Q: I’ve heard a lot about using chatterbaits for bass. I have had good luck with spinnerbaits so when and why is a chatterbait better?
A: The chatterbait has been around for long enough, nearly 20 years. I consider both types of lures legendary for bass. More professional tournaments have probably been won in the last decade with a chatterbait than any other lure. A spinnerbait and a chatterbait (or bladed jig) are both skirted baits built for covering water and fishing around sparse vegetation. The difference is in the design: a spinnerbait uses blades attached by a wire arm, while a chatterbait has a blade attached directly to the jig head, giving it a vibration and action more like a crankbait.
Both are easy to fish — cast and retrieve — but they shine in different situations. Spinnerbaits work best fished fast and shallow, especially in water less than five feet deep. Chatterbaits excel when fished slower and deeper, closer to the bottom. You can also trigger strikes with either bait by changing retrieve speed or pausing the bait during the retrieve.
Because chatterbaits run deeper than spinnerbaits, they’re especially effective during cold fronts when fish hold tight to the bottom. A half-ounce bait retrieved slowly can stay near bottom in six to 10 feet of water.
Chatterbaits are also excellent in dirty water or windy conditions because fish can easily track the vibration. I almost always add a soft plastic trailer, usually something like a Z-Man Razor ShadZ, though boot-tail swimbaits also work well. And don’t be surprised if you catch pike, muskie, or walleye on one — they catch just about everything.
A great way to trigger a strike is to let the chatterbait contact vegetation, then snap it free with a quick rod twitch. The sudden burst of action frequently causes reaction strikes from bass
What makes a chatterbait special is its vibration — which is much more pronounced than that of a typical spinnerbait. When a bass grabs it, the vibration stops so you instantly know you have a strike.
Q: How do you tell a largemouth from a smallmouth? I have tried to identify largemouth bass by the jawline. Is there a better way? It seems fishing show anglers know as soon as it breaks water.
— Leroy Seaton
A: Leroy, the jawline on a largemouth bass is different than a smallmouth in that it extends past the eye, while a smallmouth jaw ends below the eye but there are easier ways to tell the two species apart.
The easiest way to tell the difference is during the battle. When a largemouth comes up to jump, it usually has its mouth open and it’s something that we notice immediately. Upon closer inspection, largemouth bass have a much larger mouth than a smallmouth. Largemouth are typically green, while smallmouths are usually brown in colour.
Finally, largemouth bass have a dark horizontal stripe along their side, while smallmouths have multiple vertical stripes.
The fishing show anglers probably make the identification look easy because they know they are casting to one species or the other most of the time.
Editor's note: The OFAH's Tackleshare program offers awesome resources for new anglers. You can find this bass ID page or watch the video at: www.tackleshare.com
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Originally published in the Summer Bassin' 2026 issue of Ontario Out of Doors
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