Bought my 1st chatterbait, always used spinnerbait what lb test for 3/8 oz jackhammer. Also any trailer suggestions. Thanks
Bought my 1st chatterbait, always used spinnerbait what lb test for 3/8 oz jackhammer. Also any trailer suggestions. Thanks
May get different answers but I personally like 17 lb Fluoro. As for trailers a few mostly zoom speed craws for me in the spring then a paddle tail when throwing shad colors.
I throw them on 16 - 20 lb Sniper. Almost always braid to leader for me, but that's definitely personal preference.
For trailers, the options are endless. There's a train of thought that a trailer that has action on its own works against the bait's action, and I mostly agree with that.
I'm a big fan of the Z-Man Razor Shad which is basically their version of the Yamamoto Zako, and is similar to the Lake Fork Magic Shad. Z-Man soft plastics will last as long as the bait itself which is always nice. This profile of trailer adds some heft to help the bait cast better, some surface area to help it skip better, and it makes a broader profile which is a confidence booster for me living in a place where the main forage is bluegill.
A fluke works well, but when I'm going for a thinner profile I like something more in the vein of the "pin tail" style trailers. I've tried at least three different ones in this category: The Hog Farmer Spunk Shad (additionally sold under the Missile brand now) is probably the original, the 10,000 Fish Yoto Worm is similar and really effective, and there's the new Z-Man Chatterspike. I've only used the Chatterspike a bit since it just came out last fall; my early impression is that while the action is pretty good and the durability is awesome, the tail section is a little stiffer than the other options and doesn't dance quite the same way.
I have found that some trailers that produce their own action actually seem to enhance the action of the bait. In particular I have found that swimbaits with long, thin tail sections seem to make it even more erratic. It's like the tail gets going in one direction and sort of stays there for a second until it flips back the other way, kicking the bait sideways a bit in the process. Tough to explain. The Cabelas / Bass Pro "Hoochie Koochie" is the one that clued me into this, though I'm sure there are many others that will do the same.
Others will use regular swimbaits, craw style baits, beaver style baits, and just about anything else and they find a ton of success with them. I think the best thing to do is experiment!
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If I'm fishing in a lot of weeds, I'll actually go straight braid (30-40lb test). I just feel that enables me to rip the bait free easier. If I'm using it more sparse weeds or around wood, then I'll go either straight 15-17lb flouro or braid to flouro.
I'm partial to the Hogfarmer and Missile Baits Spunk Shad for a trailer. However, if you are fishing around a lot of wood I would opt for something flat like a rage craw or beaver since a chatterbait will tend to roll over wood and get snagged much easier than a spinnerbait if you don't have that flatter style trailer on it.
Same here, 17 pound fluoro for a 1/2 oz bait. The trailer and how you put it on the bait is really important. I like straight tail trailers and they have to be small enough and put on straight. It can make the difference between catching a couple of fish or a lot.
Thanks Gentlemen I really appreciate it.
I am in the minority here. Use Mono Berkley XT or Big Game in 12-15 lb test. I prefer my rods to be graphite like the Cashion Ikon Chatterbait rod. Not a big fan of the fiberglass versions.
It is the perfect combo for me. Only time I use braid is if I am flipping the chatter bait into pockets of weeds and I yoyo or rip it up through the pockets.
Going to straight 30lb braid made fishing chatterbaits much more productive for me by letting me rip it through the weeds much better. I had high hopes for the razor shad but just can't get it to slide up to the head without a ton of work so I went back to the zako.
Depends on the rod power/taper and where you will be fishing it mostly. I use anything from 8lb CXX to 15lb fluoro to braid + leader on a few different rod and reel combos for 3/8 oz.
Like johnnybass above, straight 30lb braid for me as well!
Straight braid for me with a moderate action rod. I like the sensitivity of braid and being able to rip/pop it to clear grass much easier.
Use whatever you use for the spinnerbait. I'm usually 15-20lb test casting around objects.
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Thanks again for your help
Absolutely, you are very welcome. FWIW, experiment with line, rod, trailers and see what works for you.
I use 15 pound Izorline Platinum for my vibrating jigs and spinnerbaits. About 90% of the time I use a split tail spinnerbait trailer on my chatterbaits.
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I throw bladed jigs a ton. My go to is usually the karu lures vibrashock (now the farmland tackle vibrashock) my experience with this bait is that trailers make a big difference in the performance. I can't compare to a jackhammer, because I've never thrown one. You can use the same bait and swap the trailer out for more or less depth and also more or less action. If I wanted a deeper super erratic bait I'd use a split tail trailer or ring worm. Something really slender. If I wanted to fish it shallow I'd use swimming craw or rage craw. If I was looking for less action and a slower pace I'd put a swimbait on it. Need to do a lot of experimenting with trailers to find what's best. My favorites are split tail, ring worm, swimming craw, Big Bite Baits cane thumper, BBB swimmon and a yamamoto zako.Originally Posted by stratosjoe
I'm a chatterbait junkie.
On a mod-fast rod like my St. Croix Spinnerbait rod or Skeet Reese Spinnerbait/worm rod, 30lb braid with a 15-17lb fluoro leader.
On my custom or my NRX+ 883 BJR, straight 15-17lb fluoro.
Faster rod = more stretch.
For trailers...My favorite was discontinued so I can't recommend that. But the Yamamoto Zako is good, and so is the regular Zman twin tail.
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