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Each of these baits has its pros and cons and should be used in different situations. It’ll all depend on the amount of cover, what time of the year, and what the water is like. In this post, I’ll be comparing the chatterbait to the spinnerbait as well as the buzzbait.
As a general rule, a chatterbait will be better if you’re fishing in an area with limited visibility, wind, and a lot of grass. You’ll want to use a spinnerbait if you’re fishing in an area with limited visibility, wind, and no grass. A buzzbait is a topwater lure so you’ll want to use that on a hot day when the weather is calm.
You can still use these lures in different conditions and still catch fish but this was the ideal situation to bring each of them out. I don’t use a buzzbait too often myself but a lot of people have caught a lot of fish using them. My go-to of the three has the be the spinnerbait though since I’ve had the most success with that.
It’s more of a personal preference though so give each of them a try to see what you like best. Continue reading or watch the video below for full details on when and how to use each.
When To Use A Chatterbait
Chatterbait is pretty similar to spinnerbait in terms of looks but they’re best suited for different conditions. Chatterbait will use a single hook which you can put your favorite soft plastic on to give it a swimming action through the water.
You’ll want to use a chatterbait when the water is fairly shallow, it’s murky, there’s wind, and there’s a lot of GRASS. Since it only has one hook it’ll be able to glide through the grass much easier than a spinnerbait. I use a braided line with a fluoro leader to make sure I don’t break off if I get snagged.
How do you fish a chatterbait?
The way you fish with a chatterbait is a bit different than a spinner. You’ll want to cast it near a grass bed and let it fall down. Instead of reeling it in, you’ll want to pop it every now and then to get it to jump through the grass. Give it a pop, let it fall back down, and then reel in the slack. You can fish it other ways but this has been what’s worked best for me.
When To Use A Spinnerbait
If you’re out in an area with fairly shallow water, the water is dirty, there’s some wind, and NO grass then you’ll want to pull one of these out. Since your spinnerbait should have 2 hooks on it it’ll get snagged up in the grass and that’ll end up being your only catch of the day.
I like using a spinnerbait that’s somewhat of a natural color because it’s a pretty unnatural looking lure. Something that’s blue, black, or white usually does the best. You’ll want to put a trailer hook on the lure as well which will help you catch more fish.
The reason you want to use a spinnerbait (or chatterbait) in dirty water is because of the unnatural look and also because they’re really loud and obnoxious. They don’t really look like much so the fish aren’t going to attach it as much if they can clearly see it. It’ll also create a ton of noise to attract the fish which is key in dirty water.
This bait also works really well at night and is one of the main times I’ll use it. If you’re fishing against a wall or rock or tree then this is where this lure will shine (as long as there’s no grass around).
How do you use a spinnerbait?
The main way I normally fish this lure is by casting and retrieving. All you really have to do is cast the lure somewhere near cover and let the noise do its work. You can give it a twitch now and then to create some action so give both a try to see what’s working best.
When To Use A Buzzbait
Buzzbait is pretty similar to the spinnerbait in terms of looks but they’re designed to do completely different things. Buzzbait is a topwater lure and you’ll want to use it in somewhat opposite conditions.
You’ll want to use this bait when the water is pretty calm and it seems to work the best on a hot summer day. The other two baits are used to go where the fish are but a buzzbait is designed to get them to come to you. When it’s hot during the day the fish will hide out and not move a whole lot so this will get them to move out from under cover.
You’ll want to use one of these on a calm day because it’ll be kind of tough to see if there’s a bunch of waves. It needs to be calm so the fish can clearly see there’s something swimming above. It’s not my favorite lure to fish but it does have its place.
How do you fish a buzzbait?
All you really have to do is cast to where you think the fish are and start reeling in. You can give the rod a few twitches now and then to give it some action but it normally moves through the water pretty good. This lure is good because you can cast into heavy cover and it’s not going to get snagged as easily as the spinner or chatter. I’m assuming you’re going to be using these baits for bass fishing, and if you want to check out our favorite gear you can click here.
To sum things up, use a chatterbait in shallow dirty water when there are wind and grass. Use a spinnerbait in the exact same conditions minus the grass. Use a buzzbait when the water is nice and calm and the weather is hot.
Until next time, happy fishing. If you want to catch more fish, use more hooks.
Let me know your thoughts and any questions you have. Like this article? Feel free to give it a share!
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