Story by Hunter Sales
There are very few baits that stay on the deck of my boat year-round, but the Z-Man ChatterBait is certainly one of them. While it 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. 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 in the water column. This lets me cover a lot of water in search of productive areas.
Further cementing the ChatterBait’s starting role is its ability to be fished in so many different types of cover. 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; most 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.
Diving into my favorite ChatterBaits and the way that I utilize each of them, we have to start with the JackHammer. This bait has arguably been the winningest bait of the decade, and it would be impossible to not put it at the top of the list due to the confidence I have with the bait. Over the past year, I have also utilized the Z-Man Tungsten Elite Evo and like it better than the JackHammer in certain situations when dealing with pressured fish and when a smaller head is desired.
By tampering with different weights and trailers, the ChatterBait has put fish in the boat for me from one foot of water all the way down to 40 feet. Since we’re talking about springtime conditions, only two sizes really come into play—3/8- and 1/2-ounce. When fishing shallow flats or vegetation that’s very near the surface, I’ll opt for a 3/8-ounce bait with a Z-Man DieZel MinnowZ trailer. The paddle tail really does a good job of keeping the bait up high 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-ounce bait with a straight-tailed trailer such as the ChatterSpike.
Diving a little deeper, 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 a non-traditional color pairing. 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 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 Seaguar InvizX in stained water to help slow down my retrieve and float the bait high in the water column. In most conditions, I’m throwing a ChatterBait on 17-pound Seaguar InvizX.
I’m also a bit of a snob regarding the proper rod/reel setup for a ChatterBait. I’m not a fan of a super-soft tip for a ChatterBait rod. I prefer a bit lighter rod with a fast action. The rod I’ve came to love for the technique is a St. Croix PhysyX 7-foot-3 medium-heavy, fast action. The tip is stiff enough to work the bait through grass, but the rod is light enough to 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 the next tournament, we’re rapidly approaching the time of year when a ChatterBait can do both for you. There’s no wrong way to fish the bait, but these tips should help you to maximize its potential. It shouldn’t take long for you to realize why I keep this bait on the deck almost all year long.
Hunter Sales – Angler Profile
