades (I think they're made by boss) off TW and add them to whatever jig I feel like.

Which jigs do you like to use for this? Thanks

JBcrankaddict wrote: No problem, I do love to throw a chatterbait. There's something about ripping it out of some submerged hydrilla and getting that vicious reaction strike from a 7lb+ fish that I can't get enough of. I fish lake Seminole, and certain times of the year you better have at least one rigged up. I always have 2 rods rigged with chatterbaits no matter what(2 843 or 843 and 873), usually a bluegill and shad pattern. Stained water and grass is what you want to look for, but they can be used in other situations. Deep, clear lakes are usually not the best place to throw them though, the vibration and flash just don't seem natural. You definitely have some nice baits, just need to spend some time throwing them and trying to figure out the bite. I've heard those Deps and Fish Arrow are really nice, but haven't used them yet.

The main reason I carry so many duplicate patterns is that there are a bunch of big pickerel that like to move up into the shallow grass in spring, and they like to cut you off in hurry. I also use different trailers, so some baits stay rigged with a different swimbait or color. Some definitely do seem to work a little better than others, and I have a few that don't see the water unless it's a tournament, but that may just be a confidence thing. We don't catch many small fish on these, usually 3lbs and up.They've never really been a numbers bait, but when you are looking for some big bites, a chatterbait will get the job done. I hope they start to pay off for you, and catch you some big fish!

Great! Thanks for very informative answer! Yesterday I looked my tackle box, and found some extra Imakatsu Mogulla Moth Chatterbaits in 3/16 and 1/2Oz sizes, actually I can recall now I caught one spotted bass over 3lb on that Imakatsu with BBB 5" Cane Thumper We got overloaded with spotted bass in our lakes. Spotted bass doesn't grow on average big, you rarely catch a fish over 3lb, and also they somehow almost eliminated LM and smallmouth bass in our local big reservoirs. Now you can catch them in Lake Eufaula, I think they are not in Lake Seminole yet, or that lake conditions prevent spots to survive. I definitely concentrate on chatterbaits in smaller body of water with predominant LM bass population.

How are the Picasso shock blades?

BRONZEBACK32 wrote:How are the Picasso shock blades?

Decent baits, the components used are quality and it does stay down better than others as advertised. The blade attachment is a little different than others, but works ok and doesn't hang up much. Really haven't thrown them much yet and haven't caught anything on them yet though.