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What’s a Bladed Jig? A bladed jig is also known as a Chatterbait. Chatterbait is the name coined by Z-Man tackle company that invented and named their bladed jig the Chatterbait. Since these baits have become a success story on the tournament bass trail, every bass tackle company has got one, but I still like the original Chatterbait and I prefer the 3/8 ounce size for most of my fishing. At first I didn’t think much of a Chatterbait,. I had one that sat around in my tackle box for 10 years, just waiting to make it to casting rotation on my old reliable St. Croix Premier casting rod th …

If you want a Net full of fish...you got to fish around some junk! No matter where you fish, there is going to be junk in the water. Junk is good, junk is where the fish like to hide. “See that junk over there?” “Yeah, what is it?” “I dunno, but you better make a cast before I do!” Junk is cover, junk is structure, junk can be weeds, a pile of rocks, a pier, a fallen tree...you get the idea. If you’ve got a fancy locator, underwater camera, side-scan or live scope, you can really see some junk...and if you look closely, you will see game fish too! You just know there are fish down the …

Sometimes you have to get your butt whooped to learn something. I spent a long weekend last Spring on the Wisconsin River trying for early season walleye and sauger. On the drive up I stopped at several bait shops for info and then checked out the action on and around several parking lots below a few dams before I headed over to a shoreline “hot spot”. There were already a dozen vehicles parked on the side of the road and twice as many anglers out fishing, it looked to be pretty slow. The area consisted of a rocky shoreline along a bridge, with current flow underneath and anglers lin …

Slender Spoons have been working hard for us ice anglers for more than 40 years! Originally designed by Scott Stecher of Reef Runner Tackle, the Slender Spoon is a “must have '' for every ice fisherman! Currently Custom Jigs & Spins manufactures Scott’s original design and Chekai has been pounding them out in mass quantities in Croatia ever since. I have caught every species through the ice on Slender Spoons and have several rods dedicated specifically for each of the four sizes! Their size, weight and action duplicates a fleeing or dying baitfish and fish just gobble them u …

My father, Poppee, hobbled out on the ice. His surgically repaired titanium hip squeaked a little as he walked. When he smiled, his tungsten teeth sparkled in the sunlight. He turned and reached into his bucket and pulled out 26” Frabill Quick Tip ultralight ice rod with a titanium spring bobber tip. “HASTA LA VISTA, BABY!” He whispered and lowered a tiny 4mm tungsten Glazba jig down the hole.Chekai is the stuff of fishing nightmares! Immediately he had a bite. It was heavy, screaming drag, but soon he gained ground. Finally, out popped crazy cousin Chekai from the hole, flopping on th …