THE BASS COLLEGE

I have no Confidence in the chatterbaits. I know that I should just tie them on and throw them no matter what.  I have tried them instead of spinnerbait...nothing. Swimming jigs...nothing, Cranks...nothing. Maybe I am not giving them a fair shot but I always go to whatever I am trying to substitute the chatterbaits for. So, convince me to start throwing these things again.

You are right about Confidence. If I don't have it then more than likely I will not get it. But I believe when I have a bait in hand and using I should be able to catch fish on that bait no matter what. Some days it does not happen. But if the bite is good then now that is a different story. Just have to go with it and make it happen. The Chatterbait is my favorite and most confident bait by far. Just be patient and the confidence will come. TRUST ME!!  Good luck.

Well Tom, LOL

You could try to mix in something your confident in like say swimbaits and ether use a Robo Ez Shad or a big hollowbelly or Reaction Dipper on a 3\8 or 1\2 oz chatterbait or a swim jig and once you start pulling in those hogs from AZ start to change up the trailers and see what you can do just a thought. It is one of my many favorite baits you can catch them just as good fast as you can slow on them I feel it depends on what the fish want.

Well Tom?? lol Convinced Yet??

LOL Ok do it you will.

try a zoom super fluke on that chatterbait. with or without the skirt.  any plastic you try will come alive.   it is a fish catcher especially around grass or stained water.

Fishfanatic is right.  The "Chatterfluke" as we call it, will catch you big fish.  I have seen this pattern work, especially early spring.

I will try the chatterfluke, thanks

This bait is at its best in Early spring in clear water or around grass in clear water. Now if youre fishing muddy shallow water its absolutely awesome from spring to fall around all forms of cover. Its absolutely killer under these conditions. On deeper clear lakes or reservoirs it can be more hit or miss. While it catches bass in deep water it really shines in shallow water. Which is why early spring is the best time for this bait on deeper clear lakes because those deep fish all pull up into shallower water and are vulnerable to a errattic reaction bait like a chatterbait. Now the one exception Ive found to this rule is if you have a deep clear lake with GRASS. Even if the grass is in deep water the bass will come up and blast a chatterbait burnt over or by grass clumps. The chatterbait is not a miracle bait but IT DEFINITELY is a tool anglers need in their arsenal. It would be like a mechanic who only owns a phillips head screwdriver. It really would make things alot easier if you had a flathead 

Caught on a ZMAN Chatterbait at almost 100 degrees. One of 5 over 5 lbs and a total of 32 in one day.(6 lbs, 14 ozs.)

this video is just one day of bass fishing with a chatterbait. Ive been catching numbers and size of bass like that for the last 5 years on this bait. Definitely give it a few more tries

07 BMC Champ Boyd Duckett ordered lots of Original ChatterBaits for the 11 Classic & it paid off! Didn't get him the trophy, but helped produce the largest sack of the tourney, check this out from BassFan.com: "Duckett's 28-13, the heaviest bag of the tournament, was anchored by a 9-lber caught on the new Berkley Havoc Pit Boss. But he threw a Z-Man ChatterBait much of the time. He fished Venice then Cataouatche."

chatterbait is the best shallow spring bait near grass or structure in stained water hands down, its a crankbait swimbait and spinner rolled into one, throw it on like 14 lbs floro or so depending on the thickness of vegetation i throw it in 3/8 white chart with the gold blade, and either but a split tail trailer or a zoom swimming fluke, if the water is stained at all this is my number 1 lure, cant say the same for clear water but then again the water i fish is never clear so i dont really have a good review for clear water

so far, no fish on a chatterbait  in 2011.... I am throwing it instead of a spinnerbait. I will keep trying. Of course, where I have been so far this year hasn't been the best for trying, deep clear lakes. I have caught them on jigs and ds so far.

It is how you work it and where. It works all the time, as you can see in the videos. you have to jerk, and pull, and move the rod, try different trailers, vary the retrive constantly, the idea is to use it instead of where you throw a spinnerbait. If they are hitting a spinnerbait, then MORE will hit a chatterbait. Take a look at the videos again. It was 93 degrees!! In the Middle of the day with bright sun!! And not the first time we did it either.

when conditions are right this bait will tear fish up. Burning it in the summer can save a day when bass dont seem to want to hit anything

my advice to tom would be fish it when the bass are on fire , you know there biting real good . then i think you'll catch some on it , and youll start fishing it more. and have another technique and bait in your arsenal. this is how i approach all new baits. WHEN THERE BITING GOOD" and when you learn it youll be fishing it with confidence and thats a good thing

Ok, I broke the spell. I caught some on a Chatterbait today!!! I was mostly flipping. But in the middle of the day I threw it around some riprap and brush near a boat ramp. And on the 2 cast I had one just nail it! So, I kept throwing it for a little while longer and got 2 more. They hit it hard! I will keep trying and hopefully I will get versatile enough with it. Thanks to everyone who gave me "pep talks"