River Fishing- Chatterbaits

Will the Trend Continue?

Will the Chatterbait craze continue in 2023?

Many have claimed that chatterbaits are more suitable for catching largemouth bass because so many Smallmouth are lost to chatterbaits in large part due to their hook configurations but the smaller size offerings can be highly effective fishing rivers especially when we see increased water flows or rising water situations that stain up or murk up the water clarity.

Chatterbaits are a type of fishing lure that are designed to mimic the action of a injured or fleeing baitfish, making them extremely effective when fishing for bass. Here are a few reasons why:

1. Unique action: The unique action of a chatterbait is created by the blade attached to the lure that creates a "chattering" sound and vibration as it is retrieved through the water. This sound and vibration mimics the distress signal of a injured or fleeing baitfish, attracting the attention of nearby bass.

2. Versatility: Chatterbaits can be fished in a variety of different ways, including slow and fast retrieves, steady retrieves, and even stop-and-go retrieves. This versatility allows anglers to experiment with different techniques to find what the fish are biting on.

3. Cover a lot of water: Chatterbaits can be retrieved quickly, which enables you to cover a lot of water in a short amount of time. This can be especially effective when fishing in areas where the fish are scattered and you're trying to locate a school of fish.

4. Presentation: Chatterbaits can be fished over a wide range of depths and can be used to imitate different types of forage, making it an effective lure in different water conditions.

5. Fish around structure: Chatterbaits can be fished around structure such as rocks, logs, weed beds or even fallen trees. This can be especially effective when bass are holding tight to structure in the spring or summer.

6. Trigger a reaction bite: Chatterbaits can trigger a reaction bite from bass. The sound and vibration from the blade mimics a distressed baitfish, making bass think they have an easy meal on their hands.

Overall, Chatterbaits are effective for bass fishing because of the unique sound and vibration it creates, its versatility, ability to cover a lot of water, its ability to imitate different types of forage, its ability to be fished around structure and its ability to trigger a reaction bite from bass.

That being said, far too many limit themselves to the universally accepted branded chatterbait presentation that now fish are growing accustomed to in many of our fisheries.

The key is to have multiple blades (colors) and size chatterbaits to dial in just the right condition for the presentation in your tackle arsenal and the best often are colored patterned to match the forage specie like Shiners/Craw on the Susquehanna River and Perch/Bluegill in the impoundments that may not have Shad or Herring. The latter are both prevalent in tidal fisheries like the Tidal Potomac but are far more scarce in the Upper Potomac stretches so often times can be less effective there for Smallies where finesse fishing often outpaces power with catch rates.