Knapp: Bladed jig provides variety, optionality in fishing
Working along the edge of a Lake Arthur point that dropped into deep water, I gave the bladed jig I was fishing a short but sharp upward snap. The jig’s descent was interrupted by a fat largemouth bass, a strike telegraphed through the fluorocarbon line by a line tap.
A few moments later, a 3.5 pounder was boated and then released.
During the next hour, while fishing a 75-yard section of shoreline that featured another extended point, I caught two other nice largemouth and lost a third. All on the bladed jig.
Bladed jig, vibrating jig, Chatterbait — whatever the description, it is a fish catcher.
While the vast variety of sizes and availability of trailers make the lure appropriate for a vast array of fish, from larger panfish up to toothy muskies and northern pike, most folks direct its application to bass.
Essentially, the vibrating jig is a skirted jig with a thin metal blade attached to the line tie, and in turn the main fishing line is tied to a snap affixed to the blade. As the lure is retrieved, the random resistance that occurs as the blade catches the water causes the jig to vibrate, or chatter.
Z-Man makes the original bladed jig. Its patented design is unique in that the vibrating blade is attached directly to the jig’s vertical line tie. As I understand things, the design is also licensed to Strike King and is incorporated in its Thunder Cricket bladed jig.
Other manufacturers offer bladed jigs, ones that use a split ring to link the blade to a skirted jig that uses a horizontal line tie. This design also lends itself to do-it-yourselfers who purchase the needed components — jig, blade, skirt, split ring and snap — and do the assembly themselves. This saves money and allows the freedom of customization.
Bladed jigs are available in a wide variety of sizes and price points. As the price tag goes up, the lure generally sports higher grade components. Z-Man’s Jack Hammer goes for as much as $18.
In my experience, the most important aspect of a bladed jig is its ability to engage — to chatter — as soon as the retrieve is started. If the lure doesn’t start chattering until it’s 5 feet into the retrieve, it likely won’t catch many bass.
Size is also a viable factor. Earlier this month my longtime client Dan Brown joined me on the Allegheny River, which was slightly high (for summer) and off color, perfect conditions for noisy/flashy baits like bladed jigs and spinnerbaits.
Dan put on a clinic using the Z-Man Mini Max Chatterbait, which is a downsized version of its original Chatterbait. While I caught some fish on the full-sized lure, Dan out-fished me at least three to one.
It’s common to add a trailer to a bladed jig such as a soft swimbait or crawfish imitator. Give thought to the type of forage you’re trying to represent, for instance a broader shape if it’s a bluegill you’re trying to mimic.
The same goes for color. During the Lake Arthur experience, which took place late last week, a white/chartreuse bladed jig dressed with a pearl-colored Crush City Freeloader seemed acceptable to the lake’s largemouth bass that commonly feed on silvery gizzard shad and alewife.
The retrieve is another significant aspect of fishing a bladed jig. While like a crankbait or spinnerbait, fish can be triggered with a straight, do-nothing retrieve, odds greatly favor a degree of the erratic. Bumping into cover, ripping over weed tops. The lure can be jigged along the bottom similarly to a standard skirted jig, but with enough action to activate the blade. This is the method I used at Arthur. That’s why it’s important for the blade to dig in and vibrate immediately.
Of the many lure options available to bass anglers, the bladed jig is one of the most effective and versatile.
Jeff Knapp is an outdoors columnist for the Butler Eagle
