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Chatterbait, Paint or no paint?

5601 Views 12 Replies 12 Participants Last post by  Fshn4d92
Hey guys
Just wanted to discuss chatter bait and if anyone else paints there blade?
I've used regular/original chatterbait for a little while. After seeing a Pro on TV talking about it and how he paints his front blade dark because he had never seen a fish with a chrome or metallic head it got me to thinking that kinda does make sense and he def must know what he's doing.
So I bought a couple of test ones. Found some chatter frogs and chatter bait minis on sell at Dicks.
After scuffing them up a little I used some of my fiances nail polish and painted 2 black and 2 dark blue.
I tested them this past Fri. Out in the river up near burgaw. Unfortunately loosing one in a tree lol.
After a couple hours out there I thought it as gonna be a bust. But I did end up hooking 2 small bass in the shallows of a bend.

Anyhow does anyone else paint those front blades of chatter bait or jigg heads for that matter?
And have you noticed a difference in success rates?
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I haven't seen a fish with a chrome head but I've seen shad flash when the sun hits them right.

There are powder paints for lure painting available. Easy to use, just heat and dip. http://www.luremaking.com/catalogue...ue-items/real_pros_heat__dip_powder_paint.htm
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Just like any 'rule' in fishing there are numerous exceptions, but, in general, I wouldn't get too hung up on trying to make a chatterbait realisitc. The chatterbait uses the same attractors as a spinnerbait: flash, vibration, and movement. A spinnerbait looks like nothing from nature and the fish still eat them regularly. I think the same applies to a chatterbait. However, I think the idea of painted blades on a chatterbait is a good one. They have used painted blades for years on spinnerbaits, so it should apply. White or Chart. painted blades actually are more visible in murky-muddy water than chrome blades.
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seems like effort for nothing, if they're gonna hit it they're gonna hit it - not one of those baits they're going to inspect before biting. skirt color would be the only factor that might change their minds and even then, meh
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I think you are going to drive your self crazy. I will stick to my silver blades in clear situations, and my gold in cloudy.
I've caught plenty on the chrome blade ones... some I have almost have a darker black nickel color blade. Never noticed a difference
I consider myself a decent chatterbait fiaherman. The way that bait works is not by appealing to "oh wow that looks like shad" brains of a bass. They work by generating enough subsurface noise and disturbance to generate reaction strikes. Rarely will you catch a chatterbait fish in open water...Most of the time your bait just deflected off something and triggered a reaction strike of some sort.

The actually feel the bait before they hear and then see it. When bass fishing if you can stimulate 3 of the 5 senses of the fish in the area you will most likely get bit.

Tapatalk - Galaxy S4
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I think you are going to drive your self crazy. I will stick to my silver blades in clear situations, and my gold in cloudy.
I am the firm believer in the phrase...Think long, think wrong.
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Clearly I have over thought it. haha

Guess I need to focus on what works for catching fish instead of what I feel Looks better to them.
Chatterbait has been pretty good to me, no need to change what isnt broken I guess.
Still not sure why a frog would be shiny, but if the fish like it I suppose I dont need to waste time painting all of my others.
-Though I will say the nail polish worked well and held up in the water. Plus it was free and had its own built in brush.
Wouldn't worry about it too much. Keep experimenting...even when you look at spinnerbaits, there are so many color combinations the manufacturers use that they are hard to count!

Who knows, you may find a new combination that sparks some interest! I use nail polish on crankbaits to add some color or flash...nothing wrong with that, and it's very durable for a quick change on the fly.

As for fishing the chatterbaits, I have had success using them more as a jig....or as a crankbait...in open water where color can make all the difference in the world. They aren't just a shallow water bait, but don't tell anybody! ;)
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Not sure about chatterbaits, but I know for a fact whenever I used painted bullet weights that reasonably match the colors of the baits I was throwing on my Texas rig, I did seem to get more bites.
Part of what makes fishing so fun is tinkering. Confidence creativity innovation all add spice to life.
I love the chatterbait and feel like it can be used in many ways. So many ways to add variety to it with different plastics it only makes sense to tweek the blade too.


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I did some experimenting last summer I have made my own chatterbait blades before with some copper Colorado and a Willow leaf blade it takes some time to do but its a very erratic action to them some would go along and kick out to the side and come right back it was pretty cool. So if you have a rainy day its something fun to try.
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