Just watched a recent youtube video on BR channel about bladed jigs and fishing them all day during the Fall.  Yesterday I watched another pro talk about fishing a 8-10ft diving small crankbait all day...so my question is: how do you decide which to go with?  What are the variables you use to decide which to go with? 

For me, it's always going to be a bladed jig if I'm targeting water shallower than about 7' and the water temp is 45* or higher. A crankbait may prove to be better that day, but I'm starting with the bladed jig because that's what I have confidence in. 

 

Once the water gets cold, or I need to work deeper, I'd go with a crank out of the two. 

1 minute ago, Bluebasser86 said:

For me, it's always going to be a bladed jig if I'm targeting water shallower than about 7' and the water temp is 45* or higher. A crankbait may prove to be better that day, but I'm starting with the bladed jig because that's what I have confidence in. 

 

Once the water gets cold, or I need to work deeper, I'd go with a crank out of the two. 

Do you use a squarebill much or prefer bladed jig more often? 

1 hour ago, Bluebasser86 said:

For me, it's always going to be a bladed jig if I'm targeting water shallower than about 7' and the water temp is 45* or higher. A crankbait may prove to be better that day, but I'm starting with the bladed jig because that's what I have confidence in. 

 

Once the water gets cold, or I need to work deeper, I'd go with a crank out of the two. 

this is pretty much me too. Bladed jigs for below that 7-8’ depth mean either going slower or going heavier and both have consequences.  It just gets harder to fish them deeper than that. Also, any place that has grass (new, old, thin, dying, etc) will get the bladed jig because of the single hook. It gets annoying clearing the trebles of a crankbait.  The main exception for me is in the spring, when I throw a lipless crankbait side by side with a bladed jig.

I lean towards a silent crank when I dont have any wind or cloud cover, but ill start with a chatterbait.  There have also been a few days where I get bit on a chatterbait but no matter how I change up the retrieve or how compact I make it. the fish dont commit and just slap at it, to the point where im hooking 1 of 5.  Thats when a crankbait is the way to go for sure.

3 hours ago, GetFishorDieTryin said:

I lean towards a silent crank when I dont have any wind or cloud cover, but ill start with a chatterbait.  There have also been a few days where I get bit on a chatterbait but no matter how I change up the retrieve or how compact I make it. the fish dont commit and just slap at it, to the point where im hooking 1 of 5.  Thats when a crankbait is the way to go for sure.

Another option that has worked well for me on these days is a paddle tail swimbait. They'll often choke it, when they're showing interest but not committing to the chatterbait 

Educate me, is a bladed jig a chatterbait or is there a difference?

34 minutes ago, Woody B said:

Educate me, is a bladed jig a chatterbait or is there a difference?

No difference, same thing

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mike

10 hours ago, clemsondds said:

Do you use a squarebill much or prefer bladed jig more often? 

A lot during the limited conditons I like them in, but my crankbait rods will sit in the box for months at a time. Once the cold weather months hit, the crankbait rods will come out and the bladed jig rod will see much less action.

5 hours ago, Woody B said:

Educate me, is a bladed jig a chatterbait or is there a difference?

Chatterbait is Zman's name for their bladed jigs, like Thunder Cricket for Strike King, Fogy for Siebert, or Shock for Picasso

Bladed jig bad

 

Crankbait bad

 

Spinnerbait good

Wood or rock-  Crankbait.

Grass-- Bladed Jig.

 

Water deeper than 10'  - crankbait.

There is a huge difference b/t the two just based on the different ways you can retrieve a bladed jig.

 

One of the biggest ways to use chatterbaits, is to Yo Yo them, you can't just rip a squarebill, and then let it flutter back down.

 

A bladed jig especially with weedguard is essentially impossible to snag, I can still snag a squarebill with the best of them.   

 

Crankbaits run better at specific and designated depths. 

 

Both deflect off of cover/structure similarly and create monster bites.  

 

 

56 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

 

 

One of the biggest ways to use chatterbaits, is to Yo Yo them, you can't just rip a squarebill, and then let it flutter back down.

that’s lipless crankbait territory then. 

1 hour ago, LrgmouthShad said:

Bladed jig bad

 

Crankbait bad

 

Spinnerbait good

I like spinnerbaits more than cranks, but the bladed jig is king ?

12 minutes ago, Bluebasser86 said:

I like spinnerbaits more than cranks, but the bladed jig is king ?

Blasphemy 

1 hour ago, LrgmouthShad said:

Bladed jig bad

 

Crankbait bad

 

Spinnerbait good

Man, you really drank the Kool-Aid

You may have to go thru the 12 steps

The presence of weeds often dictates whether I would use a chatterbait over something with treble hooks like a crankbait.  A chatterbait is much more snag resistant than exposed treble hooks.

1 hour ago, king fisher said:

Wood or rock-  Crankbait.

Grass-- Bladed Jig.

 

Water deeper than 10'  - crankbait.

I will add that a lipless crankbait in grass is good, but prefer the bladed jig.  Open water gets the crankbait for me.  Also, spinnerbait works well for wood.  

Man rocks are some of my favorite things to throw a bladed jig at. My biggest kayak bass was on a bladed jig off riprap.

 

1 hour ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Man rocks are some of my favorite things to throw a bladed jig at. My biggest kayak bass was on a bladed jig off riprap.

 

Green Punkin. Craw trailer. Crawled along the bottom. Mmm Hmm. Got me my PB smallie, and a PILE of other good ones. Gotta have a bait that starts easy and shakes at low speed though. I haven't tried Sieberts Fogy, but it uses the same blade as the ones I make, and mine will start with a slow half turn of the reel handle. Mine are direct connect though. I don't know how much difference the split ring on the Fogy makes.

10 minutes ago, T-Billy said:

 Mine are direct connect though. I don't know how much difference the split ring on the Fogy makes.

I make both. IMO, direct connect starts faster and puts out a faster, sharper vibration. Split ring baits have a bigger thump and seem to catch larger fish, probably because the bigger thump feels like a larger baitfish. 

17 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

For me, it's always going to be a bladed jig if I'm targeting water shallower than about 7' and the water temp is 45* or higher. A crankbait may prove to be better that day, but I'm starting with the bladed jig because that's what I have confidence in. 

 

Once the water gets cold, or I need to work deeper, I'd go with a crank out of the two. 

What he said

If the bass are biting they will let me know real quick what they want. 

7 hours ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

There is a huge difference b/t the two just based on the different ways you can retrieve a bladed jig.

 

One of the biggest ways to use chatterbaits, is to Yo Yo them, you can't just rip a squarebill, and then let it flutter back down.

 

A bladed jig especially with weedguard is essentially impossible to snag, I can still snag a squarebill with the best of them.   

 

Crankbaits run better at specific and designated depths. 

 

Both deflect off of cover/structure similarly and create monster bites.  

 

 

The guards definitely help in wood especially when I use a wide body trailer to help stop roll.  While guard are a plus for sure, I still snag them on the regular.