[HEDDONFROG]

Something new to get excited over. Japanese seller has them before their US release at iCast. He's probably $7 cheaper than they will be here as well. I've also been putting the tungsten bladed jigs I made over the winter to good use...other than my snaps aren't/weren't heavy enough. Anyone have any recommendations for small but heavy duty cross lock snaps? Seems like if you get small ones they are automatically light-duty. Thanks

 

[catchafew]

$17+ for a chatter bait? I remember when chatters first came out years ago, God the hooks were terrible back then. I'm burning through a years worth of stocked up lures and I'm not really buying too many new lures now. But keep us posted how you like it. I remember bassman29 (Kevin) talking about the Rage Blade and it is an effective variant of the chatter with it being more snag resistant in timber, running shallow and slow.

What about using a split ring vs. snap assuming the split ring dosen't kill the action. I think I recall some having split rings.

 

[Grain]

Yeah, $20 for a chatterbait? Hard pass.

 

[HEDDONFROG]

What about using a split ring vs. snap assuming the split ring dosen't kill the action. I think I recall some having split rings.

Mike, I've been using a split ring for the blade to head connection, the snap is for the line-tie. I don't think a split ring would allow enough range of motion or else someone would be using them. When you said that I immediately thought about the oval rings I've seen. I'll look around and see what I have in the parts bin. Thanks

 

[mike son]

Dave, for the heavy duty snaps, look at decoy egg snaps

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Decoy_E ... DEGGS.html

The swimbait guys use them as replacements for split rings at the line tie. I want to say they are rated by breaking strength but TW makes no mention of it. If you really want to read into, search "snaps" on swimbaitunderground.com

It'll be interesting to see the difference in action of the tungsten jackhammers. Hoping it would improve the "fish-ability" of the heavier models, 3/4oz+, you know what I mean.

 

[HEDDONFROG]

Yeah, $20 for a chatterbait? Hard pass.

I caught 52 fish Thursday on 1 jack hammer and went through 2 trailers all day. If a big pike hadn't destroyed one of the trailers I might have went the whole day. With a regular chatt without the double wire bait keeper you'll replace a trailer every 3 to 5 fish at .45 to .75 each. Simple math, 2 or 3 outings and it's paid for itself. I also still have one of the original ones I bought in August 2017. It still has the original hardware, I just keep replacing skirts and repainting the blade

 

[HEDDONFROG]

Dave, for the heavy duty snaps, look at decoy egg snaps

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Decoy_E ... DEGGS.html

The swimbait guys use them as replacements for split rings at the line tie. I want to say they are rated by breaking strength but TW makes no mention of it. If you really want to read into, search "snaps" on swimbaitunderground.com

It'll be interesting to see the difference in action of the tungsten jackhammers. Hoping it would improve the "fish-ability" of the heavier models, 3/4oz+, you know what I mean.

Nice Mike! I'll look into these. Btw I think it's the direct blade to head connection that doesn't allow the 3/4 Jack to slow roll in deep water very well. The o-ring connected ones, like above work much better in 12-20'

 

[HEDDONFROG]

I've lost both the TG Tungsten Jacks that I bought to try out and after about a month of using them, I do not see a reason to replace those with anything other than the regular Jack Hammers. Other than what feels like a slightly tighter vibration and a couple of cool colors options, I didn't see any appreciable difference in it's ability to catch more fish than the standard model.

 

[Grain]

How did you lose them? FWIW, I lost my white chatterbait last week - I think I did not close snap lock on the leader correctly, and ordered a Jack Hammer - just to see if I'll like it any better.

 

[billebob5]

hard pass x 2

 

[FishinMatt]

They are good baits and they last. The difference is paying up front for a great bait with solid components verse a cheaper model which you will replace after a few trips. To each his own.

 

[DasGoby]

I think part of the difference in perspective is shore/river fisherman vs. people fishing lakes in boats. I just bought a Jackhammer to use on a lake I fish with expansive weed flats that I fish from a canoe on but I don't think I'd use it to shore fish the DPR or Skokie Lagoon with.

 

[HEDDONFROG]

How did you lose them? FWIW, I lost my white chatterbait last week - I think I did not close snap lock on the leader correctly, and ordered a Jack Hammer - just to see if I'll like it any better.

If you can conceive a way to lose a bait, I'll be the one that puts it into practice One I lost to something sharp on the Calumet River and the other on a wicked backlash cast. You'll immediately feel the difference when you start to use your new Jack and if there's a good bladed jig bite you'll catch more because they flat out catch fish

 

[Skifish1]

All I see is Burger King Impossible whoppers.

 

[Grain]

I think part of the difference in perspective is shore/river fisherman vs. people fishing lakes in boats. I just bought a Jackhammer to use on a lake I fish with expansive weed flats that I fish from a canoe on but I don't think I'd use it to shore fish the DPR or Skokie Lagoon with.

Because? Potential for damage and loss? Cast to catch ratio and corresponding trailer wear and loss?

 

[urbanHog312]

Yeah, $20 for a chatterbait? Hard pass.

typically i'd have the same opinion on a lure but fuuuuuck do these baits kill. one retrieve and you know.

 

[DasGoby]

DasGoby wrote:
I think part of the difference in perspective is shore/river fisherman vs. people fishing lakes in boats. I just bought a Jackhammer to use on a lake I fish with expansive weed flats that I fish from a canoe on but I don't think I'd use it to shore fish the DPR or Skokie Lagoon with.

Because? Potential for damage and loss? Cast to catch ratio and corresponding trailer wear and loss?

Yes potential for loss due to snags. This is because due to the number of snags and fact that you can't take your boat and go retrieve your lure when shore fishing. Same principal applies to other pricey lures like hard swimbaits.

 

[Rambler]

Yeah, $20 for a chatterbait? Hard pass.

typically i'd have the same opinion on a lure but fuuuuuck do these baits kill. one retrieve and you know.

20 bucks for any lure is what I'd call piracy. And not sure I'd want to risk 20 bucks just to see if something actually works. I've lost 2 chatterbaits this summer along with various jigs, swimbaits, spinners, etc. As I've said before when the time comes I'm spending double digits on lures I think I'll just throw my wallet in the water & be done with it.