Chatterbait conditions

What kind of conditions existed when getting bit good on chatterbaits (weather,water temp, vegetation, etc..)?

Second question to go along with that: what alternative trailers have you used in place of the one packaged with the Z-Man? Use a different color than the skirt?

Now through summer time for the chatterbait. Just a great all around bait. Use an LFT Live Magic Shad for a trailer or an LFT Swimmin Slug. Another good trailer is the Berkeley Havoc Grass Pig Jr.

Best conditions:
Some wind, partly cloudy, semi stained water around grass in 1-12 fow. Works all year; best from prespawn to early summer, then again in the fall.


The more stained the water, the more likely I'll use the skirt; but using the skirt less and less.
Trailers: They all work, but think about what the bass are likely feeding on in the lake you are fishing The more stained the water, more chartreuse, orange, blacks, dark blues, whites. The clearer the water, blue gill and shad colors.

Bill caught them in the snow today on a chatter bait. - HoneyHole

Lake fork trailers for me along with the strike king rage craw, big profile! Took the skirt off this past weekend and used just LFT trailer, caught em. Good Luck

for white colored I like to use the 3-5" swim baits I use on my A-rig.

for the bluegill and darker colored I like to use Baby D-bombs or some other beaver type bait....to give extra noise.

Fish them like a square bill...change up your retrieves and have fun!!

You can throw them anytime the water's wet, really . Good advise on trailers an water conditions already given, typically shad/watermelon/bluegill colors for clear, darker shades for stained. I'm pretty vanilla with trailers typically use Zoom or Culprit plastics. Been on a tackle downsizing kick and only carry 1/2oz now - White, Blue/Black, and a Brown/Pumpkin variant...

Hey just curious, let's say the water has mud line six foot from the bank and stain water after that. I could be wrong I consider stain water- clear/green hazy water. Can see down about 8 foot. I'm new to Chatterbait. I fish spotted bass reservoir lakes primarily, and suggestions on color and trailer help. Thanks

Get you a z-man chatterbait and a lft Magic shad to match your chatterbait and just get after it no matter the time of the year or conditions. The chatterbait has to be one of the most versitile baits in my opinion!

Hey Skeeter; what reel gear speed is most commonly used. Do you like the silver flash chatterbait blades or the painted black ones. Just curious.

White chatterbait/silver blade. Green pumpkin color/black blade. As far as trailers it all depends. Certain lakes I throw a zoom speed craw, other lakes a swimbait as a trailer. Conditions also vary by lake. For instance my home lake the fish will not eat a chatterbait when it's cloudy/low light penetration. Now a post front bluebird day they will choke a chatterbaiT. Strange yes and I have no explanation as to why. But it has been that way for years. Lakes like rayburn I do better on nasty days with a chatterbait. There really is no set time for it like has been stated. It's just a great all around bait that needs to be utilized. Or not. That's fine too haha

just your general 6.3:1 will work fine.

I throw them year round and in any condition. Great bait and they more weedless than a squarebill crankbait.i like the silver blade with your white, shad, chartreuse colors and the black blade for your darker colors like watermelon and green pumpkin.

Do you reel it fairly fast or slow? I might be reeling it too fast because I have thrown it quite a bit and have not caught a fish on it yet. I know that it catches good fish but I haven't been able to get any to commit to it. I have been mostly throwing a black blade, black/brown/amber skirt with a green pumpkin LFT trailer. I will try a white/chartruce next. Im not giving up on it yet.