Chatterbaits

I throw a lot of Z-Man Chatterbaits in cold water. Looking at trying Finches or Phenix! Whats your go to vibrating jig?

The finch is well built and has good vibration

I've caught fish on the revenge viberator and strike king pure poison. Looking at trying the Picasso shock blade next.

Nothing against the other companies as they build great jigs and other products, but in my mind once chatterbait started enforcing the patent on the connection of the blade nothing else compares. I just don’t believe you can get the same vibration with the extra split ring between the blade and jig head.

I’m quirky this way. I also don’t like boot tail trailers on a chatterbait. The boot tail creates its own action as does the chatterbait. Why have them contrasting? We know waves can cancel each other out so why create this contrast. I use boot tails as trailers on swim jigs with no blade and either a fluke, split tail trailer or live magic shad with regular tail on the chatterbait.

Just my 2 cents and worth exactly what you paid for it. I’m looking forward to more posts on this as I almost made this a thread earlier today

Jackhammer is the best. A little better in every detail. It may not be enough better to warrant the cost though.

The Finch Thumper has a different action to it. It’s more of wide wobble as opposed to the tight wobble of your standard chatterbait. They both have their time and place. But I don’t think you’d be disappointed when you try the Thumper.

Agree!

I like the original Z-Man Chatterbaits with a Yamamoto Zako trailer, a lot of the pros are throwing the Zako. I also will put a beaver on a hooked sideways to give a larger profile.

I was always partial to the Z-Man pro. Thrown the Phoenix and caught some but always liked the Zman better.
Last spring I bought some of Finch's baits and tried them. Excellent bait and have caught a lot of fish on them. Seem to very well built and have better hooks on them.

Get the Phenix. It's probably the next best behind Z-Man. I pretty much stick to the Jackhammer. Yeah, it's $15-16, but it's well worth it if you ask me!

This is what I started throwing and I've had really nice success with it. I don't remember where I read/saw this but I believe that bait was specifically made to thrown on the back of a chatterbait.

+2....wisdom

Time and a place for everything...but sometimes less is more....especially when a chatterbait is involved

I have never really paid attention to the connection of my chatter baits, i have a bunch of Phenix, and for whatever reason i seem to think that the blade is attached to the head via a tiny role pin driven thru the head? Can anyone vouch for this?

Like above, i currently use Phenix, but my next ones will be Jackhammers!

I always seem to struggle with deciding which weight to use. What are your ideas on which weight chatterbait to throw? Do you base it on water depth,etc?

"Designed by B.A.S.S. Elite Series Pro, Brett Hite, the Zako Swimbait joins the ranks of Yamamoto’s legendary line of soft plastic baits. Its segmented body and forked tail allow it to excel as a vibrating jig trailer, and its split-belly makes it a great choice for weedless Texas-rigging."

What's the best one for a super slow retrieve? It seems most will just quit vibrating when you try to fish super slow.

Phenix and Finch are the only ones I use.

Once you start using The Finch Nasty thumper you won’t go back.

ZMan, the head attached directly to the blade is the best. That's the biggest what they won the lawsuits for the blade attaching straight to the head. They just vibrate more reliably and at slower speeds. Those brands with the split ring between the blade and the head don't vibrate as reliably. You have to work at it some with them. Evergreen brought their Jackhammer in thru ZMan do they could have the direct attaching head.

Tungsten Blade Runner....

The Finch nasty one is the best I have thrown. I am not affiliated, just really like his baits and have success wth them. http://finchnastybaitco.com/

You want it to vibrate a bit then it should stop as it darts side to side, then it will start again. I like to vary the retrieve, the change in vibration draws strikes.

This will be my second year using Finch nasty and I will never look back.... To me the 3/8 oz fishes better and more like a 1/2 zman.... And he ships 2 day priority...and the skirt keeper is phenomenal

The Jackhammer is too expensive....but this is where it shines over others including other Zman Chatterbaits. This lure instantly starts vibrating with the first crank of your reel and will vibrate at a slower speed than others. Just my experiences. Does it catch more fish? That’s a whole other topic that’s been covered on here many times but it will catch more if you are trying to retrieve it super slow because basically it vibrates if its moving where others I have tried need to be retrieved a little faster.

Love that jackhammer!

I use the Zman with a 5" boot tail swimbait regularly and vary the presentation, with and without skirt. The swimbait follows the head and the blade action reverberates down the body akin to how a fish actually swims. The skirt also changes the water flow dynamics of the swimbait as well. I prefer to fish it without the skirt exposing the swimbait completely.