MassBass

How do baits swim with an unbent blade? Why are we bending the blade and what are the tradeoffs? Anyone have hydrodynamic analyses? For example we know on a crankbait about the lip angle and potential max diving depth, there must be something similar in the chatter lure. My chatter bait mini has a very subtle blade bend, I would think it would be negligible at best. I bought a modern chatter bait mainly to study it and it has a substantial bend (also they stopped using clips in favor of twisted wire for the eye tie). I have been in on the chatterbait 'gimmick' since the beginning and there is still a lot to learn about these contraptions. This chatterbait craze must have been what it was like when the spinnerbait was invented.

Thanks for responses guys, I got the french spinner kit from Janns Netcraft as their kit included pliers. I rebuilt an old spinner that had the wire break, and my first go at bending the wire with the round bend pliers wasn't bad. I could see myself making a nice collection of smallmouth spinners for personal use.

Yeah I think that is the problem with my baits that blow out on the hunt. 1/4 oz jig head with a blade that is probably too big.

Most of my chatter lures are trash. I am having trouble replicating the rock solid action of an original chatterbait. An original chatterbait you can basically burn and it dosen't blow out. Now my homemades, I cast out and yeah they hunt, and this and that, but if I try for a faster retrieve the dang things blow out. Most of my baits I have to run deep and slow or they blow out. Does anyone have the physics and geometry of the blade bend figured out by now? The original chatter bait has just a very slight bend. I want to make baits I can fish slow and high, like a big colorado spinnerbait. Maybe I should just throw an unbent blade and start over.

Im looking to make and craft inline spinners this ice season. I am planning on buying a kit from lurepartsonline to start. I would appreciate help on what pliers I should buy to bend the wire. Lureparts has two kits but one has been listed as sold out. I like a 1/4 ounce spinner with (day in and day out) a flashy blade. Thanks for comments.

Can you tell me what this is?

How are you plopper guys retrieving the plopper? I happened to acquire one and tried it out, I had to reel fast to get it on plane and spinning and then I basically had to burn it to keep the plopper spinning. I couldn't get a slow bumbling plop like I thought it might have. Are you guys fishing it stop and go or just burning it? Seems like it is becoming a river smallie staple around here.

I think the chatterbait/vibrating jig was a landmark invention in bass fishing, and I think it will be a staple like the spinnerbait even 20 years from now.

You cant lip a carp. They don't have teeth like pike, etc. but its like the physiology of the jaw makes it impossible to have any leverage and support the whole fish by holding the jaw. Gotta either gill em or, preferably, cradle them gently with two hands.

I like to consider myself avid at securing topwater hooksets, but weedless spoons kill me. When the situation is right for a weedless spoon, I can count on getting blowups- not hookups. Maybe I am setting the weedguard too close to the point? I have a silver silver minnow with a white grub trailer in the go to box.

Does anyone troll or 'stroll' huge worms? is anyone using the 14.5 inch, or even 20 inch worms?

well I did not buy any high rollers yet...but I did get a bagley propbait, it has a propeller in front and back. Surprisingly, I caught a small striper on it while targeting smallies. Perhaps if I order a couple high rollers I will need to keep striper colors and sizes in mind.

Does your bait have two props or one? What was your retrieve like?

I would rather not see this thread devolve into the striper/stripper punchline...I would rather some tall tales about secret propbaits.

These are peacock bass lures, but I was curious if anyone uses this brand for black bass. It has one prop in the back. If you haven't used these...what is your secret prop bait?

After you experience heavy striper action angling for the green striper is never the same. You even approach it different, which can be a good thing. Instead of dragging a worm or flipping a senko, you might get out early and throw spooks along the weedlines. Striper tactics for bass can be big-fish tactics.

I have always found fish need time to "wake up" in the river. Noon is a good time to start usually. Sunset can be a dynamite time. The exception is the migratory stripers that like first light.

juvenile red bull gill

depends on what kind of rig and bait. If you are putting canned corn on a hook than a 8 or even 6 baitholder will work. For bread or oatmeal you can use a bigger hook. I don't use circles for carp. A circle kind of goes against the logic of the hair rig that I use now.

hey man i have had this username since '05. You can evolve a lot as an angler in that many years. They are on a night bite now I didn't get a good take till 8:40 when I was reluctantly packing up my corn and empty bottles. 30" carp on a different (but proven) spot than the previous. Full moon tonight.

Study how the line is wrapped around the spool, and how it will wrap around your reel's spool. Your going do have some twist coming off the spool but just run it through your fingers and let the reel winch it on tight. Buy the best line! Invizx is good.

I think fall is the time around here when the sharks come around. I have angled a dead bait on the bottom of the river for juvenile shark, but you might as well take up unicorn hunting.

we can bicker, its a redear, a green belly, or a bluegill, or a shellcracker, or better we could just call it a sunfish. Likely its a hybrid of some sort anyway.

Had a great evening 3 carp. Started slow as the sun was still very strong at 6pm. I kept the swim chummed expecting a later than normal first bite. Blue sky bright sun is alot different than tropical/cloudy/stormy pattern. While my line was out i saw a big bass push a little bass right up to the bank, he went for a strike and the little bass spooked and jumped over a log. I could have put on a spoon or popper and had a chance with the big bass, but I knew the carp would be around soon. 7:14 I had my first carp, 30". Then another as soon as i got my line back out 28". I caught a third carp too 31". By the time i released the third fish it was dark and the half-moon was out. I don't get skunked in July like years past, the key is evening and night bite. Might try another spot tomorrow for another July fish before its too late.

don't cheap out on line.