What do you think. I was impressed by the action of my new scrounger. I also started making my own chatterbaits. Is there a defined niche for each bait?

To muddy the waters even more, throw the naked rage blade into the discussion.

I find it easy to decide which bait to throw, dirty water, weeds, and brush all get a chatterbait, clear water, more open with sparse cover and a scrounger gets the nod.

The Scrounger was designed for salt water surf fishing as a bottom bumping high current jig by John Waters back in the 60's.

I first started using the Scrounger back in the 80's with a Sluggo as a trailer. The original Scroungers hook was. 3/0 for 1/2 oz, too small for a Sluggo trailer, so it was modified with a 5/0 hook and the Scrounger was reboune.

The Scrounger can be retrieved slowly or crawled through brush and retrieved faster like a crankbait at variuos depths, very versatile lure.

The chatter bait works better retrieved like a spinnerbait, not as snag free as the Srounger or as universal.

Tom

I really wanted to love the scrounger, but line twist came between our affair.

Anyhow, no matter how straight I rigged the thing, line twist, line twist, line twist. 

maybe I will figure it out this year.

I really wanted to love the scrounger, but line twist came between our affair.

Anyhow, no matter how straight I rigged the thing, line twist, line twist, line twist. 

maybe I will figure it out this year.

Maybe try a casting reel

Well...unfortunately all i threw it on. Had more to do with burning it back after i fished the area of structure i had wanted to. Going to use again in a couple weeks on flats so i am less prone to do that like i do in middle of summer fishing offshore

Scroungers shouldn't spin 360 degrees, if it does something is wrong. The lure is designed to isolate about 120 degrees back and forth with the collar upright, not downward.

Tom

Scroungers and bladed jigs are 2 very different baits. Scroungers are very subtle baits that excel in more clear water situations while the bladed jigs have a strong vibration and bulkier profile that are better suited for stained to muddy waters or for calling fish out of heavy cover. 

Scroungers shouldn't spin 360 degrees, if it does something is wrong. The lure is designed to isolate about 120 degrees back and forth with the collar upright, not downward.

Tom

Agree- think it was when I would burn it back after fishing the piece of structure I was targeting.  Higher speed and it rolls, slower and it wobbles. 

Time and place for me that I need to remember on the water.

Caught fish on both but the chatterbait is more effective where I normally fish. Both work in spring but the Chatterbait excels here. Later in the year when water clears and levels drop the scrounger is a much better choice (of the 2). Scrounger is more versatile but I feel the Chatterbait would catch more fish if you fished them an equal amount of time.

Caught fish on both but the chatterbait is more effective where I normally fish. Both work in spring but the Chatterbait excels here. Later in the year when water clears and levels drop the scrounger is a much better choice (of the 2). Scrounger is more versatile but I feel the Chatterbait would catch more fish if you fished them an equal amount of time.

Why do you think the scrounger is more versatile???

Not a fan of the scrounged heads, but chatterbaits are another story.

Why do you think the scrounger is more versatile???

I've got scroungers in different sizes plus I have trimmed the bills on some to get different actions. I have attached most every type of softbait but get bit most on ribbed swimbaits. I believe you can fish more types of water with a scrounger whereas the chatterbait works best in shallow to medium depths over grass or around cover. I have caught way more and bigger fish on a chatterbait.

I've got scroungers in different sizes plus I have trimmed the bills on some to get different actions. I have attached most every type of softbait but get bit most on ribbed swimbaits. I believe you can fish more types of water with a scrounger whereas the chatterbait works best in shallow to medium depths over grass or around cover. I have caught way more and bigger fish on a chatterbait.

What do you consider deep? I beleive the chatterrbait is a bit more versatile. Ive also caught some big fish with them...

The Scrounger and Chatterbait (bladed swim jig) are both intriguing and effective lures.

Though each has benefits over the other, I'd hesitate to place them in two separate niches (I've got too dang many lures now).

For example, a chatterbait with a bristle weedguard like the Phenix Proline Wobble Jig

is considerably more weedless than a scoundrel, and even more weedless than most safety-pin spinners.

With respect to flash, the nod again goes to the chatterbait over the scrounger.

 

Roger

The original Scrounger had a short bill the longer bill types came out in the early 90's by Leadmaster Wiggle head so it didn't infringe the patent or trade name at that time period.

Today Xtreme lures makes a very good Scrounger in sizes up to 1 oz.

Everyone's experiences differ with nearly every lure. If you prefer a chatterbait then that is what you should use. Based on my experiences the Scrounger catches big bass the way I fish it, like a swimbait, the chatterbait is more of a reaction strike lure good for numbers.

Tom

The original Scrounger had a short bill the longer bill types came out in the early 90's by Leadmaster Wiggle head so it didn't infringe the patent or trade name at that time period.

Today Xtreme lures makes a very good Scrounger in sizes up to 1 oz.

Everyone's experiences differ with nearly every lure. If you prefer a chatterbait then that is what you should use. Based on my experiences the Scrounger catches big bass the way I fish it, like a swimbait, the chatterbait is more of a reaction strike lure good for numbers.

Tom

 

I agree that the scrounger has more wiggle, and is better suited to aggressive bass.

While the chatterbait has more thump, and is better suited to generating impulsive strikes.

I know that you've had good success with trophy bass on scroungers, but in the weed-infested lakes I fish,

the most important feature is "weedlessness". In other words, if I can't get the lure where I want it,

there won't be any bass of any size  

 

Roger

What do you consider deep? I beleive the chatterrbait is a bit more versatile. Ive also caught some big fish with them...

Deep for me is over 15 feet. I rarely fish here but do fish a lot of 8-12.

Deep for me is over 15 feet. I rarely fish here but do fish a lot of 8-12.

I catch them that deep here with them wich i consider deep also..

I agree that the scrounger has more wiggle, and is better suited to aggressive bass.

While the chatterbait has more thump, and is better suited to generating impulsive strikes.

I know that you've had good success with trophy bass on scroungers, but in the weed-infested lakes I fish,

the most important feature is "weedlessness". In other words, if I can't get the lure where I want it,

there won't be any bass of any size

Roger

I agree Roger, the Scrounger has less stuff like a metal blade, snap ( I tie direct) to get snagged at the jig head, however the hook point is exposed. The flexible Scrounger collar on the long bill type does a decent job as a hook protector, but it's not weedless.

Hope you and yours had s good 4th Holiday, the folks heading home leaving the water less congested so we all can get back to fishing in peace.

Tom

PS, deep water in our deep structure lakes during the summer-fall is about 35' to 40' or wherever the thermocline-life zone happens to be.

The rahe blades are almost snagless for me...

I really wanted to love the scrounger, but line twist came between our affair.

Anyhow, no matter how straight I rigged the thing, line twist, line twist, line twist.

maybe I will figure it out this year.

You ALREADY did!!!! Don't burn it back to the boat and you shouldn't have any more issues.

X2

I'm looking into buying some scrounger heads. Since chatterbaits have continued to improve are they better? what makes a scrounger so different? 

 

Yup I resurrected an old thread, yadda yada