Chatterbait Blade Colors

Could somebody explain to me why you would pick a certain chatterbait blade color over another. Gold, silver, Black, etc

Thanks for your help in advance.

I like silver when imitating shad, black for bluegill and gold for certain water colors.

I like silver almost anytime, Gold for stained/muddy water, Yellow for bream imitation and white for cloudy days!

I like black blades on black, red and green pumpkin. I like silver or gold on shad or white patterns.

All you need. I like a gold on chartreuse white and a black on green pumpkin. All I throw pretty much. Occasionally I'll throw a gold blade with bright red skirt and red trailer in stained water when the sun is out

Thanks for the replies so far.

Brent Hite says he never has seen a blue gill with something flashing on its head so when he is imitating bluegill it’s a black blade

Gold or painted blades in stained water and silver in clear water works for me.

Skirt color is different with water clarity for me also.

You can increase a fishes strike zone by bright colors as well as shrink it with dull colors. IMO

Can someone explain to me the difference for the "original chatterbait" and the "jackhammer chatterbait" other than the $10 difference? Is the Jackhammer really that much difference?

They change the eyelet position, and the head just a bit and better hook. Plus it is made in Japan by Evergreen with Partners of Zman. So you pay extra to get it over seas. LOL

Is the jackhammer blade different from the original ?

They are better. Are they 10 dollars better? That's of course a matter of perspective.

From tacklewarehouse:

Designed by Elite Series pro’s, Brett Hite and Morizo Shimizu, the Z Man Chatterbait Jack Hammer is one of the most refined and highly anticipated vibrating jigs to ever hit the U.S. market. Featuring an exclusive, low center of gravity head with a flat bottom and a super thin yet super strong stainless steel blade, this combination ensures the Jack Hammer starts vibrating quickly and also allows it to hunt side-to-side like a real baitfish. Its signature head and blade combo allow it to deflect off cover very easily as well, and also make it a great choice for skipping under docks.

A channeled groove along the bottom of the head also positions the blade low enough to strike the head and produce its signature “chattering” sound. The channeled groove prevents the blade from dropping out of the eyelet as well, so it never stops vibrating. Premium hand-tied silicone rubber skirts in a range of immaculate colors provide additional lifelike action, and a Gamakatsu Heavy Wire Hook ensures an ultra high hook-up ratio. A double wire baitkeeper holds your soft plastic trailers securely in place as well. The number one choice of renowned “Bladed Jig Master”, Brett Hite, the Z Man Chatterbait Jack Hammer is responsible for more Tour-level tournament wins than any other vibrating jig on the market."

Black blades... I make my own from an Arkie jig head mold and get the blades from Tackle Warehouse... Dan

The elite has the closest head design to the jackhammer. They work great but if you want more colors and more hook size options order the custom chatterbait from tacklwarehouse. That's all I use. I epoxy a rattle to the blade. It hammers fish. I can't tell the difference in the water between the two. They literally feel exactly the same and the custom/elite are $6.99

I was wondering if anybody has measured the thickness of the jackhammer blade compared to a original?

The original, elite, custom can be bent pretty easy. They are pretty thin

Brands = Z-Man Jackhammer, Picasso, D&M; Colors = Black/Blue, Crawfish, White/Chartruse, Green Pumpkin; Blade color = Silver, Gold.

Thanks for all the replies. Time to get the order placed and get ready for prime time.

They're much closer to the original bait that zman bought and then changed. To me its a very similar to the wiggle wart and rapala buying them. They've made changes and now are seemingly working back to the original.

I read on bassblaster that Thrift is working on a prototype Chatterbait with a larger blade.

The jackhammer got its name from Jack Lantrip….the master chatterbaiter!

I fish a gold blade on cloudy days or in muddy water and silver in clearer water and clear days.

I need to get some more experience with blade color selection and options. I tend to use gold or silver based on the lures that I have. I usually pay more attention to the skirt & trailer color. I may have one with a painted blade that matches the lure in a frog colorway.

Back when they were new and hard to get, we'd just use a large Indiana blade slightly bent at the top and drill a couple holes. Take a spinnerbait and cut off the wire about 1/4 inch from head and build our own. They thumped like a big squarebill and caught fish. I've also ordered the bigger blades and used them on original zmans. Definitely works at times...

I have all three, but if I had to have one, it would be black