Besides being more weedless than a typical bladed jig (i.e. chatter bait) - what goes into your selection thought process as to when you might select a bladed jig over a swim jig and vice versa ? I've read where water temperature is a key deciding factor along with water clarity as to when to select each however I recognize there may be more that goes into it than that . What are your deciding factors as to when you select either a bladed jig OR a swim jig ?

Water clarity plays a fair amount into choosing, but for me it’s usually about the cover in the area im fishing. Soft cover like grass or vegetation I’ll usually fish the chatterbait unless it’s super thick stuff. “Hard” cover like stump flats, lay downs, brush piles etc I almost always reach for a swim jig. Chatterbaits and wood typically don’t play very nice together, and really thick grass tends to hang up on your blade and kill the action in my experience. 
 

Thin/sparse grass and open water: Chatterbait

 

Thick grass or wood: swim jig

For me, in comes down to three different factors. 

 

How weedless do I need to be? 

Water clarity

How aggressive are the fish?

 

There's lot of times where you can go through an area with a chatterbait or spinnerbait and not get a bite. But come through it again with a more subtle swim jig and you'll pick up some fish. 

Just when I think I have the choice figured out, the fish show me I don't, I usually have both tied on, and let them decide. I tend to use more subtle trailers on swim jigs, and let the bladed jig handle the weedless lipless role, but it varies. I will say that I don't fish the swim jig too much in really cold water, where I do with the chatters, That, an Indiana spinnerbait, and square bill, is usually all I fish until it becomes plastic soaking time. 

1 hour ago, DinkDreams said:

open water: Chatterbait

Chatterbaits work in open water? What the heck.

 

Maybe bait monkey is right. Maybe I need these things. 

This may or may not give you any insight..

I don’t throw neither one of them very much at all, sometimes I don’t even think about them. 
Theres always something else that I feel would be a better choice like a swim worm, spinner bait or a paddle tailed swim bait. 
 

But when I do the only consideration I give between the 2 is how heavy the vegetation is I want to get through. 
In scattered or sparse cover I’ll throw a chatter but it’s always down the list of choices. 
In heavier areas the swim jig is a little higher up the list. 
 

 

 

Mike 
 

Heavy grass, I go with the swim jig. Any other time, I start with the bladed jig. 

Number one factor for me is wind, light to no wind is swim jig/swimbait time, a chop on the water I go spinner/chatter bait, water clarity and wind are often tied together. Next most important factors imo is light, brighter days swim jig, overcast chatter. It’s just a general starting point, as we all know fish and Mother Nature rarely abide by the rulebook. 

2 hours ago, LrgmouthShad said:

Chatterbaits work in open water? What the heck.

 

Maybe bait monkey is right. Maybe I need these things. 

Is it the best possible lure to use in a completely open water situation? Probably not most days but some days they just want a chatterbait.

For me, no matter what I lead with a chatterbait and I get bit. That's just how I roll bruh!!! 

23 hours ago, DinkDreams said:

Water clarity plays a fair amount into choosing, but for me it’s usually about the cover in the area im fishing. Soft cover like grass or vegetation I’ll usually fish the chatterbait unless it’s super thick stuff. “Hard” cover like stump flats, lay downs, brush piles etc I almost always reach for a swim jig. Chatterbaits and wood typically don’t play very nice together, and really thick grass tends to hang up on your blade and kill the action in my experience. 
 

Thin/sparse grass and open water: Chatterbait

 

Thick grass or wood: swim jig

*Yes , I forgot to add cover as a major selection factor ... Thanks !

For me, it's whether or not I want to catch fish.  If I'm trying to catch fish, I'll throw a bladed jig.  If I just want to cast mindlessly without distraction, I'll choose a swim jig.

 

 

I typically default to a jackhammer. If the water is really clear then a stealth blade or swim jig. 
 

One nuance is I use a paddle tail on a swim jig. I like that extra action on any otherwise do nothing bait. 
 

I use subtle trailers on the jackhammer. 

I kind of use swimjig as an alternative to a chatterbait in clear/calm conditions.  I also throw a swimjig over a chatterbait in wood, lilly stumps, really thick grass or basically anywhere where a chatterbait gets bogged down or snags.

 

 

Loads of useful info on here, hope you got your question answered!

 

Sneaky little tip, notice how a few people have said they rarely throw a swimjig, or that the CB is used more. If I hear these things on my body if water or see guys throwing a bladed jig I'll use the swimjig even if it's more of a CB kinda deal. The reason.... Because it's different and not what everyone else is throwing. Don't underestimate the power of being different out on the water! Just my 2 cents ?

22 hours ago, IneedAnewScreenName-98161861 said:

Loads of useful info on here, hope you got your question answered!

 

Sneaky little tip, notice how a few people have said they rarely throw a swimjig, or that the CB is used more. If I hear these things on my body if water or see guys throwing a bladed jig I'll use the swimjig even if it's more of a CB kinda deal. The reason.... Because it's different and not what everyone else is throwing. Don't underestimate the power of being different out on the water! Just my 2 cents ?

Thanks - yes , good replies yet people have different opinions on each  -which is good !

I'd use swim jigs more often but the pike here love them and bite them off. A chatterbait will survive most of the small pike here. The blade seems to help keep their teeth away from the line. 

Like stated above, wind and water clarity are what I base my initial decision on.  Calm and clear I try to go with a swim jig, add low vis or wind and it's a chatterbait.  

Of course also throw in vegetation.  One of my most successful techniques is throwing a swim jig into the thicker stuff and ripping it through, not happening with a chatter.  

Now to add to the mix there's also the underspin which for the past year or so has been my first choice.  A little more subtle than a chatter, a bit less subtle than a swim jig.  The underspin is a no doubt first choice for me when bass are chasing baitfish in open water.