| Bass Articles |
John N. Felsher's Bass Fishing Adventures
 | |  | |  | |  | |  |
| Articles and photos on this website are for the viewing pleasure of patrons of this site. All articles and photos on this site are protected by the copyright laws of the United States. Any unauthorized usage is strictly prohibited. If you wish to purchase an article or photo, contact John N. Felsher as listed in the contact section. |
| Articles and photos on this website are free for your viewing pleasure, but it takes money to keep this site up and running. If you would care to help keep this site up and running for the use of all outdoors patrons, you can make a cash contribution. If you care to donate, contact John N. Felsher as listed in the contact section. |
| Protected by Copyright |
| How you can help keep this site operating |
“Chattering baits,” the latest “gotta get” lure to sweep the bass fishing
world, put a new wobble on an old idea.
Simply swimming jigs with blades, these lures combine the attributes of
weedless jigs, spinnerbaits and crankbaits. They produced several major
tournament victories recently, putting bass anglers across the nation into a
buying frenzy.
The original Chatterbait by Rad Lures combines a skirted jighead with
a blade similar to one found on an old Arbogast Mudbug deep-diving
crankbait and a plastic trailer. To capitalize on the chattering craze, several
other companies introduced their own “chattering bait” copies in several
variations. Although most look similar to an in-line spinnerbait, the blade on
a chattering bait does not revolve around the core wire. Instead, the
metallic blade causes the lure to wobble erratically like an upside down
lipped crankbait.
I saw my first chattering type bait on a trip to Lake Fork, Texas, with
Ranger Boats bass pros David Vance and Jim Nolan. I tried out some
prototype redesigned Stanley SwimJig Jigs and caught the largest bass
during the trip on one. Just short of 6 pounds, the bass hit a white Stanley
SwimJig in about 16 feet of water as I ran it parallel to a timberline.
When retrieved, the jig runs with the hook up. The inverted blade
pushes a considerable amount of water and produces an incredible wobble
and vibration that sends shock waves through the water.
“It’s a versatile bait that duplicates the enticing action of a crankbait,
the thumping vibration of a spinnerbait and the weedless penetration of a
jig,” said Lonnie Stanley, a legendary lure designer and five-time
Bassmaster Classic competitor. “The blade shakes the whole bait and
makes it wobble back and forth, moving a lot of water and giving out a
tremendous amount of vibration.”
Anglers can fish chattering baits in many different ways by changing
the retrieve. Waked just beneath the surface, it attracts bass in the
shallows or devastates schoolies. Pausing the retrieve allows it to flutter
down like a dying baitfish. People can also slow-roll it along the bottom of
sloping points or creek channels. People can add plastic or pork trailers for
more enticement.
“It’s a bait for all depths,” Stanley said. “People can run it just below
the surface or along the bottom in deep water by varying the speed of
retrieve or the angle of the rod. If someone held a rod high and ran it
medium-fast, it would run about three inches below the surface. Lowering
the rod tip or slowing the retrieve makes it run deeper. If the angler stops
reeling, the bait sinks to the bottom. With the rod tip held low, a person
could run it at a slow to medium speed just off the bottom.”
I mostly threw the Stanley SwimJig into heavy cover near standing
timber. I also let it drop to submerged grass beds. Protected by weed
guards, jigheads on chattering baits can penetrate where few spinnerbaits
or crankbaits can venture. It climbed over logs, stumps and standing
trees. In two days of fishing, it only snagged once when the line wrapped
around a branch. People can also run these baits through lily pads, fallen
trees, sunken brush piles or bang them off stumps, pilings or rocks. After
hitting an object, let if fall briefly for a more alluring effect.
“People can work it many different ways,” Stanley said. “It runs through
the lily pads, shaking back and forth. When the blade contacts vegetation,
it quits moving. As soon as it leaves the grass, the jig starts moving again.
When the bait runs across holes in vegetation, let it drop a bit. People can
also vertically jig it next to standing timber or drop-off edges to tempt bass
in deep holes.”
With most of the fish sitting in deep water, David and Jim caught more
bass on Carolina rigs tipped with small finesse plastics during our trip than I
caught, but I wanted to give the Stanley SwimJig a good test. Fishing
mostly deep channels, we really didn't fish the best waters for the SwimJig.
Still, I landed the lunker of the three-day adventure as I ran the bait parallel
to a line of standing timber in 20 feet of water. Despite blistering Texas
heat, the fish hit almost at noon and came almost up to the surface to strike
the SwimJig.
For booking trips with David Vance, see Lakeforktexasbigbass.com.
For more information on Stanley baits, see www.fishstanley.com.
world, put a new wobble on an old idea.
Simply swimming jigs with blades, these lures combine the attributes of
weedless jigs, spinnerbaits and crankbaits. They produced several major
tournament victories recently, putting bass anglers across the nation into a
buying frenzy.
The original Chatterbait by Rad Lures combines a skirted jighead with
a blade similar to one found on an old Arbogast Mudbug deep-diving
crankbait and a plastic trailer. To capitalize on the chattering craze, several
other companies introduced their own “chattering bait” copies in several
variations. Although most look similar to an in-line spinnerbait, the blade on
a chattering bait does not revolve around the core wire. Instead, the
metallic blade causes the lure to wobble erratically like an upside down
lipped crankbait.
I saw my first chattering type bait on a trip to Lake Fork, Texas, with
Ranger Boats bass pros David Vance and Jim Nolan. I tried out some
prototype redesigned Stanley SwimJig Jigs and caught the largest bass
during the trip on one. Just short of 6 pounds, the bass hit a white Stanley
SwimJig in about 16 feet of water as I ran it parallel to a timberline.
When retrieved, the jig runs with the hook up. The inverted blade
pushes a considerable amount of water and produces an incredible wobble
and vibration that sends shock waves through the water.
“It’s a versatile bait that duplicates the enticing action of a crankbait,
the thumping vibration of a spinnerbait and the weedless penetration of a
jig,” said Lonnie Stanley, a legendary lure designer and five-time
Bassmaster Classic competitor. “The blade shakes the whole bait and
makes it wobble back and forth, moving a lot of water and giving out a
tremendous amount of vibration.”
Anglers can fish chattering baits in many different ways by changing
the retrieve. Waked just beneath the surface, it attracts bass in the
shallows or devastates schoolies. Pausing the retrieve allows it to flutter
down like a dying baitfish. People can also slow-roll it along the bottom of
sloping points or creek channels. People can add plastic or pork trailers for
more enticement.
“It’s a bait for all depths,” Stanley said. “People can run it just below
the surface or along the bottom in deep water by varying the speed of
retrieve or the angle of the rod. If someone held a rod high and ran it
medium-fast, it would run about three inches below the surface. Lowering
the rod tip or slowing the retrieve makes it run deeper. If the angler stops
reeling, the bait sinks to the bottom. With the rod tip held low, a person
could run it at a slow to medium speed just off the bottom.”
I mostly threw the Stanley SwimJig into heavy cover near standing
timber. I also let it drop to submerged grass beds. Protected by weed
guards, jigheads on chattering baits can penetrate where few spinnerbaits
or crankbaits can venture. It climbed over logs, stumps and standing
trees. In two days of fishing, it only snagged once when the line wrapped
around a branch. People can also run these baits through lily pads, fallen
trees, sunken brush piles or bang them off stumps, pilings or rocks. After
hitting an object, let if fall briefly for a more alluring effect.
“People can work it many different ways,” Stanley said. “It runs through
the lily pads, shaking back and forth. When the blade contacts vegetation,
it quits moving. As soon as it leaves the grass, the jig starts moving again.
When the bait runs across holes in vegetation, let it drop a bit. People can
also vertically jig it next to standing timber or drop-off edges to tempt bass
in deep holes.”
With most of the fish sitting in deep water, David and Jim caught more
bass on Carolina rigs tipped with small finesse plastics during our trip than I
caught, but I wanted to give the Stanley SwimJig a good test. Fishing
mostly deep channels, we really didn't fish the best waters for the SwimJig.
Still, I landed the lunker of the three-day adventure as I ran the bait parallel
to a line of standing timber in 20 feet of water. Despite blistering Texas
heat, the fish hit almost at noon and came almost up to the surface to strike
the SwimJig.
For booking trips with David Vance, see Lakeforktexasbigbass.com.
For more information on Stanley baits, see www.fishstanley.com.
New 'chattering lures' shake up
professional bass fishing world
professional bass fishing world
Jim Nolan, professional bass angler for Ranger Boats, shows off a
bass he caught on a Stanley SwimJig while fishing at Lake Fork
near Quitman, Texas.
bass he caught on a Stanley SwimJig while fishing at Lake Fork
near Quitman, Texas.
'Chatter baits, swimmings jigs
with inverted blades, skirts
and plastic trailers such as
this Stanley SwimJig, create
incredible wobbling when
running through the water.
They accounted for several
big victories in major
professional bass
tournaments.
with inverted blades, skirts
and plastic trailers such as
this Stanley SwimJig, create
incredible wobbling when
running through the water.
They accounted for several
big victories in major
professional bass
tournaments.