SD BAY ON FIRE! • 08/15/14
 

Hobie To The Rescue / Part Two


Went out to the Bay to throw my trusty Chatterbait around yesterday, when I saw in the distance smoke coming out from in front of Loews Coronado.
I peddled closer and noticed nobody doing anything..Asked the spectators on the balconies and all around for some kind of bucket to start the water brigade, but they chose to do squat. After what seemed like forever, the CFD came and extinguished the remaining brush before it got worse.. Shortly after I get completly smashed on my half ounce white/silver Chatterbait w/ Bad Shad DieZel MinnowZ trailer. After an nice fight & having to take it easy on twelve pound test, I ultimately lost my lucky Chatterbait..:doh:

(Watch In HD)
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what was it?!?!?!

That title grabbed my attention. Nice work on being the first responder!

Too bad on the big halibut--I assume.

Awesome job working that fire. And tough luck on that mystery beast. It had to have been a bitter sweet type of day.

mudd marlin

Great work Wade, always looking to help out. WTG. Too bad you lost your chatterbait on provably a large Hali. Tight Lines, Mark

Nice try with the fire, glad it didn't spread to any buildings. As far as the fish goes, I'm with Nic. Mud Marlin.

Wow! Cool video!

Crazy that fires can go off anywhere!

I have never fished a chatterbait.

Do you have more success with them than spinnerbaits?

Do you use them for calicos also?

That sure ain't no Mud Marlin..
Yes, I am more productive with a Chatterbait across the board, than with Spinnerbaits. Fresh & Salt. The Chatterbait is several lures wrapped up in 1. A Crankbait, a swimjig, and a spinner. It's more weedless too..I have hooked up on countless species with this amazing original & patented lure that countless imitators try to copy..
Halibut hate Chatterbaits! Hate. Calicos inhale em too.:reel:
Ive been recently trying to make a dredge cam for my deep water applications..I have forgo the flasher/bounceball altogether. For first timers chucking it around, you'll know instantly if your not fishing it correctly, by its cadence it puts off.

Z-Man also just made some new DieZel Chatterbaits and DieZel Spinner designs. I will be trying them out next week..

If it don't Chatter, it doesnt matter!



DieZel Chatterbait
http://i57.tinypic.com/30ttkc2.jpg

DieZel Spinner
http://i61.tinypic.com/10zr0wo.jpg

Z-Man has also just introduced new Project Z skirted jigs. Offered in two varieties—Football and Flip ‘N Cast—these new jigs are highlighted by Z-Tex textured silicone skirt material that traps bubbles on the descent and affords a lifelike, three-dimensional look.
The Football Jig features a flat face that slams into rocks—kicking up silt and gravel to create fish-attracting disturbances. The Flip ‘N Cast Jig sports a versatile crawfish-style head that slides easily over and through cover.
Football & Flip ’N Cast Jigs with Z-Tex
http://i58.tinypic.com/ehahr8.jpg

http://i57.tinypic.com/5ecrrb.jpg



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Wade, you could edit the video to show the spottie being the result of the fight.

Okay, so I have a sick sense of humor.

Think I'm gonna have to go shopping now.

Wade, how do you know the cadence is right on the Chatterbait? When I feel the bait vibrating, is that the right cadence? I picked one up a while back, but I've yet to put in the time with it.

Also, I keep seeing the Houdini color on multiple websites. But, it looks different on each one. Is the picture you just posted pretty close to accurate? I'm trying to decide if it is kinda redundant since I already have New Penny.

My best plastic this summer in the bay has been the z man jerk shadz in houdini color with a 1 oz. football jighead in the deeper parts of the channel.

That being said I also use the gulp jerk shad in new penny weedless and that works great too.

They are definitely different colors though.

This is where being color blind comes into play I guess. New Penny and Houdini look awfully similar to me.

Lets go hit the bay before the end of the year?..
You can fine tune the lip of the chatterbait to better suit your desired application.
Having a MH action rod is important with Chatterbaits. As you mentioned you will feel it vibrating and thumping right through your rod tip. I also have great luck trolling them too even..Unlike with most spinnerbaits, a chatterbait you can immediately feel if you have any seagrass or clutter on your rig. A quick rip forward usually frees up your jig and the vibrating returns upon retrieve.

Typically the darker portion of the bait when shot in Z-Mans laminates, the dorsal section is darker going lighter to the belly. If the bait is rounded or squared, and overall angle, glare, ElaZtech reflections ect can make the hue appear very different especially in most catalog thumbnails!?
Here are a few different baitZ..
New penny shrimpz
Houdini Jerk shadZ
Houdini paddlerz
Houdini grass kickerZ

http://i60.tinypic.com/dy67wh.jpg

Thanks for the pic. I can see the difference better. Guess I need some Houdini too :D

Steve and I are fishing Mission Bay next monday morning if you're free. Unfortunately, I work on the weekends. Mondays are my main fishing day. Sometimes I can pull off a Tuesday instead.

I have not fished MB in over 10 years. Where do you launch from usually? I can fish on Tuesdays most weeks and would appreciate any help fishing there or if not some pointers if we don't get together.

Thanks in advance.

Sadly, Tuesdays are bad for traveling (I live in lake Forest) to fish. We usually launch from Vacation Island. Either from the ramp at Ski Beach or the beach on the north side. It just depends on if we are focusing on SKi Beach and Sea World or if we plan to hit Sail Bay and that area.

Look for areas with eel grass and fish those. If you can find a drop off with grass around it, even better. I mostly use weedless swimbaits and lately Zman Paddlerz. Drag them around and through the grass. I like light line so I usually use 6-10lb line, though with spinner baits and slip jigs I go with 17lb.

I usually buy most of my fishing gear and tackle when someone else decides that fishing is not for them after buying some shiny new toys.

In my last pick up among other things was a Chatterbait and I just started throwing it at my local lake and man oh man! It's a killer! Like you say it's got the aspects of three different other lures wrapped in one. I just use a craw on the hook which works great for green bass, and haven't had luck in my one harbor session but I feel like the Z man paddler or Jerkshad would be more suited to the salt.

I was going to say Halibut in the video.. But man you were horsing it for 12# :reeling:

Keep the tackle selections coming.