Help!!!!!!

[bigboss]

what is the best way to fish the chatter bait? its anew thing and everyone says its a good lure?

my second question is whats a good way 2 present a jig?I normally flip or pitch it ,let it sink and hop it once or twice but i never catch anything...Any sugggestions?

[pig n jig]

I just throw a chatter bait out and reel it back at a moderate speed.The toothy critters love the chatterbait,caught more toothy critters than bass, but they catch fish.

The jig presentation is determined by the activity level of the fish.Its not as easy a lure to consistanly catch fish on until you learn when and where to fish it, what profile size and what weight to use to better suit the fishes mood.If you allow a jig enough time, it will catch you a fish. If you key in on what took place, you can catch more fish in a hurry. Once you can catch one fish and know what depth, or what they're oriented to and what activity level they are at, the fish are trouble, all you have to do is alter your jig weight and size profile to better suit the conditions of the day and repeat the same scenerio to duplicate catching multiple numbers of fish.I know this isn't exactly what you had in mind for a solution, but if you have other questions, Instant message me and I will try to help you further. By the way hopping a jig will get you alot of toothy critter bites. Imatate a crayfish action, cast the jig let it fall to the bottom,count to 20 seconds while watching your line for any line movement.if nothing happened, lift your rod tip and drop it so the jig swims a very short distance before stopping on bottom, pause and repeat the process all of the way back to the boat. You have to determine where the fish are, what depth they are at before you can pick them apart. Another type of lure might better suit as a search bait until you figure out whats going on.I hope this makes sense to you, if not, don't hesitate to ask questions. P N J

[pig n jig]

I really wish you would have asked an easier question. Jig weight and profile can be altered to match the activity level and jig presentation. For example I told you to cast the jig to your target, let it sit for 20 seconds before you start your retrieve.If the fish takes it after it has sit for 15 seconds,they either had to find it( if your fishing thick weeds), or they are sluggish.You can pause it longer when fishing thick weeds, or insert rattles in your plastic chunk trailer, or use a bigger profile trailer to disturb more water as it falls so the fish can find it easier.If not in thick cover, you can switch to a lighter weight, and same trailer, or a larger trailer profile for a slower drop rate to see if your bite ratio increases.If the jig seems to be getting bit right away, while your catching fish on it, you can go to a heavier jig and a smaller trailer profile to fish the same type of presentation but fish alot faster.Alot of times a heavier jig will get you a reaction bite, where a lighter jig won't. I always start with a 1/2 oz. jig, then I either go to a 1 oz., and a 3/8 oz. jig to determine which is the best presentation.Most times a 1/2 oz. weight will catch as many fish as the other weights will.If they seem more active , but not on any pattern, I will go to a 3/4 oz. weight.It allows me to fish faster and it gets a better reaction strike ratio. There are no set standard way to fish, figure out what works best and go with it.P N J

[keithdog]

Most often I use a jig as a target bait while working heavy cover in close. Such as small openings in lilly pads or brush. I'll pitch the bait into the opening and let it settle. Often times it never hits bottom before getting sucked up by a fish. After it hits bottom, I let it sit for several seconds. Then I lightly jiggle my rod tip, give it a slight tug or two, and let it sit for a second or two and repeat. Basically, I'm trying to keep it in the target zone and make it look "alive". I don't waste a lot of time on one target though unless I know for certain there is a bass sitting nearby, or have reason to suspect there is. I'll use a lighter jig in shallow, and a heavier jig in deeper water. Always with a trailor bait, either plastic or pork. You just never know when a certain type of presentation with a jig is going to work. I've had successs lately cating out my jig, letting it settle to the bottom and slowly retrieving the jig back to the boat, with an occational pause and jerk. Basically, crawling it across the lakes floor like a crawdad would move. Here is a story to share with you. I've since learned from this and have used this method on purpose with good results since this happened. It happened quite by accident. I was casting my jig in early june working a shoreline with a fast drop off, that also had some dead falls. On one cast I accidently overcast my target by about 8 feet and sent my jig up onto the dry bank. I cranked my jig fast back into the water intending to get it back out to where I wanted it to go. However, it never made it. The jig crawled off of the shoreline and about 3 feet back into the water a nice chunky 4 pounder nailed it. I realized it looked like a critter entering the lake and that means food to a hungry bass. Now I use this method from time to time and it works.

[keithdog]

As for using a chatterbait, I bought one this fall before my last outting and used it for the first time. I didn't catch a thing that day unfortunately. One of those days. However I was really excited by the chatterbait. It seems to be a lure for which there are so many ways to fish it. It's like combining the spinnerbait, jig, and crankbait all in one. You can work it amazingly slow and still get good action out of it. Speed it up, or use the pull and drop retrieve. In fact, I couldn't find a retrieve that didn't look appealing. I'm looking foreward to using it this next year for sure. Especially around visable submerged weedbeds. I can only imagine what this bait will do, working it slowly in and out of weed pockets. Next year I plan to have one rigged at all times and give it a good workout.

[Vabass22]

I know nothing about jigs. But for the chatterbait, I can help you. Around rip-rap, clay banks, drop-offs, points, and other depth structure(wording?), use the lift and drop. Around cover, slowly reel it is in with two sharp twitches every 5 seconds, and a 3 second pause after this.

[bigboss]

i normally fish weed lines with jigs..I flip or pitch it right 2 the weeds and let it sit for about 15 seconds than i try hopping it but i never get bites...I dont think the dragging technique will work because im fishing pretty close to the weed line.if i drag the lure from 3 to 12 going counter clockwise I will come pretty close to the dock. Is there anything else besides hopping that works effectively?

[pig n jig]

Originally Posted by bigboss

i normally fish weed lines with jigs..I flip or pitch it right 2 the weeds and let it sit for about 15 seconds than i try hopping it but i never get bites...I dont think the dragging technique will work because im fishing pretty close to the weed line.if i drag the lure from 3 to 12 going counter clockwise I will come pretty close to the dock. Is there anything else besides hopping that works effectively?

Nope not a damned thing else will work effectively.Keep hopping the hell out of it.Keithdog, I am sorry you had to type such a long post for nothing. P N J

[JB]

pnj,
How many times do you pick up the pnj compared to the tube baits or creature baits..the reason I ask is cause my old gang hammered in to my head to use the pig and jig, and I got used to it over the years, but then outa nowhar about 10 years down the road, most of the locals are pitching 3 1/2 inch tubes, and hardly ever the pnj.
My question is: same trend up there in NY and you the only die hard jig man?

[ToPwAt'R GuY]

IMO all chatterbaits should be destroyed. I have tried them at every type of fishing environment I could find. For me they do NOT produce.

[pig n jig]

JB,There are only a few people here who uses jigs.The majority of the people here use spinnerbaits,sluggos,tubes. P N J

[Vabass22]

I really wish I knew someone who could help me with my jig fishing. That is the one lure that I want to perfect. I wish I had somneone to teach me, as my dad doesnt ever jig fish.

[3dkicker]

JB, as one of the "few people here who uses jigs" I think from reading the posts lately, and conversations I've had, people have difficulty fishing and catching fish on pnj's. I've had plenty of success fishing tubes and creature baits so I continue to use them (more creature baits than tubes recently). But I always have the pnj rigged up. Matter of fact used it yesterday and today. Didn't catch a thing (caught my fish on baby brush hog and 4" ringworm). Doesn't mean I'm giving up on it. Find baits that work for you on the bodies of water that you fish, if it's a pnj then keep using them and don't worry about the guys throwing tubes (unless they're kicking your *&#).

[3dkicker]

oh, did I forget to mention that I sell tubes........ sorry, shameless plug

[weaverml34]

Just to touch on what keithdog was talking about. One day I was fishing in my buddies pond and cast my Senko into his neighbors yard. I didn't want to get it hung up so I just gave it a quick pop to get it back in the water. As it was in the air a small bass jumped out of the water at it. I don't know if he saw it land in the yard or just happened to catch it coming back. Every once in a while I will purposely throw a lizard or craw up onto the bank and slide it back into the water. A lot of times you will get a strike 2-3 feet from the bank.