3 Pro Tips For Fishing A Bladed Jig

When you look at a bladed jig, it’s hard to figure out if it’s a version of a spinnerbait or a jig. The bladed jig first came on the bass fishing scene as the original ChatterBait. Featuring a jig body with a hexagon-shaped blade, the ChatterBait and its spin-offs have become a hit with the B.A.S.S. and FLW touring pros.

Bladed Jig Tactics

The ChatterBait and its spin-offs are best known for their grass work. Try the lure around vegetation similar to a Rat-L-Trap presentation. Led the lure get down in the vegetation, rip it out and let it fall back down, then reel it a little bit and tick the grass again and rip it out. Speed reeling the lure along grass flats is also an effective way to work a bladed jig. Reeling the lure at a fast clip keeps it burning right below the surface and right above the submerged vegetation.You can also run the bait with an erratic retrieve around boat docks. Run it down the side of the dock while jerking the bait and letting it fall. Reel it a little ways fast and then slow it down and jerk it. The bladed jig is also a good choice for throwing around lay-downs during the prespawn. Throw the lure as close to the bank as possible and reel it back with a steady, medium-speed retrieve along the logs. Hopping the lure along ledges also generates bites for bass in deeper water. Since the lure falls faster than a spinnerbait, it can be worked deeper and its faster descent rate triggers more reaction strikes when it falls down the ledges.

Color Options And Modifications

Popular colors for bladed jigs include white, chartreuse, chartreuse-and-white, brown and black-and-blue. Adding a plastic craw trailer to the bladed jig will make the lure more bulky looking. Attach a paddletail worm for a trailer if you want a lure with a longer profile. You can take off the lure’s skirt and use a Fluke or a swimbait as a trailer.

Tackle Recommendations

Throw your bladed jig on a 7-foot medium-heavy or heavy action casting rod and a high speed baitcast reel (6.3:1 to 8:1.1 gear ratio). Bladed jigs work best in stained to murky water so you can use the lure with 50- to 65-pound braided line, which comes in handy when you have to rip the lure through the weeds.

Bladed Jig Vs Spinnerbait Tips