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Old 07-12-08, 12:30 AM   #1
pignjig
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Default Jitterbug?

Recently talked to a dude who makes a good living doing this bass fishing thing. I asked him what his favorite topwater baits were and one of them was the Jitterbug. I know Cranky, Raul and a few other folks have mentioned them on the boards, but I'm just wondering how many other folks use the Jitterbug, too? If so, what have you found to be the most productive retrieves for you on average? Colors?

Thanks-

-Pig
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Old 07-12-08, 02:43 AM   #2
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my dad has i believe a 1/4 and 1/2 oz..both sizes in a black and white/yellow color.. best two producing colors/sizes in SC that we know of.. but it depends on what the fish like.. i've popped a jitter bug, i've slow chugged it, i've burnt the water it all depends on surroundings and what the fish like.. fish it how you want to.. try em all!
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Old 07-12-08, 06:33 AM   #3
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I confess I've neglected the J-Bug over the past few years and may have missed some golden opportunities thereby. It was once a vital part of the arsenal, especially for night anti-bass operations.
For night fishing I most often employed a steady retrieve; a rather slow one, just sufficient to cause the characteristic "burbling" sound, on the darkest nights, and a more rapid one during "bright" nights, since both sight and sound would aid the bass in target acquisition.
Color for these ops? Why, Black, of course.
Even farther back in antiquity, when I was King Tut's Official Bassin' Advisor, I enjoyed success with 'Bugs of other hues, usually the Froggy or a sort of Coach Dawg pattern. I used the steady retrieve in more open waters, usually shallow stump or grass beds but with none visible above-surface. However, when there were stumps, intact cypress trees, or patches of pads or weeds atop the water, I'd use a rather "hasty" retrieve, pausing at each piece of cover. This, I thought, emulated a frog or mouse or whatever the Hell determined to seek protection while on some important quest. What the BASS thought I cannot say but I did catch quite a few that way. I could have caught more if I hadn't so often over-reacted to the strike (a trademark of mine)
Speaking of over-reacting, I've deprived so many bass of a good taste of a SPRO Frog that I may hold the record

Carry on.

Lancer6

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Old 07-12-08, 07:18 AM   #4
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I prefer the pike size ones with a broken back.. on a surf rod..

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Old 07-12-08, 07:31 AM   #5
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One of my predawn baits, "black of course", never lets me down.
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Old 07-12-08, 08:45 AM   #6
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I've been throwing that jitterbug for years and never had even one blow up on it, even tried it last week while we fished at night and nuttin
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Old 07-12-08, 08:58 AM   #7
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i have one that is yellow and white belly with black spots on it and had never caught anything on it til this year and used it about 11:30 one morning and had two hit it in a row
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Old 07-12-08, 12:35 PM   #8
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Good stuff, gentlemen. Thank you. I have a night tounament tonight and there's two Jitterbugs snug in the topwater tray- both black. I haven't used them for years, but, like Brett Favre, they were clamoring for re-instatement last night...

Thanks again-
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Old 07-12-08, 02:06 PM   #9
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i like the weedless modles and like green (frog colors) and for the size pretty big
i dont really fish them that much
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Old 07-12-08, 02:34 PM   #10
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I love "the bug", canīt say itīs pretty cuz it ainīt ( actually itīs an ugly bait ), what I like is the wake, the sound ( gurgle, gurgle ) and above all, the expectation I feel seeing the bait on the surface hoping to see a fish blasting it, so essentially for me itīs the whole experience of fishing it, now if you want to see a couple of really kool "bugs" take a look a these :





For light hours or moonlit nights I cast, let the ripples dissapear, reel in slowly and steadily for several feet, stop, wait a few moments and reel in slowly and steadly again. For night fishing without moonlight I cast and in reel in steadily slowly until Iīve retrieved the bait. Colors: bright colors during daylight, black for night.
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Old 07-12-08, 04:03 PM   #11
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Thanks, Raul. Good stuff for this evening! Also, years ago we had a right strong cicada "hatch". I was fishing with a guy who threw a modified topwater that looked a lot like the top pic. He'd throw it under overhanging trees and just let it sit...twitch...sit. The bass loaded up on that thing every time. I got squat on a Pop-r.

Thanks, again.
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Old 07-12-08, 05:00 PM   #12
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I'm with you JB. I've never caught a thing on the Jitterbug. It looks great in action, but I've never got a strike on one. I catch bass all the time on the Baby Torpedo though. Probably my favorite topwater bait.
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Old 07-12-08, 06:09 PM   #13
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must be that dern indy anna water we are always fishin keith lol

I tried it in fla last month and nuttin there either
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Old 07-13-08, 08:30 PM   #14
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Jitterbugs are my favorite topwater when trebles can be used. I use black only and almost always use a steady retrieve. I haven't been able to see a difference in effectiveness between the regular and jointed ones. I used to use the 3/8 oz. but now the 5/8 oz. is my favorite.

Jitterbugs have caught my biggest pike and smallie and many quality largemouth.
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Old 07-14-08, 10:13 PM   #15
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i do most of my fishing at night and early morning, and if theres one bait i tie on before i leave is definatly a black jointed jitterbug, made by arbogast. this lure has produced alot of fish for me, it seems to be more effective at night and in the morning when casted along banks and around over hanging cover. as far as retrieval, let the reel do all the work. i like to cast and let it set for about 20 seconds then start my retrieve, reel and stop, or just reel steady and slow up a bit then reel steady again. but the jitterbug is a big part of my fishing arsenol.
hope this helped at least a little bit good luck.
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Old 07-17-08, 10:12 PM   #16
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the jitterbug lure is called a chugger I've had good luck with a silver and black jitterbug.
use a stop and retrieve method with medium speed.
another lure that I've had tremendous luck with and in my eye's has to be the best
surface lure is the Heddon Tiny Torpedo.
Also use the same method as the jitterbud

GOOD LUCK !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Old 07-18-08, 07:38 AM   #17
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The way to make it work best is to raise the rod high if you use braid. Try to keep the line out of the water and use your ears to get the right blop blop blop sound. Stop and let sit for minute. Start again.

The stop and go is deadly tactic as some fish will just follow till you stop.

On mono line that floats it becomes hard to set get a good hookup.

The surf rod and long cast reel is the ticket. It can cast way back in the guts and drains. It also is very effective along a shoreline as mentioned before.

Low light is the best light but shadows will work too.

Here is a prime example of rod reel and lure working.



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Old 07-18-08, 04:16 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jr-bass-ct View Post
the jitterbug lure is called a chugger I've had good luck with a silver and black jitterbug.
use a stop and retrieve method with medium speed.
another lure that I've had tremendous luck with and in my eye's has to be the best
surface lure is the Heddon Tiny Torpedo.
Also use the same method as the jitterbud

GOOD LUCK !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Technically speaking the Jitterbug is not a chugger but a wobbler.
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Old 07-18-08, 06:16 PM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Raul View Post
Technically speaking the Jitterbug is not a chugger but a wobbler.

Technically speaking, you is right.
I wonder how many here remember this one; Not a wobbler, popper, blooper, gurgler, buZZZZZZZZZZZZer, swisher, walker, jumper, hopper, wiggler, leaper, or mutterer.
http://www.tacklecollecting.com/crazycolors.htm
Circa the 50s and early 60s I caught numerous bass...and "grinnell" (AKA Bowfin, AKA Choupique, AKA "Holy Cheet! What the Hell is THAT?"), and even the occasional catfish who were bass wannabes, using the few I owned. As is the case with many other older lures I gave away to make room for the latest and greatest, I wish I had them back.
The folding parts held up well enough when the lure was assaulted by bass, but a bowfin could really bend 'em, or worse. Then there was this very young Loozianna alligator that REALLY wrecked one. My fault, 'cause I kept taunting him, virtually bouncing the lure off his noggin until he'd had enough. Somehow, he managed to disengage the hooks but when I reeled in the remains it was obvious that my little treasure was DOA. Quite a battle, given that I was using a "Michelle T'ree Honnert" (Cajunese), a Shakespeare WonderRod, and (probably) #10 Garcia Royal Bonnyl.
Ahhhh, dem was de days, I gar-on-tee!

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Old 07-20-08, 10:04 PM   #20
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Almost always have really good luck on Jitterbugs at night. Cast towards shore or weeds/cover and reel in a steady manner listening to get the best "gurgle". Almost always black in color and usually the larger sizes down south (Florida) and the small to medium ones up north (Michigan). Which reminds me, I need to go get another one or two....I just snagged and lost my favorite on a week or so ago. Sometimes it's hard to see a overhanging tree branch at night. (It was too high to reach).
-Aaron
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Old 07-20-08, 10:33 PM   #21
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I have an old all black one that i will use when it gets to the point to where im not able to see at night i havent use it yet this year because of my trips to BPS since i dont have a boat i would cast parallel with the bank right next to over hanging brush and use the stop and go method varying my retrieve and it worked wonders..... Also at my aunts 8 acre pond i used to be able to fish with it during the heat of the day and nail them........but i thinks that it is because it is a half mile from the road and she doesnt let people fish it........my biggest fish on one was about 4-5 lbs
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Old 07-20-08, 10:35 PM   #22
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Is there a specific brand of jitterbug that you guys prefer?
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Old 07-21-08, 04:57 AM   #23
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Fishnngolfn View Post
Is there a specific brand of jitterbug that you guys prefer?
There is but one True Jitterbug! Arbogast be his name. Amen.
There are a very few others that imitate the style and action of the J'Bug
One is the XPS Lazer Eye lure that imitates a Cicada (AKA, incorrectly, Locust). You know, those noisy things that emerge every few years and leave their empty "shells" clinging to trees while they drive us nuts with sounds that mimic an All-Arab Womens' Glee Club singin' "Rockin' 'Round The Mosque".
Our BPS in San Antonio Texiz is closing them out at a reduced price, and I don't see them in the online >^..^<-alogue, but I bought a couple (amazing colors, BTW,) more as novelty. They have the same wide bill as the J'Bug but it is made of clear plastic instead of metal.
I "field" tested one last Saturday while bank fishing and it DOES wobble enticingly. I had one fish blow up on it. I DO think they can be effective...BUT...if you retrieve too quickly they will roll. Still, by pausing then resuming retrieve they right themselves nicely.
If you can get to BPS that still has some you might give them a try. Buy the larger size.
I bought a dark metallic blue with kinds gold wings (folded) 'neath a clear plastic panel and the other is a predominately Chartreuse jobbie.
Actually, if one removed the bill and hooks then attached some sort of clasp, they'd make a kinda pretty and attention-getting brooch for a lady to wear. After all, some women wear LIVE Beetles...Yes! I said BEETLES (Not Beetle Spins or BeAtles).
Maybe someone here can provide a pic.

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Old 07-21-08, 08:17 AM   #24
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Arbogast also makes a lure modeled after a cicada. but the lip is plastic and compared to the original jitterbug, its crap.

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Old 07-21-08, 09:35 AM   #25
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I've heard stories of monster bass coming on Jitterbugs and when I was out fishing the other night I looked in the topwater box and the only thing missing was a jitterbug. I can't believe I didn't have one! I think even the grocery store here sells them, so I am in luck.
Next time I am out fun fishing at night I am going to set the trolling motor pretty high and troll with one or two of these things around the lake over deep water.
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