Author Topic: Rattle, rattle, rattle….  (Read 1950 times)

Offline ctom

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Rattle, rattle, rattle….
« on: 10/26/23 18:08 UTC »
Or should I say chatter, chatter, chatter? I came across a few chatter bait blades and busied myself with casting some Hybrid Grass jig heads and painting them. In these parts White seems to be the kingpin color for chatter baits so….

I opted to open the eyes of the hooks up enough to slide the blade in place after the painting got wrapped up and so far I am pleased with the results. These pictured are 3/8 ounce heads cast on 4/0  Victory 10886 hooks. It’s a bit of a trick to get the hook’s eye opened and closed but the end result is a whole lot cleaner than using the slip-ring method and I think will deliver a cleaner “chatter” .

There are good ships
and wood ships
ships that sail the sea
but the best ships are friendships
and may they
always be ......An Irish Toast

Offline basscatlildave

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Re: Rattle, rattle, rattle….
« Reply #1 on: 10/28/23 08:48 UTC »
Nice. I too like the blade attached to the eye.

Offline Muskygary

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Re: Rattle, rattle, rattle….
« Reply #2 on: 10/28/23 09:14 UTC »
Tom, What do you use to open the hook eye (tool)? Also are you using pro-tect to paint those blades? or a spraygun and coating with seal coat?

Offline ctom

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Re: Rattle, rattle, rattle….
« Reply #3 on: 10/28/23 09:48 UTC »
Gary.... a /32 punch tapped thru the eye. DON't go banging the punch thinking its a one swat thing and open eye, they'll break. And open only large enough to slip a blade in place. When the blade is in place I use a regular pliers to gently close the eye up. Don't try to close it all at once again, the metal is brittle, so just pinch and test to see if the blade can be slid abck thru the opened eye. If it cannot come out, you're good enough. Using hooks from the package I average about three baits out of five hooks. Also, its not like I am going to make 100 of these things. The three I have finished will be enough for next season unless some big pike show up again.

I tried to remove the temper in the hook metal by heating the eyes red hot, letting them cool naturally and then opening the eyes up but the heating furthered the brittleness of the hook metal.

The blades were done using powder paint and the powder paint airbrush. I did up a bunch of white ones thinking that since the white chatter baits have been super productive locally for the last three years the blade should be white. HOWEVER, everyone locally tells me now that silver blades on the white chatters are the way to go. I'll just get some more blades for when these baits are gone.

There are good ships
and wood ships
ships that sail the sea
but the best ships are friendships
and may they
always be ......An Irish Toast

Offline Lamar

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Re: Rattle, rattle, rattle….
« Reply #4 on: 10/28/23 10:20 UTC »
Just a pointer. I take a pin that is used for the weed guard and cut it at an angel so when I poor the head it fills that hole in. Gives it a little cleaner look.

Offline ctom

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Re: Rattle, rattle, rattle….
« Reply #5 on: 10/28/23 10:57 UTC »
Gotcha. I've clipped several pins to do that. These were done just to see if things would work out Lamar. I'll probably use them with the holes open as I am not selling or sampling at this point, if ever. Basically getting my feet wet here.
There are good ships
and wood ships
ships that sail the sea
but the best ships are friendships
and may they
always be ......An Irish Toast

Offline Lamar

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Re: Rattle, rattle, rattle….
« Reply #6 on: 10/29/23 07:20 UTC »
Gotcha. I've clipped several pins to do that. These were done just to see if things would work out Lamar. I'll probably use them with the holes open as I am not selling or sampling at this point, if ever. Basically getting my feet wet here.

 I remember reading in the FLW when Bryan Thrift gave his non boater a chatterbait the first day of a tournament and they both won their sides. I think it was around 2006 and nobody had really talked about the bait before that. I had to have one. Now Z Man makes the Jackhammer and they're 16 bucks a piece.  Just another reason to make your own baits. But up north here in the spring and the fall when the bass are chasing bait it's a winner. I make the dinner shiner for a trailer for that and spinnerbaits. It's a really good combo.

Online 21xdc

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Re: Rattle, rattle, rattle….
« Reply #7 on: 10/29/23 07:27 UTC »

Offline Les Young

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Re: Rattle, rattle, rattle….
« Reply #8 on: 10/30/23 18:15 UTC »
Saw that. It's good to see the small manufacturer hit the big time.