The Chatterbait is quickly becoming a major producer across the tournament-fishing world. Brett Hite won the opening FLW Tour Event on Okeechobee and the Bassmaster Elite at Lake Seminole this year using a chatterbait as his main presentation. Remember that monster Fred Roumbanis landed at the Bassmaster Classic on Guntersville? Caught on a chatterbait.
It’s a versatile presentation, a hybrid between jig and crankbait, and it provides a unique profile in the water.
As tournament anglers, we look for versatile baits that are capable of handling a variety of situations: open water, clear water, stained water, grass, brush, the list goes on and on. For this reason, we try to find baits that allow us to cover as many different conditions as possible, for simplicity and storage reasons. When it comes to chatterbaits, one stands out above the rest: The Pepper Custom Baits Commando Roumbler.
From Pepper Custom Baits: “This is the bait that caught Fred’s 9 lb 3 oz monster largemouth at the 2014 Bassmaster Classic. The commando Roumbler is a revolutionary vibrating bait that incorporates a free swinging hook behind an oscillating coffin style blade. The free swinging hook provides a new dimension in fish catching action to an already proven bait style. As with all of the Pepper Commando series baits, the free swinging hook eliminates the fishes ability to leverage themselves loose which translates to more fish in your boat. The Roumbler comes with a 4/O Trokar swimbait hook, a hand tied #2 Gamakatsu feathered treble hook and a soft plastic swimbait. The swimbait and treble hooks can be interchanged to meet any fishing condition. The feathered treble is perfect for open water conditions, or to provide a smaller profile for tough to catch fish. The weedless swimbait hook is excellent in all conditions but shines in heavy cover.” Pepper Custom Baits uses the highest quality components on all of their designs, so you can be sure that these baits will be durable and effective.
Having the ability to switch within seconds between a Trokar swimbait hook with a larger profile swimbait trailer to a more compact feathered treble hook for open water/finicky bass situations, all without having to retie, is a HUGE bonus on the water. Every situation is covered, just make changes according to what the bass indicate they want. Tight cover or grass? Use the swimbait hook setup. Open water or a tough bite? Use the treble hook.
In addition to eliminating the leverage fish use to “throw the hook”, the free swinging hook of the Pepper Custom Baits Commando Roumbler also provides some very unique bait movement as it shimmies through the water, especially with the swimbait hook attached. I tested the Roumbler on Lake Anna during post spawn when the bass were on a shad bite, and fish prowling the shadows blasted the Trokar set up.
I used a Denali Signature Series Mark Tyler Rod with a Daiwa Tatula 100HS reel spooled with 20 pound Toray Superhard Premium plus fluorocarbon when fishing the Roumbler. The softer action rod allows you to really feel the Roumbler’s blade vibrate, and like a crankbait bite, allows you to set the hook without fear of ripping it out of the fish’s mouth.
Fishing a chatterbait can put a lot of fish in the boat come tournament day; using the Commando Roumber will afford you the versatility to adapt to changing conditions quickly and provide a new look to the fish that other baits can’t match. Go to www.pepperjigs.com and check out the entire selection of Commando series baits today.
By Chris Murphy
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