Attn all Bass fisherman: What am I doing wrong?!!! re chatterbait

[Sh1mano]

Alright here it goes. Picked up this Booyah chatterbait in the White/Chartreuse color and use it with the trailer

This is my first experience ever using a chatterbait so three days ago I go down to my local fising hole and low and behold, I'm getting strikes like gangbusters. As I'm setting the hook and reeling them in, ALL of them would break off on me right as I'm bringing then up off the surface of the water!! At first I'm thinking no biggie, I'm just not setting the hook hard enough. But this happens like 5 straight times in a matter of an hour. I get super upset when one of them happens to be of notable size. I check the hook and its' sharper than a ginsu knife. Went back yesterday and same thing. Actually I was able to "land" one finally...but that was just one out of 5. What the hell am I doing wrong? Am I supposed to not set the hook and let them take off with the bait for awhile?

[Sh1mano]

Wow..no one out there with any thoughts/advice/insight? Not even a simple "C-rig" type response? (j/k pete!)

[troutdog]

How about adding a trailer hook? :Idea:

Good luck out there....


TD

[stg68]

Alright here it goes. Picked up this Booyah chatterbait in the White/Chartreuse color and use it with the trailer



This is my first experience ever using a chatterbait so three days ago I go down to my local fising hole and low and behold, I'm getting strikes like gangbusters. As I'm setting the hook and reeling them in, ALL of them would break off on me right as I'm bringing then up off the surface of the water!! At first I'm thinking no biggie, I'm just not setting the hook hard enough. But this happens like 5 straight times in a matter of an hour. I get super upset when one of them happens to be of notable size. I check the hook and its' sharper than a ginsu knife. Went back yesterday and same thing Actually I was able to "land" one finally...but that was just one out of 5. What the hell am I doing wrong? Am I supposed to not set the hook and let them take off with the bait for awhile?

Looks like this is a Z Man Original, not a Booyah ..
What is your gears , real, rod ?
I am using medium heavy rod with 7.0:1 baitcaster without problems

[fishsniffin]

What kind of gear are you using? are you swimming the jig or bouncing the jig? I'm assuming that you are swimming the jig? right? You might be yanking the jig too early making for poor hooksets, as if you're almost yanking it out of their mouth before they fully engulf the jig. Either go for a softer rod like a crankbait rod (if you're swimming it) or don't set the hook until you feel resistance. Make a sweeping motion when you set the hook, not a swing the fish to the shore kind of hook-set. Hope this helps.

[Sh1mano]

ah yes...thanks guys for all the feedback. I use a 7' Medium Fast action rod with a 6:3:1 gear ratio baitcaster (Citica). Yes I've been swimming the jig and letting it sink a few feet before retrieving. Hmmm, trailer hook? Don't know how to rig it but I'll google it and figure it out. My bad, I must have posted a link to the wrong chatterbait cuz the one I use is a Booyah brand but it looks just like the Z-man. As for a sweeping hook set.....very intriguing pointer indeed. This I will definitely try. My hook sets are the traditional shoulder-to-above-the-head type sets (habit from all the trout fishing I do). As for waiting to set the hook until I feel the resistance, this might be tricky. For every strike I've been getting, it feels more like I'm stuck and the pole is bending immediately. It's only after a second or two I realize its a fish.

Thanks again for all the helpful feedback.

[Sublime-Steve]

There hittin it in the weeds are you fishing at night?

[bassman909]

Try a trailer hook works for me.

[Vulture]

What about line size ? You might be getting to much line stretch during your hook sets. This will not allow the hook to penetrate all the way. Your fishing rod may also be a lil to limber causing the same thing or a combination of both. Just my 2 cents.

[Pete Marino]

hahaha I just saw this thread...

If you are hooking fish but they are getting off Id increase the line size to minimize the line stretch. Id even use braid.
I dont use a trailer hook on a chatterbait. Also try using a Spinnerbait with a trailer...if they are eating the chatter, they should eat the blade.

Chatter baits arent my specialty. I actually prefer Blades or lipless crankbaits around grass....and if there is grass up top...its all about the frog this time of year..

Pete

[Sh1mano]

hahaha I just saw this thread...

If you are hooking fish but they are getting off Id increase the line size to minimize the line stretch. Id even use braid.
I dont use a trailer hook on a chatterbait. Also try using a Spinnerbait with a trailer...if they are eating the chatter, they should eat the blade.

Chatter baits arent my specialty. I actually prefer Blades or lipless crankbaits around grass....and if there is grass up top...its all about the frog this time of year..

Pete

Golden! I was hoping that little smart remark would fish you out..LOL! But seriously, thanks for pointers. Friends of mine caught your free drop shot clinic at Bass Pro about a month and learned a lot. It's pretty cool that you hold those.

[Pete Marino]

Your welcome...anytime!! Im glad your friends liked the dropshot seminars I gave. I love to do those seminars because the spectators are always very interested in learning and they usually get alot out of it. Teaching is easy when people WANT to learn ...SO its cool!!

I'll be at Bass Pro Shops again doing seminars on the 17th and 18th of this month (July). The seminars will be on summer techniques for our local lakes and should cover things like Topwater and other reaction baits, not to mention some worming stuff if I have time. I tend to get a little breathy when I do my seminars and time gets away from me sometimes...hahaha What can I say...I love talking bass fishing!!!!
I'll probably have some cool tackle to give away again like last time I was there... Bass Pro donated some pretty cool tackle to give away last time including A rainbow trout Lunker Punker and a bunch of other cool stuff.. I asked people trivia quetions about different fishing related things and gave out things to the guys that got that right answers....
So be sure to come to Bass Pro that weekend and check out my seminars and maybe win some cool stuff!!

Pete