Featuring Timmy Reams | Photos by Tanner & Travis Lyons
Hometown: Morgantown, WV
History: I’ve been throwing bladed jigs ever since the Rad Lures ChatterBait came out about 20 years ago.
Highlights: I’ve cashed more tournament checks because of the Z-Man ChatterBait than any other lure — by far. I throw it a ton!
When: I basically always have a ChatterBait or two tied on. The only exception would be when the water temperature is below 50 degrees. For me, the very best time to throw a bladed jig is when the water temperature is between 56 and 74 degrees, both in the spring and again in the fall. I throw in every water visibility situation — from crystal clear to extremely muddy.
Where: I’m usually fishing the ChatterBait around visible targets — vegetation, boat docks, laydowns, rocks, or any irregularity I think might hold a bass.
Lures: 3/8- or 1/2-ounce Z-Man Evergreen ChatterBait Jackhammer (Clearwater Shad or Bruised Green Pumpkin) with a 4-inch Yamamoto Zako trailer (Cream White); 1/4-ounce Z-Man ChatterBait Mini (White or Shad/Blue Gimmer) with a 3-inch Yamamoto Zako trailer (Cream White or 021/297 Laminate).
Mods: I will sometimes bend back the upper corners on the ChatterBait blade — just slightly — to make it wobble and hunt (dart erratically). It’s important to bend the sides evenly or the bait won’t run straight. And sometimes I’ll shave the head on a 1/2-ounce ChatterBait to get it to hunt more. The key is to make the front of the head flat. That’s where the force of the water hits it and causes it to hunt.
Line: 17- or 20-pound test Seaguar InvizX fluorocarbon
Rod: 7-foot-3 medium-heavy casting rod with a moderate-fast action
Reel: 7:1 casting reel for most applications, though I will go to a slower (6.4:1) model when fishing deeper grass that tops out 4-5 feet below the surface
Basics: The key to success for me when fishing a bladed jig is to vary the retrieve. You can catch fish by just winding it, but I catch more by banging it into cover, pulling it free from grass, or otherwise creating speed or directional changes with the bait. Sometimes in the fall, the fish are targeting smaller bait. That’s when I throw the ChatterBait Mini or trim the skirt on a Jackhammer to give it a smaller profile.
Advanced: You must create some variation in your retrieve to get the most out of a ChatterBait. One way to do that is by pulling the bait hard with your rod tip. Keith Carson won the NPFL tournament on Wright Patman Lake in 2021 by doing that. It takes some practice, but you just pull the bait quickly with your rod — not the reel — to make it hunt. For some reason, just cranking faster won’t do it. Another effective retrieve variation is burning the bait. I love to skip a ChatterBait deep under boat docks in the spring and fall. Those fish rarely see a ChatterBait. Then I crank it just as fast as I can for several feet, and kill it. Bass will often hit it just as it starts to fall.
