When to fish with a spinnerbait
A spinnerbait is a lure consisting of a leaded hook with a silicone skirt, connected to one or two paddles by piano wire. The paddles can be of the colorado type, round on the back, or willow, more tapered, also known as willow leaf.
The vibrations of the colorado blade are stronger, but they drastically slow down the action of the spinnerbait and force it to sink slowly. The willow paddle, on the other hand, emits lighter vibrations and is ideal for fast fishing, especially power fishing.
Ideal conditions for spinnerbait fishing are generally wind-whipped, tinted waters. Areas exposed to the wind, whether a break, an edge or clusters of branches, are particularly interesting to fish with a spinnerbait.
When to fish with chatterbait?
The chatterbait is a one-piece lure, with the paddle connected directly to the leaded hook. Like the spinnerbait, the chatterbait has a skirt to increase the volume of the lure and add realism with colors and movements. The shape of the chatterbait's paddle is rather unusual, with six protruding angles providing strong resistance in the water.
Unlike the spinnerbait, the chatterbait paddle vibrates hard and fast, giving it the perfect appearance of a panicking forage fish. The chatterbait is a lure that excels in and around weedbeds, and has a much better ability to cut through weeds that would prevent the paddle from working.
Which species to target?
Although chatterbaits and spinnerbaits originate from the USA and are designed for black-bass fishing, they are equally effective in European waters. The spinnerbait is an all-purpose lure for pike fishing, its shape greatly reducing the risk of snagging, especially when fishing in submerged branches. The chatterbait is equally effective on pike, but is particularly effective on perch and black bass, which love its vibrations.
Of course, pike-perch, catfish, asp and even trout can be fished with a spinnerbait or chatterbait, but the important thing is to adapt the size of the lure to the species you're after, and to vary the weights to fish different water layers.
