patrick reif Posted April 20, 2016 Report Share Posted April 20, 2016 I think this may be a bit ridiculous to ask, but I'd like to know. With spinnerbait blades there is a huge difference in quality by the manufacturer. Is this also true with chatterbait blades. I have only seen a few options available and want to buy the best that I can. Also, instead of using an Arkie jig head, is there any reason I can't just use my snootie nose jig instead? They both use the 60 degree hook, so I'd think they would swim about the same. The snootie is actually a better swimmer from what I've seen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smalljaw Posted April 20, 2016 Report Share Posted April 20, 2016 I haven't found a big difference with chatterbait blades but as you said, there aren't many options. As for the Snootie, I've made a lot of chatterbaits with that head and I love it, I've made them with double split rings and I've made them with the blade attached to the hook by opening up the hook eye and both work well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LimpNoodle Posted April 20, 2016 Report Share Posted April 20, 2016 You can use any jig you wish. Right now it seems there's only one company stamping blades. I have a good feeling that this is about to change. Best way to assemble them is to use a flat eye hook and a single connector. My buddy in the tackle business is going through about 400-500 baits a week and has the assembly down to a science. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBarlow Posted April 20, 2016 Report Share Posted April 20, 2016 (edited) Yep... there is currently only one company stamping chatter blades for making your own baits.I have actually started using a spinner bait mold for making chatter baits. I use a straight wire shaft and then trim it so I can make the snap bend that smalljaw makes on his spinner baits. Then I just snap on the chatter blade. I prefer the Do It Ultra Minnow mold.Here is a link to his . smalljaw makes it look easy but the first ones I bent came out looking like crap.JB Edited April 20, 2016 by JBarlow 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted April 20, 2016 Report Share Posted April 20, 2016 He does make it look easy! He's a great jig tier, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EironBreaker Posted April 20, 2016 Report Share Posted April 20, 2016 (edited) I believe Cast Ind. stamps the rounded chatter blades. It used to be Battlefield Wire which was a few miles from my house until they retired/sold off. I'm not sure if Cast Ind. stamps the Z man coffin shaped blades. I haven't seen them for sale to us common folk. Edited April 20, 2016 by EironBreaker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBarlow Posted April 20, 2016 Report Share Posted April 20, 2016 I believe Cast Ind. stamps the rounded chatter blades. It used to be Battlefield Wire which was a few miles from my house until they retired/sold off. I'm not sure if Cast Ind. stamps the Z man coffin shaped blades. I haven't seen them for sale to us common folk. You can't buy the coffin shaped ones because one of Z-Mans patents covers the coffin shape of the blade. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Hahn Posted April 21, 2016 Report Share Posted April 21, 2016 The problem I have with the blades that most tackle supply websites carry is that the metal is way too thick. The original RAD chatterbait used a blade that is about half the thickness of the blades you can buy from tackle making suppliers. The only option might be to order some thin stainless stock and cut the blades out using tin snips and drilling the holes with a dremel and a tiny bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cadman Posted April 21, 2016 Report Share Posted April 21, 2016 The problem I have with the blades that most tackle supply websites carry is that the metal is way too thick. The original RAD chatterbait used a blade that is about half the thickness of the blades you can buy from tackle making suppliers. The only option might be to order some thin stainless stock and cut the blades out using tin snips and drilling the holes with a dremel and a tiny bit. Jeff, When you say too thick are you referring to the current blades that are sold? Not the coffin blades. Reason I'm asking is that depending on the demand of the thinner ones,they can be made with thinner stainless steel. Is there any patents on the ones everyone is currently selling? If not I am going to look into this. I just bought some blades from LPO and I believe every distributor is buying them from the same manufacturer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted April 21, 2016 Report Share Posted April 21, 2016 Why would blade thickness make a big difference, other than weight? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nedyarb Posted April 21, 2016 Report Share Posted April 21, 2016 My guess is its similar to the way a lip on a crankbait works. Some people probably prefer the thinner blade. Probably really makes zero difference though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Hahn Posted April 22, 2016 Report Share Posted April 22, 2016 Jeff, When you say too thick are you referring to the current blades that are sold? Not the coffin blades. Reason I'm asking is that depending on the demand of the thinner ones,they can be made with thinner stainless steel. Is there any patents on the ones everyone is currently selling? If not I am going to look into this. I just bought some blades from LPO and I believe every distributor is buying them from the same manufacturer. Yes, I was referring to the blades that are currently sold through LPO, Jann's, and Barlow's. Those blades measure .20" on my micrometer, while the original RAD blades measure .11". I'm no engineer or physicist, so please correct any misinterpretations. While two identically shaped blades would likely have the same hydrodynamic effect on the bait, I wonder if the thinner (and therefore lighter) blades balance with the head differently than the thicker (and thus heavier) blades? It seems to me that the old RAD baits "hunted" far more erratically than either the Z-Man bait or the baits that I make. To get one of my baits to "hunt" I really have to play with it and I am thinking that the thicker/heavier blade may play a role. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LimpNoodle Posted April 22, 2016 Report Share Posted April 22, 2016 The material they are made of is going to have a big effect. A thicker aluminum blade could well be lighter than a thinner stainless steel blade. Also I think your measurements are a bit off. I'm very sure I can't stack five chatter bait blades on top of each other and have it be a 1" stack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cadman Posted April 22, 2016 Report Share Posted April 22, 2016 Yes, I was referring to the blades that are currently sold through LPO, Jann's, and Barlow's. Those blades measure .20" on my micrometer, while the original RAD blades measure .11". I'm no engineer or physicist, so please correct any misinterpretations. While two identically shaped blades would likely have the same hydrodynamic effect on the bait, I wonder if the thinner (and therefore lighter) blades balance with the head differently than the thicker (and thus heavier) blades? It seems to me that the old RAD baits "hunted" far more erratically than either the Z-Man bait or the baits that I make. To get one of my baits to "hunt" I really have to play with it and I am thinking that the thicker/heavier blade may play a role. Jeff, I have played around quite a bit with the coffin blade back when the chatterbaits came out. I made thicker ones and thinner ones, and this is what I found. The thicker ones ran deeper and seemed to have more drag. Also the thicker blades could not be bent as easy, to make them run shallower, and also you could not tune them as easily. With that said, I am going to do some testing when I get done putting out some fires. I can't see why the blades cannot be made out of aluminum, so you can bend them. Also I believe your micrometer measurements read .020 for the heavier one and .011 for the lighter blades respectively. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBarlow Posted April 22, 2016 Report Share Posted April 22, 2016 Jeff, I have played around quite a bit with the coffin blade back when the chatterbaits came out. I made thicker ones and thinner ones, and this is what I found. The thicker ones ran deeper and seemed to have more drag. Also the thicker blades could not be bent as easy, to make them run shallower, and also you could not tune them as easily. With that said, I am going to do some testing when I get done putting out some fires. I can't see why the blades cannot be made out of aluminum, so you can bend them. Also I believe your micrometer measurements read .020 for the heavier one and .011 for the lighter blades respectively. At one point Battlefield tried to stamp them out of aluminum but when they tested them the hole where the blade connected to the head wore out too fast so they used stainless steel. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LimpNoodle Posted April 22, 2016 Report Share Posted April 22, 2016 At one point Battlefield tried to stamp them out of aluminum but when they tested them the hole where the blade connected to the head wore out too fast so they used stainless steel. That's not a problem for those who make and sell chatter baits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted April 23, 2016 Report Share Posted April 23, 2016 At one point Battlefield tried to stamp them out of aluminum but when they tested them the hole where the blade connected to the head wore out too fast so they used stainless steel. I had the same experience when I made some out of brass spinner bait blades. I had to drill the hole for the attachment to the lure too far from the edge of the blade in order for it to be strong enough for the repeated side-to-side motion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Hahn Posted April 23, 2016 Report Share Posted April 23, 2016 The material they are made of is going to have a big effect. A thicker aluminum blade could well be lighter than a thinner stainless steel blade. Also I think your measurements are a bit off. I'm very sure I can't stack five chatter bait blades on top of each other and have it be a 1" stack. Sorry, for the typos. That should have been .020 and .011. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Hahn Posted April 23, 2016 Report Share Posted April 23, 2016 Jeff, I have played around quite a bit with the coffin blade back when the chatterbaits came out. I made thicker ones and thinner ones, and this is what I found. The thicker ones ran deeper and seemed to have more drag. Also the thicker blades could not be bent as easy, to make them run shallower, and also you could not tune them as easily. With that said, I am going to do some testing when I get done putting out some fires. I can't see why the blades cannot be made out of aluminum, so you can bend them. Also I believe your micrometer measurements read .020 for the heavier one and .011 for the lighter blades respectively. Correct, sorry for the typos. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Munkin Posted April 27, 2016 Report Share Posted April 27, 2016 I picked up some thin coffin style blades from someone on BBC about two years ago. These are actually so thin that I bent a few of them putting them on heads. Allen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted April 27, 2016 Report Share Posted April 27, 2016 I like the thicker blades better. I put mine in a vise tip first, as far down as I want it bent, and them push them with my thumbs to bend them. I always worried with the original chatterbait, and the first knockoffs, that the thinner blades would either bend out on their own, or just fail at the hole connection to the jig eye. I never had it happen, but I did have one of the first bait's snap open on a nice fish. I got it into the boat, because the wire caught in the blade hole, but I upgraded my snaps after that. As soon as the sst blades became available I bought some, and made my own baits with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rfdong Posted April 30, 2016 Report Share Posted April 30, 2016 (edited) You can use any jig you wish. Right now it seems there's only one company stamping blades. I have a good feeling that this is about to change. Best way to assemble them is to use a flat eye hook and a single connector. My buddy in the tackle business is going through about 400-500 baits a week and has the assembly down to a science. May I ask why you think so (about to change...)? I'm curious, I have a few of the old coffin style left, and value them as they do give off a different vibration than the rounded for sure. I did see Phenix is now using a modified coffin which my guess is different enough to get around the patent. They want $15 for 6 though........ Edited April 30, 2016 by rfdong Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted April 30, 2016 Report Share Posted April 30, 2016 I found these blades while looking around on the 'net. Don't know anything about the company and they don't list the size, thickness, material used, etc. They are the coffin style and the price doesn't seem too bad. I'm sure you could contact them for any specifics you may have questions about. Ben http://straightlineinnovations.com/vibrating-jig-blades.html 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rfdong Posted April 30, 2016 Report Share Posted April 30, 2016 Thanks, I'll contact them but all the coffin style for open sale now are the larger size which I don't think is covered by the patent........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted May 1, 2016 Report Share Posted May 1, 2016 If you make a template, you can cut the round blades into a coffin shape with some heavy shears. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
