Spring ChatterBait Tactics
Pro Angler Hunter Sales is experienced in the pro circuits and is also the Head Fishing Coach at Carson-Newman.
There are very few baits that stay on the deck of my boat year-round, but the ChatterBait® is certainly one of them. While they can be productive all year, there doesn’t seem to be a tournament in the Spring that isn’t impacted by a ChatterBait. In this article, we’ll dive into why a ChatterBait has become a staple and why it shines in the spring.
A ChatterBait finds a starting role in my lineup due to its ability to entice bigger-than-average bites while covering water quickly. Spring often means rising, dirty-water conditions that are synonymous with an excellent ChatterBait bite. The blade puts off enough vibration that fish seem to find it in any water condition, though colors can be fine-tuned to match water clarity. A ChatterBait can be fished in many of the same conditions that we grew up throwing a spinnerbait, but with a few advantages. For starters, it can be fished a lot quicker than a spinnerbait without rising up in the water column. This lets me cover a lot of water in search of productive areas. Further cementing a ChatterBait’s starting role is its ability to be fished in so many different types of structure. The blade does a phenomenal job guiding the bait through rock and grass, and the keeled head allows the bait to skip exceptionally well around boat docks. Listen to any kayak awards presentation, and you’ll realize a pattern: a majority of the top finishers are throwing a ChatterBait no matter the conditions. This certainly speaks to the dominance of this bait when the shallow bite is in play.
A ChatterBait JackHammer in Dirty White is an excellent bait choice for stained water.
Diving into my favorite ChatterBaits and the way that I utilize each of them, we have to start with the JackHammer™ from Z-Man® and EverGreen International. This bait has arguably been the winningest bait of the decade and would be impossible not to put at the top of the list due to the confidence I have in the bait. Over the past year, I have also utilized the Tungsten Elite Evo™ and there are certain situations I prefer it over the JackHammer, like when dealing with pressured fish and times when a smaller head is desired.
When we’re talking about springtime conditions, only two sizes really come into play for me: the 3/8 oz and 1/2 oz. When fishing shallow flats or vegetation that is very near the surface, I’ll opt for a 3/8 oz bait with a DieZel MinnowZ™ trailer. The paddle tail really does a good job of keeping the bait up higher in the water column while maintaining the erratic hunting action. When covering water or targeting deeper vegetation, I most often reach for a 1/2 oz bait with a straight-tailed trailer such as the ChatterSpike™.
Fire Craw colored ChatterSpikes are extremely productive ChatterBait trailers for late winter and early spring bass.
Diving a step further, let’s talk about which colors most often get the call. With any stain in the water, I’m reaching for a “Dirty White” ChatterBait paired with a chartreuse/white trailer more often than anything else. I will occasionally experiment with alternative trailer pairings, such as using a Fire Craw or Black/Blue trailer on a shad-colored bait. I think this contrast can sometimes be just enough to give the fish something to key on. I’ve had some of my best spring days by utilizing non-traditional color pairings. In clean water situations, my go-to color is “Spot Remover” or “Green Pumpkin” with a matching trailer.
Another important factor is retrieve speed. As a general rule, you want to reel the bait faster in clean water and slower in stained water. To match this, I try to upsize my line size to 20-pound fluorocarbon line in stained water to help slow down my retrieve and float the bait higher in the water column. However, in most conditions, I’m throwing a ChatterBait on 17-pound fluorocarbon line. I’m also a bit particular regarding the proper rod and reel setup for a ChatterBait. I’m not a fan of a super-soft tip for a ChatterBait rod, but rather I prefer a slightly lighter rod with a fast action. The rod I’ve come to love for the technique is a 7’3” MH, fast action. The tip is stiff enough to work the bait through grass, but the rod is light enough to still load up well and keep the fish pinned.
Whether you’re someone who just wants to put more fish in the boat or wants to win your next tournament, we’re in the time of year when a ChatterBait has the opportunity to do both for you. There’s no wrong way to fish the bait, but these tips should help you maximize its potential. It shouldn’t take long for you to realize why I keep this bait on the deck all year.
-Hunter Sales, NPFL Pro Angler