BLADED JIGS TIPS FROM A PRO

TYLER WOOLCOTT

Let’s talk a bait that works absolutely everywhere. e bladed jig, also called a chatterbait, is one of the most versatile baits you can tie on the end of your line. It’s one of my all-time favorites. From Florida to New York, in any season, this bait catches them.

ere are hundreds of situations that make me want to sling a chatterbait. I always keep one tied on because it’s so versatile. Whether it’s grass, rocks, docks, wood or open water, there isn’t a situation where this bait doesn’t work.

Use a chatterbait as a search bait and cover some water. If there is a hungry bass around and you match your color to the forage they are feeding on, you will get them to bite. Unless the water you are shing is extremely muddy, matching color to the forage species is important. In cold water, where bass are feeding on red and orange craw sh, tie on a bright red or orange bladed jig. If you are in the south and bass are feeding on bluegill or shiners, stick to natural colors like a green pumpkin or some kind of gold and silver. e only time I throw a bright white or chartreuse chatterbait is in extremely stained water, where I need the bait to stand out. Always match the hatch! ere isn’t a wrong way to use it. With the many colors, weights and size options, there is a match for the style of shing you want to do. From northern smallmouths to giant South Florida largemouths, every bass will eat a bladed jig. Like any bait, a chatterbait will perform best when matched with the right gear. I like a medium-heavy, moderate-action rod. You don’t want to set the hook as much as you want to reel into the sh when they eat the bait. Treat it like a bait with treble hooks. e 13 Fishing Omen Black 7’4mhm is absolutely perfect for this application. I pair a 7:5:1 gear ratio Concept A 13 Fishing reel and 15- to 20-pound Seaguar AbrazX. Hope this shing tip nds you well and puts more sh in your boat. Don’t hesitate to contact me on social media with any questions. okumafshingusa.com

I live in Florida, and our spawning season is earlier than most. By the time you read this, most of our sh will be nished spawning. Farther north, they’ll just be getting started. A chatterbait is deadly when bass are staged up before, during and a er the spawn. e chattering blade drives these sh crazy. It’s a sh call. row it around in a staging area and you will have a very good day on the water.

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