Spring 2018
®
A
s bass fisherman there is always a lure that
creates such a buzz that anglers go to great
lengths to keep it quiet and likewise go to great lengths (and spend money) to find. The ChatterBait was
this lure back in the early 2000’s, it won three straight
tournaments in Florida and just like that the vibrating
jig was given a jolt of life. Just like any fishing lure, the
vibrating jig has its place and time to shine, but what
makes the vibrating jig attractive to us is that it is a very
versatile lure to have tied on.
Fishing a vibrating jig up shallow, around cover is
primarily what it was designed to do; so, this is where a
vibrating jig excels. By now, the lure has also been shown to
be effective probing offshore structure as well.
There are multitudes of vibrating jigs on the
market. The one I have been using is the Project Z
ChatterBait made by Z-Man lures. Whichever brand
you go with, be sure it has a good sharp and strong
hook in it, the line eye isn’t in jeopardy of breaking or
coming loose from the lure and finally the bait runs true in the water, as a bait that runs awkwardly won’t look natural to the bass.
One thing that I think is so great about fishing a vibrating jig is that you can dig into your tackle compartment and grab nearly any plastic bait, and it will work as a trailer. Playing Russian roulette with your plastics on the back end of your vibrating jig isn’t logical. Instead, understanding how each plastic bait will act as a trailer is the ideal way to go about things.
Each soft plastic bait – when rigged on the backend of a vibrating jig – will have its own unique action and effect the performance of the vibrating jig, subsequently forcing you the angler to alter your retrieve to achieve the best possible presentation for a hungry bass to key in on.
The depth of water, form and density of cover and forage that I’m trying to mimic are all factors in the trailer selection for my vibrating jig.
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