Fishing Chatterbaits for Pressured Bass

The chatterbait is a versatile lure that can be used to catch bass in a variety of situations, and it can even be effective when fishing for pressured bass so long as you select the right chatterbait model. 

Here are a few tips on how to fish a chatterbait for pressured fish:

• Use a finesse approach. When bass are pressured, they tend to become more cautious and less likely to bite anything that looks too big or flashy. Using a finesse style chatterbait like the Zman Stealth Blade or Mini-Max is a great way to target these fish.
• Use lighter line. Pressured bass are often wary of anything that looks unnatural, so using a light line will help your bait look more natural and less threatening. Personally, I typically use 12 to 15 pound fluorocarbon-coated line when fishing a chatterbait for pressured bass.
• Fish slowly. Pressured bass are often less active, so you'll need to fish your chatterbait slowly to get their attention. I like to fish my chatterbait with a slow, steady retrieve with occasional pauses.
• Target cover. Pressured bass will often retreat to cover when they feel pressured, so target areas with cover when fishing a chatterbait. I like to target docks, laydowns, and other areas with cover when fishing a chatterbait for pressured bass.

Bass pro Brett Hite is a renowned chatterbait specialist who has worked with the folks at Zman to develop not only the JackHammer model but also a finesse version, the Stealth Blade. 

Take a few moments as watch as Hite explains his approach to using the Stealth Blade when fishing highly pressured waters…