If you followed the recent Bassmaster Elite tournament, you probably noticed that Aaron Martens sacked his giant day 4 bag on a bladed jig... in August!! After throwing a spinnerbait and jig for most of the tournament, he had to switch it up on the last day. I use them year-around, but I hear a lot of people say that they are only using them in the Spring or Fall.

Before I write this, I want to say that I have a tremendous amount of respect for most Pros, and especially Aaron Martens. I can't blame them for using whichever lure they need to win a tournament. A few months ago Randall Tharp wrote an article about how it is difficult to keep anything a secret in the new era of competitive bass fishing. I was browsing through the photos of Aaron's final day and was shocked when I got to photo #62. I saw a bladed jig by Picasso over the weekend that is endorsed by Martens and it retails in the neighborhood of $8 or $9. Bassmaster photographers were given a close up of the lure that he was using during the tournament, which they published in the day 4 album, and it wasn't the Picasso lure endorsed by Martens (#62).

http://www.bassmaster.com/slideshow/day-4-aaron-martens-0

I guess the modern era is indeed keeping them honest and is making this sport more transparent. When I started bass fishing, I would run to the store and buy whichever lure, rod, etc. that KVD or whoever was winning tournaments was supposed to be using. I guess these sort of things have changed the way I shop and the effect "dock talk" has on my perception of what is working.

If you watch the live coverage which is up on the Bassmaster website in the archives, Amart mentions that he's throwing a Chatterbait and not the Shockwave which he endorses. He wasn't sure why he was getting more bites with it but said it has a slightly different action, perhaps a tighter wobble. Amart doesn't come a across as someone that would try to hide it even though it's almost impossible these days. The coverage was awesome and gives you commentary and perspective that you would normally only get by being in the boat. I recommend watching the live coverage to anyone looking to learn from the best anglers in the world and it really shows why these guys are the best.

If you think endorsements/sponsorships have anything at all to do with what will catch the fish... I'm sorry to alarm you but the fish can't read jerseys and boat wraps. Those catch fishermen not fish. It's consumerism not survivalist "building better mousetraps"... I can't even feel sorry for anyone that doesn't fully grasp that concept.

Hell, even if you endorse the every highest quality components most expensive best money can buy piece of tackle... if that isn't what the fish want to eat that day it doesn't make it a worse design or piece of kit... just how the cookie crumbles.

When it comes down to catching fish... I can tell you the original chatterbait, or the elite anyways, is about as good as your money can get spent. I am an avid bladed jig fisherman and even assemble my own form time to time, but off the shelf, day after day, the CB elites will out catch the rest based on simple design and how they function, which is what the patents force others to skirt to try and reproduce and fall short most often.

With the much cooler water temps and the fact a lot of those fish don't spawn until mid to late summer, I would think it would be a very good technique up north this time of year...

You have got to be one of the most opinionated, in your face people I've ever read, Mulholland. And that's saying something because I'm pretty darned opinionated, myself.

I like the CB Elites, too. But I'll take my stock of pre-ban Phenix Vibrating Jigs over the CB Elites any day of the week. You must not have had the pleasure.

There were tons of guys throwing them with paddletail swimbait trailers.

Like I said, I make some of my own. You can order the phenix blades all the same, just FYI They even have clear blades for when you want a more subtle aproacc with a swimbait trailer and no skirt.

He never tried to hide the brand. The bassfan article today says zman chatterbait.

Hey Doug, hope you've been doing well! Surprisingly, water temps near where A-Mart was fishing were 81-85 as of yesterday. I thought it was an interesting point you made, so I had to look it up. Warm/cold is a relative term, but 85 is warming up for me.

I'm with fouz, the chatterbait elite is a good bait, but that Phenix and the original design D&M Piranha Jig have caught me countless more fish. Matter of fact there is only one lake that I have fished that the CB Elite out fishes any other vibrating jig. Mind you when that lakes vibrating jig bite turns on you can absolutely wear yourself out catching on the Elite.

Word to the wise, you can find a nasty bite vertical jigging dock pilings as well, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if that's part of where he found that bite, even though every picture of him is casting it along slips. Don't overlook running it up and down the pilings.

If there is fish shallow, I am throwing one. Time of year matters not.

That is true, here is the article.

http://www.bassfan.com/news_article/7343/even-lost-big-ones-couldn-t-derail-martens#.VdOMvpfmeUl

I love throwing bladed jigs and have several from some the different company's out there. The chatterbait elite hands down has caught me more fish than any of the others combined. I had high expectations from the d&m line, as I had heard good things. Purchased a few and right off the bat the bait vibrates off and on, eyes fell off the first time out on both baits as well. Junk imo. The only ones I use now are the elites.

I was equally unimpressed with V&M, as an avid blade jig fisherman who kept getting sworn up and down on the quality of the V&M... turns out about 90% of the people who bash Zman's Chatterbait have only ever used the gimmicky chrome made for TV model and not the elite (you know, the one comparably priced to the other quality component bladed jigs...) and the people who tout the superiority of the V&M mostly just think they look really great form what I can tell... they definitely do look more impressive on tackle warehouse images but all in all, I don't care much about the minor details I have to click the magnifying glass or hold the bait an inch form my face to notice... it's a moving bait. I care how it moves. The elites vibrate right and deflect right, only honest downside is that the very thin blades bend up easily but that also ads to the action so it's a fair trade off. I have spent far more time than most people should getting intimately familiar with the nuances of bladed jigs and promise you if there were a current offering that would out function/produce the elites other than home crafted solutions, I'd buy those instead, but I replenish my 3 colors in 2 different sizes regularly and keep at least 2 of each (12 total), regardless of what home brewed blade jigs I have along side them, at all times.

I also thin Martens is just one of the most stand up guys in the big leagues and any attempt to slight his character in any way is very humorous. 100% good guy. I'm sure whatever Picasso bait he endorses is a great quality product as well. Likely most people who buy Picasso tackle already expect high quality components and a premium price and get exactly what they want from the bait when they buy it. I don't see anywhere on the packages where they say that they catch more fish than any other bladed jig... just description of the product and component quality, and a price.