COLUMN : BALOG ON BASS FISHING
the hite effect
One pro has done more than any other to put a new bait category on the map
PHOTO BY PHOENIX MOORE
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
For more than 20 years , Joe Balog has made his living in the fishing industry on and off the water . A successful tournament angler from the Great Lakes region , Balog now lives in Florida , where he continues to work in product design , marketing and outdoor media when he ' s not chasing trophy largemouth .
B ass fishing lures are frequently compared to tools in a mechanic ’ s box . Spinnerbaits , cranks , plastics and topwaters all fill a specific niche , much the way a hammer pounds a nail , while a wrench turns a nut . Occasionally , a situation arises where no one lure is a perfect fit , forcing anglers to do their best with what ’ s available .
Enter the ChatterBait . Categorized as a bladed swim jig , the ChatterBait burst onto the pro fishing scene over a decade ago , quickly taking down the sport ’ s top titles . The reason was simple : The ChatterBait provided a better tool for the job , allowing anglers to fish a reaction-style lure in thick cover .
The original Rad Lures ChatterBait was first credited for a win when Bryan Thrift dominated the Stren Series event on Lake Okeechobee in 2006 . Two years later , Brett Hite scored the first tour-level win for a bladed jig , setting an FLW Tour record for the largest winning margin at Lake Toho .
Today , Hite is the pro angler most synonymous with the ChatterBait – and for good reason . Not only was Hite the first angler to win a tourlevel event on a bladed jig , but he ’ s built much of his career around the bait , constantly refining his equipment and methods to achieve maximum results . His ChatterBait ideas are unique and enlightening .
It Starts With Location
Hite ’ s prowess with a ChatterBait can be credited to his open mind and revision of nearly every aspect of fishing one . And it all starts with location .
“ Originally , I thought it was a lure just for fishing vegetation , like everybody did ,” Hite admits . “ But then I tried a ChatterBait on Lake Mead and they throttled it . That was my lightbulb moment .”
Hite immediately began using the lure in places other anglers never considered , like around laydowns , docks and rocks . Success in such scenarios gave Hite a different feel for the technique as a whole .
20 FLWFISHING . COM | MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM | DECEMBER-JANUARY 2021