Story & Photos
BY DAVID A. BROWN
SUMMER 2014
I
t’s a great way to tempt hungry bass and an even
better way to irritate those who just want to be
left alone. Either way, vibrating jigs can deliver
some of the most aggressive bites you’ll get. One of bass fishing’s bolder, attention-craving baits,
this is no doubt one of the more effective offerings
for waters with diminished clarity. Vibrating jigs are
essentially swim jigs fitted with vibration-making blades.
You’ll often here the entire selection referred to by the
commercial name “Chatterbait,” – similar to “Coke” for all
colas or Jell-O for gelatins. Regardless, this is a bona fide
big-fish getter and a bait you need in your box.
From a full-sized ½-ounce models to the diminutive
Z-Man Frog, the vibrating jig offers an effective search
tool for areas with lots of structure, like stump fields or
vast stands of submergent and emergent vegetation.
This versatile bait is also effective for targeting specific
structure like docks, laydowns, stumps and anything that
might shelter a largemouth.
FLW Tour pro J.T. Kenney fishes ChatterBaits around a
variety of vegetation, but his preference is hydrilla. “Most
of the time, I’m fishing a it around sparse, shallow grass.
You can fish it around deeper grass, but the shallow grass
is where it really shines.”
Arizona stick Vu Au , who placed third in the recent Rayovac FLW Series event on the Cal Delta, loves his D&M Custom Baits vibe jig throughout just about any western waters he fishes.
Au offered a glimpse of his chatterbait tactics.
“A vibrating jig is only one part of the equation,” Au said. “The second major part is the rod. It has to have a parabolic bend with some backbone to rip through the grass.”
Au uses a custom rod made by Arizona rod builder Rob Vanderkooi. Noting that fishing this bait over grass is key, Au said he matches his bait size to grass depth. In deeper grass beds, he uses a ½-ounce, while a ¼- to 3/8-ounce works best in shallow grass.
“Find where bass are holding within the grass,” Au said. “Whether it be grass flats or grass growing on the edges of canals, rip or slowly roll the bait and tick the grass. Most bites will come after you bump grass or you rip the bait through grass.”
On the back of his vibe jigt, Au likes a Zoom Brush Hog when he needs a long, slender profile, but his preference is a D&M signature series swim trailer. Other options include a Yamamoto Swim Senko (for finesse) or Reaction
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