What is your favorite way to fish a chatterbait/jack hammer

[BackLash625]

I've heard a lot of talk about how hot these new chatterbaits (e.g.Jack Hammer) are. What is your most productive method for fishing them?..and are they best for Cover, structure or open water??

[DrewFlu33]

Yes. Just about the only thing they (and chatterbaits in general) don't like, is heavy wood cover. They rock back and forth as you work them along, so that hook point ends up finding the wood.

In general I like fishing them through grass and reeds and around docks, banging them off of reeds and docks and allowing them to settle just into the tops of weeds before ripping them free. In general I try to make them as erratic as possible, mixing in pauses throughout the retrieve, but especially after ripping them free of grass or banging them off of something. In open water I'll often make them erratic with the rod tip, or by burning them a handle crank or two then pausing. Sometimes I'll let them settle on the bottom before beginning a retrieve, or even yo-yoing them back like a blade bait. There are times the fish want a straight retrieve as well. Like anything, keep experimenting with retrieves until you see what they want.

I think the Jack Hammer is a great bait, but I'm not convinced it's the end-all of Chatterbaits. I think it worked initially really well because it's different than others. As the year wore on last year and its popularity exploded, I started doing better on a version made by a fellow who makes them for me. I don't think there's anything inherently special about those either, they're just different. Take that for what it's worth.

[szusa071]

that hook point ends up finding the wood.

The truth.

[Dogfish_Jones]

I have found when using a chatterbait, I have more luck with them when fishing around docks. It seems the pattern I have is the will follow it and soon as it clears the last pylon at that dock is when they hit it. I have had some luck fishing them down the side on a blown down. I do not try to get in the tree itself or it will get hung up.

[11pounder]

Slow roll it through rocks just fast enough to tic the tops of the rocks.

[haftafish22]

Lots of different retrieves. Just fast enough to feel
the blade thump or the old pump and reel when it’s cold. As the water warms so does my presentations. Typical twitches or pauses now and then but it’s one of those baits you can cast and reel and still catch em

[Jeff Hahn]

I fish them anytime, anywhere. To me, they are the best for me around vegetation. But, around rocks and sparse wood, they do just fine. As DrewFlu33 noted, about the only time they have difficulty is around thick wood. But, I made a couple with weedguards to fish around wood and they do fine.

Most of the time I fish my baits on a straight retrieve. But, as with a crankbait or spinnerbait, bouncing them off of cover helps generate strikes. I prefer using vibrating jigs that hunt so that they have this same "deflecting" action even in open water. The original RAD Chatterbaits hunted, but not so much the newer ZMan baits. I have one Jackhammer and it hunts a little, but not nearly as much as I like.

Many pros recommend using a glass or composite rod with some flex, similar to what pros use for crankbaits. Instead, I prefer to fish a vibrating jig on a medium heavy graphite rod. In my experience, with a limber rod short strikes seldom hook-up, but I don't have that problem with a stiffer rod.

Finally, unlike many of the pros and most other vibrating jig users, I prefer to use a 5.1:1 gear ratio reel, whereas most others prefer 6.4:1 or 7.1:1 gear ratio reels. I tried these faster reels and found a dramatic drop in the number of strikes that I got. Once I went back to slower reels, there was a noticeable increase in the number of strikes that I got.

[jiggerjake]

I fish them anytime, anywhere. To me, they are the best for me around vegetation. But, around rocks and sparse wood, they do just fine. As DrewFlu33 noted, about the only time they have difficulty is around thick wood. But, I made a couple with weedguards to fish around wood and they do fine.

Most of the time I fish my baits on a straight retrieve. But, as with a crankbait or spinnerbait, bouncing them off of cover helps generate strikes. I prefer using vibrating jigs that hunt so that they have this same "deflecting" action even in open water. The original RAD Chatterbaits hunted, but not so much the newer ZMan baits. I have one Jackhammer and it hunts a little, but not nearly as much as I like.

Many pros recommend using a glass or composite rod with some flex, similar to what pros use for crankbaits. Instead, I prefer to fish a vibrating jig on a medium heavy graphite rod. In my experience, with a limber rod short strikes seldom hook-up, but I don't have that problem with a stiffer rod.

Finally, unlike many of the pros and most other vibrating jig users, I prefer to use a 5.1:1 gear ratio reel, whereas most others prefer 6.4:1 or 7.1:1 gear ratio reels. I tried these faster reels and found a dramatic drop in the number of strikes that I got. Once I went back to slower reels, there was a noticeable increase in the number of strikes that I got.

Jeff,I feel the same way regarding gear ratio. I started fishing these with an E7. Then picked up a couple Daiwa 100H 6.3. and did much better with them.This year I just picked up 2 Catalina 4.9's and I'm looking forward to see how these preform.

[BoatBuggy]

Get the weedless Project Z model and they come through the wood every bit as good as a swimjig will.

[Crabnbass]

I actually like fishing them around wood. Sure, you'll get them hung every once in a while but you can generally get them back. Seems like it's worth it to get the quality bites.

[Wackyjig]

Fish them however you want to basically. I have one on deck year round and use it heavily right next to a swimjig. My favorite way to fish them is over the top of submerged hydrilla. Make a long cast across the bed and start cranking as soon as it hits the water keeping my rod tip up. While I move it I twitch the rod tip just a little bit. That twitch keeps it from bogging down in the grass and makes it hunt and have an erratic action. That time of year I don't want to let it get down in there because it's so thick you just about can't rip it out.
This time of year I'll throw it almost like a shallow crank bait. Slow roll it down rock and gravel banks ticking the tops of the rocks. I put them to work on ledges in the summer too stroking it like a jig.

I do agree with everyone that the hook does like to turn right into piece of woods so typically I'll pick up a swimjig when I get to a laydown, but if they're chomping a chatter I'll use it in wood. I just keep it high in the water column so I can see it and lift my rod to get it over limbs. If they're active they'll come up from down in the tree and smash it.

[Casslaw]

I fish them everywhere from 1’ to 20+. I like to use them deep since not a lot of people I fish with will use them in those conditions. I get to cover water pretty quick with a different presentation. My set up is a custom, very lightweight 7’ rod with a Tatula Type R 6.3. I can throw it for hours with no fatigue.

I despise fishing slow in deep water water so I search for vegetation with my JH. I let it sink to the bottom (gets hit a lot on the fall) then I rip it for 5-6 turns and start feeling for vegetation. An immense amount of strikes come when ripping it free from weeds, I don’t care if it’s 7’, 10’, or 20!

Everybody throws them in pads, reeds, etc, so I like to use it as much as I do a crankbait when in deeper waters.