The bladed jig (aka the chatterbait) has become one of the most popular lures in all of bass fishing, and rightfully so as these things definitely catch fish. Z-Man makes the Chatterbait version (which is sort of like a fluke in that a lot of people use that brand name to refer to these lures), but I personally caught the biggest bass of my life (so far) on a Strike King Thunder Cricket. Having said that I like them both of these brands when it comes to bladed jigs, and use them both depending on where I’m fishing and what I think the bass are feeding on.
This lure is a great lure to start out with if you aren’t sure where the bass might be and need to cover a lot of water. It also does better around grass than a lot of other moving baits out there, and gives of a distinct vibration when you use it which can help when the visibility is lower. In terms of colors there are several that I like and it mostly comes down to what I think the bass are feeding on and visibility when I’m picking the color to use on any given day. In terms of sizes there are several out there but in my case I typically go with a 1/2oz bladed jig and as far as models go I like the Strike King Thunder Cricket as well as the Z-Man Chatterbait Elite EVO. I should point out that Z-Man also makes one called the Jack Hammer that is also very popular, but they are also a bit expensive and so I prefer the Thunder Cricket and the EVO since I think these two are the best overall value.
In terms of picking a specific one to throw I’ll start by figuring out if the bass are feeding on shad or bluegill. If it’s shad then I’ll typically go with an EVO and if it’s bluegill then I’ll usually go with a Thunder Cricket. From there it comes down to color selection (since I pretty much use the 1/2oz version exclusively) and I’ll usually go with more natural colors if the visibility is good or something like a chartreuse and white (with an EVO) or black and blue (with a Thunder Cricket) if the visibility is lower.
I like this lure so much that I have a rod that I use almost exclusively for bladed jigs, and that is the Dobyns Champion XP DC 736CB GLASS. There is some debate out there in terms of the best action to use with these lures and some people say you should use a fast action rod while others will argue a moderate action rod is better. In my case I’ve found that I’m right in the middle and have noticed that I seem to do the best with something like a moderate fast action rod. In this case Dobyns says this specific rod has a fast action, but it’s also half glass which gives it a more of a moderate feel, and after trying several different rods for this technique I’ve landed on this one and am very happy with it.
Lure Summary – Bladed Jig
Suggested Rod Length: 7’2″ – 7’4″
Suggested Rod Power: Heavy
Suggested Rod Action: Moderate Fast
Suggested Reel Type: Casting Reel
Suggested Gear Ratio: 6.3:1
Lure Weight (est.): .9oz
Tackle Required
- 14lb Fluorocarbon Line
Suggested Baits
- 1/2oz Strike King Thunder Cricket
- 1/2oz Z-Man Chatterbait Elite EVO
Suggested Soft Plastic Baits
- 4″ Strike King Rage Bug (with a Thunder Cricket)
- 4.5″ Hog Farmer Spunk Shad (with an EVO)