Chatterbait / bladed jig

Do you ever throw it as it is or do you always use some type of trailer? I hardly ever use a plastic trailer on a spinner bait so I was just wondering if anyone throws a bladed jig without a trailer.
I watched an under water video showing the difference in action and sound of several of the Chatter baits and he did not use a trailer on any of them and they looked good just like that. I have always used some type of plastic trailer on mine.

I always use a trailer. And I trim the skirt to hang no longer than the hook. Also I cut some of the skirt higher up to give it some "bulk" and "flare" when popped. Sometimes I match the skirt other times i want some contrast(ie white skirt and green pumpkin paddletail).
I like-
3.5" or so paddletail swimbaits to mimic baitfish of all sorts. Usually dip the tail in chartreuse.
Twin tail grubs for crawfish/bream.
Buzz bug or speed craws for crawfish/bream.

I usually use craw trailers, sometimes swim trailers. I heard somewhere that a low action trailer is best, that something with a lot of movement counters the chattering action. Can’t prove that though. A fun variation is to lose the skirt entirely and do a beaver style bait.

Sometimes a bulky swimbait and sometimes just a Zoom split tailed trailer if I want a smaller profile but these split tails still have a great action and do not seem to decrease the baits “thump”.

I always use a trailer. the Yamamoto Zako is tough to beat.

I bought some Smash Tech Blade Aids but haven’t had a chance to use them yet. They showed them on a recent HoneyHole episode and the action looked great.

90% is a LFT Live Magic Shad, the other 10% it’s a boot-tail such as Keitech. 100% there is a trailer though.

I use a super fluke

This^

Most of the time I have a trailer on it but they work without them as well.

Zako or Magic shad. Occasionally an LFT Swimmin Slug. It's a little more subtle for cold water

I use a trailer about 95 to 100% of the time. GREAT bait with a trailer on it, you can slow down, speed up, let it fall, wake it, etc. Hope this helps. Tight lines, keep safe and good luck.

Thad Rains

I use a paddle tail and cut it short but got to say, I have only caught one bass using a Chatter bait here on Toledo Bend. I rarely see anyone using them here. I use spinner baits much more than chatter baits. Don't know if it is just me or what. I always have one on and throw them a lot but I just can't catch anything on them. HELP !

try bumping timber with it, slow retrieve and barely nick it. seems to help on fork.
I also do a slow retrieve and will raise and drop the rod tip a foot or 2, gets hit on the fall a lot. just be sure to set the hood twice.

always a trailer and most of the time a big bite baits paddle tail or similar. craws if fishing real shallow in spring/summer.

I throw mine most of the time with no trailer. They seem to hunt better with no trailer on back. Any trailer you put on it dulls the erratic darting motion of the baits. If I were pitching it into heavy cover and swimming it out I would use some sort of plastic trailer but for searching I do not use one.

You can buy the skirts that come with a few longer strands in the middle and that eliminates needing to add a plastic trailer. I've thrown a few and they do look good but I feel adding some sort of plastic allows me to retrieve it slower and gives more "bulk" to the bait. I add scent to my trailers normally as well. Either coffee or some sort of spray scent or the garlic from adding the chartreuse to the tail for flash.

try bumping timber with it,

seems to help on fork.

LOL I do this all the time on Fork. Bump a stump and hang it up. I have caught way more stumps on the chatterbait than fish on it, but I keep throwing it so maybe one of these days I will catch a big one on it instead of a big ole stump.

For me it's lake fork magic shad if I want the bigger profile, then Yama zako for slightly smaller, then big bite swimon for a slim/craw profile. I also trim the skirts to match the profile I want. Super glue gel is a must on the trailer also. It'll save you a bunch of trailers. Sometimes one will last all day even

I used to use nothing but the Zoom split tail trailer so that I could keep as much action of the Chatterbait as possible. Then I watched a video of Jacob Wheeler crushing some fish and it looked like he had a LFT Magic Shad or something really similar on his Chatterbait. I had a ton of those so I started experimenting with them and for the last couple of years have caught some of my better quality fish on that set up which to me is almost a hybrid Chatterbait/Swimbait set up.

Same for me where I fish, lol

I use a trailer most of the time, but a Chatterbait will catch plenty just as is.