Difference in Chatterbait Blade Vibration

[Time Bandit]

I started building chatterbaits this year to use to fish for grinnel in the Mobile Delta (we have grinnel tournaments down here, they are so plentiful).  I found out that a black and red Chatterbait Elite caught the fire out of them and it prompted me to start building my own.  I've been experimenting this year with my own baits, and it seems that the vibration I get out of the blades from Barlows isn't quite as intense as the vibration that I get out of the original Chatterbait blades.  And, it seems that it makes a bit of a difference to the fish, as far as I can tell, because I'm getting more bites on the original Chatterbait.  

There are three variables at play that I can identify.  The jig heads I'm using are different than the ones used on original Chatterbaits; I've used the Do-it Gamakatsu Ball head, the Poison Tail, and have now kind of settled on the Trokar Pro Swim Jig head (connecting directly to the hook eyelet).  Second variable is skirt color.  My skirts aren't spot-on imitations of the red and black Chatterbait Elite.  They're pretty doggone close, though.  Last variable I can identify is the blade issue, and I'm thinking that may account for the difference in the number of bites I'm getting.

Have any of you noticed a difference in the vibration and the number of bites you get using the Barlow's blades versus the original Chatterbait style blade?

[smalljaw]

Well the first issue is you can't attach the blade direct to the Trokar pro swim jig since it uses a flat eye hook,  you have to use a split ring. The other issue isn't the blade, I had a bunch of the coffin shaped blades like the original chatterbait and I too was worried about the rounded blades. I can tell you the rounded blades vibrate well, in fact they aren't tapered so the base is wider and they seem to have as harder thump. We call those fish "Bowfin" where I live and I'm thinking if you are getting more bites on the chatterbait is probably due to sound, but it could be the overall size of the bait as well as any number of other factors, you really need to change 1 small thing at a time and then try it out. The best way to compare is to fish side by side with someone and have them fish a chatterbait and you fish your own, fishing at the same time so you take out the time variable that maybe it is just a coincidence you're fishing 1 bait when the bite is better.

[Jeff Hahn]

I don't know about the Chatterbait Elite model, but the aftermarket rounded blades are thicker than the blades used on the original RAD Chatterbaits and the initial ZMan Chatterbaits.  I wonder if the thickness of the blades is an issue in how it thumps?  I thought about buying some stainless steel stock with the same thickness as the original blades and cutting my own blades, rather than buying the blades from tackle suppliers.  But, I never got that done.

[Time Bandit]

19 hours ago, smalljaw said:

Well the first issue is you can't attach the blade direct to the Trokar pro swim jig since it uses a flat eye hook,  you have to use a split ring.

 

You can if you mod the mold to take a normal hook...which I did.

There are definitely variables which have to be tried one at a time.  I just didn't know if anyone had already compared original blade vs. rounded blade and had any experience regarding difference in quantity of bites.  

[smalljaw]

29 minutes ago, Time Bandit said:

 

You can if you mod the mold to take a normal hook...which I did.

There are definitely variables which have to be tried one at a time.  I just didn't know if anyone had already compared original blade vs. rounded blade and had any experience regarding difference in quantity of bites.  

 

As I mentioned in my previous post, I had the coffin shaped blades that are on the regular chatterbait, I purchased them from Barlow's Tackle many years ago but Z-Man forced vendors to stop selling the blades or manufacturers to stop making them.  I was using the coffin shaped blades on various head styles with 1 split ring, and some with 2 split rings and others I attached directly. I then got some of the new rounded blades and I used them on the same heads attached in the same ways, I found that there wasn't a lot of difference, the only noticeable thing to me was there seemed to be more thump with the rounded blades. The other difference was in cover, if I was throwing the bait around brush and hitting limbs with it, the coffin style blade came through stuff a little easier and recovered quicker after hitting, I don't think it is enough of a difference to be critical, the same as the rounded blade producing more or a different vibration, very minor differences. I would bet profile, sound, and action are more of a factor,  I like using the flat eye hook of the pro swim jig with a single split ring, I get a very erratic action and that has a very big effect on fish hitting, especially smallmouth in my waters. I'll be fishing the bait at a moderate pace and it will just suddenly go wide left and that is when a lot of my strikes come, when I would fish the bait on an Arkie style head with the blade attached direct I would really have to speed the bait up in order to get it that same directional change. Some anglers prefer for the bait to have just a hard vibration while tracking relatively straight as they claim better hook up percentages but my own experience has the more erratic bait getting more strikes on average, at least for me.

[MT204]

Spinner baits and chatter baits are my 2 favorite baits.

That being said I have taken advice from smalljaw (thanks) and many others on these baits.

Overtime I have improved a bit, modified and failed on modifications.

I have some baits that have the coffin style, some rounded and some powder coated. Some bent forward some bent back.

Which one works best?

Well depends on the day depends on the lake, it just depends.

Now just today I was fishing and one of the chatter baits that I was using really does chatter!

Can you imagine that a chatter bait  that actually chatters or ticks like crazy, my kid actually asked me why it was making that noise.

If one looks at the jig it's got chipped coating where it chatters, buggers up my nice paint.

Had another jig same exact color, same soft bait just a bit smaller head that doesn't chatter.

Had one on each pole and the one that didn't chatter was the one that caught fish today, Go figure?

 

Edited October 1, 2017 by MT204

[Apdriver]

^^^^^LOL^^^^^. Sometimes fish won't chase. Sometimes they want vibration. Sometimes they want silent soft plastics. That's why it's called fishing. I think mostly, it's what you have confidence in because you will fish it hard. Wanna know how to catch bass? Make long casts and keep your bait in the water!!! :-)

[Time Bandit]

Just a follow up on this topic from some in-the-field R& D, I know a lot of you guys bend the rounded blades to be similar to the blades on an original chatterbait.  I had not been doing this and did it over the weekend and got the vibration I was looking for.  It was a much more rapid vibration than I was getting with unbent blades.  The grinnel seemed to be fond of it, too.  Got second place in a kayak tourney fishing for them.