Chatterbait

Chatterbait is a brand name, Z-Man's, that became the generic word for a bladed jig the way Rattle Trap did for lipless crankbaits. The blade hangs off the eye, catches water, and hunts side to side, dragging the jig head into a violent shimmy.

It sits between a spinnerbait and a jig. It comes through grass better than a crankbait, it displaces far more water than a plain jig, and it can be fished on a simple straight retrieve, which makes it much more approachable than a bottom jig.

Add a paddle-tail or a fluke-style trailer to fill out the profile. Grass edges, stained water and pre-spawn staging areas are where it does its best work.

Blade material and finish change the action. A thinner blade vibrates faster and tighter, a heavier one thumps harder and slower, and painted blades flash less than bare metal. Most anglers never change them, which is fine, because the stock setup works.