Salmo, Chubby Darter.

[Dakota Iceman]

I just picked one of these up at cabelas, the perch color. I have heard(maybe on this forum) that these things are deadly for walleye? Can anyone validate those kind of claims, or have any input on their effectiveness. Iceman out>

[Tom Linderholm]

I too picked up the med. size perch color, tried it in my home aquarium and my perch thought it was hot. Really nice movement. Can't wait to try it on the real thing.

[Matt Breuer]

Dakota, the Chubby Darter is deadly on walleye, not only through the ice but right now as well! Vertical jigging the Chubby Darter worked very well for us this year. The new Luminescent colors were great, as well as the Real Roach, Perch, and the Gold Metallic Orange. Size 5 was the ticket open water, as well as last season through the ice.

Don't forget to use the Luminescent colors as well as the Yellow Dace this season for crappies. Size 4!!!

[Cooter]

For you guys who have used the Salmo, any specifics on how to work it? Have used the jiggin Raps lots - any major differences? Pop it say 6-18 inches and let is settle? Am gonna try them this year.

[hanson]

Cooter-

I think you have the right idea. The Chubby takes a good dart when you jig it upwards. As it drops back down, it kind of vibrates or shakes side to side. Try jigging it right below the ice to see how it reacts.

You can also remove the hooks on the Chubby Darter and tie on a 2-3 inch mono dropper and a hook. Now you've got a great lure for those curious perch, or possibly picky walleyes.

[SuddenlySummer]

I love the Chubby Darter. I have 10 or so in my box. Tip the treble with the head of a minnow. Also be sure to dead stick a live minnow within 3 feet of your jigging darter. It really calls them in!

[Ed Carlson]

I have written a few articles on the Chubby Darter and how to use it. If you wish try a Google search for "Backwater Eddy Chubby Darter" and see what pops up once.

I got Stu McKay hooked on them a couple years back too. He wrote an interesting piece with some very nice pic's for some Canadian sporting interests and the Salmo's home site posted it too. Well worth a read.

[iffwalleyes]

These things are truly awesome. I have a perch color and then a orange and gold. Of course the Orange and Gold worked great last year for me at LOW. If I remember correctly I got my largest fish on one last year. They work similar to a jigging rap but they are a little more irradic in their action. Unlike a jigging rap that always jigs in a circle these dart to the sides and move all over. I made sure to put a few of these on the old christmas list this year.

[Bob Horn]

I used the perch colored one at the Mille Lacs event last year. I put a small dropper on it and caught perch and only one walleye, oh ya the walleye was 8 pounds. Matt Johnson has a picture of it somewhere. I think it`s on one of the posts for the for the iceleaders video. It`s not in the video but on the post somewhere. I lost about 10 of them when I lost my stuff at the end of last years ice season. I think I still have a doz. that I bought in bulk to save some money.

[Matt Johnson]

Here ya go Bob ...

Good Fishin,

Matt Johnson

[Bob Horn]

Thanks Matt. That`s a day I won`t ever forget. I also won a Marcum Lx-3 that day. Thank You Lord for that memory!!!

[frabillfisher]

anone got a pitcher of oen of these?

[rod bender]

I took off the trebles and put on two chain droppers loaded with maggots, short enough that they wouldn't tangle. Worked great for "calling" in the perch.

[92python]

I have had one for a couple years. Have caught a few fish on it. Not too impressed overall. The times I have caught fish with it were when I could have tied on my car keys and caught a bunch of fish.

The action may bring them in but I like to have a little scent to trigger a bite and when I have tried tipping the darter with much of anything the action of the lure dies. It may have its place but is way down my list of go to lures.

[Captain B.R.K]

Gez- this is a true confession that the Chubby Darter DOES work. I have always used it for PIKE fishing.

Never put faith in the lure- might have to try it more often this year.

Nice fish BOB and great pic Matt!

[LocalGuide]

I bought 3 of them last year and am I glad I did! I got the CD5 Hot Perch and the CD5/4 Real Roach.

The Pike just absoulty love them and I did manage to catch a few walleyes on them also.

This year I will definitly have to get some more.

Last year I had my underwater camera down while fishing for sunnies and saw a few pike swim through everyonce in a while. So I threw down my HotPerch Chubby Darter. Well after a few jig's I got to see a Northern come in to take a peak at my Chubby Darter. It was awesome; He swam right up to it, stopped....looked at it, then I wiggled my line and snap jigged it once, let it fall back to where it was then BAM! I will never forget seeing that on my camera, it was awesome!

Cant wait until early ice again this year!

[augernaut]

What are the sizes available? Is the 5 the largest?

[IceBound]

I was talked into buying a couple of these a few years ago and couldn't catch a thing on them...I figured I was the one that took the bite, not the fish...and then...last year on LOTW we were eating breakfast in Baudette and a guy at the table next to us was telling about all the big walleyes he caught last night...while we only caught average fish. My buddy asked what depth and what they were using...he said 13 feet and using a Chubby...I was still skeptical, but Mark put one on as soon as we hit the ice...let's just say that I have added 5 more to my gear for this year...we only caught big ones (+ 24" ) on them, but they would come in and inhale that bait...it was some of the most enjoyable fishing that I remember in a long time...I did find that the # 5's were the most preferred...I am going to try a # 4 glow this year to see how that goes....I can't say they will work on every lake (Minnewaska has been a bust so far)...but if you are heading north to the Big Pond...take at least one with! Keep on praying...the ice will come!

[Ya Hey Der]

Hey Bhorn,

Are you going to make it up to any of the events this year? If so, let us know which ones. It would be great to fish with you again.

See ya on the ice.

YHD

[Ed Carlson]

I'll share one of the biggest tips to get walleye and big perch to smack your Chubbys.

The biggest mistake most folks make is when they jig a Chubby and they see a mark come on the flasher to check it out, they immediately drop the Chubby down right in the fish's face. Then they see the fish back off and stare or leave the area completely. Most of the time you just messed up.

Forage seldom falls from the sky all the while bouncing on the predators head and yelling EAT ME-EAT ME-EAT-ME, fish kinda know this is bogus, so they pass.

What you often need to do when you bring in a fish, especially a walleye, is work the Chubby up even higher. If you see the fish is interested work it again and go higher yet. I have had walleye and perch chase a Chubby up 20' off the bottom and smack it hard. I have seen whole schools of perch chase a Chubby up many feet and compete to get a shot at the meal. The moral of this story is do not assume you need to drop the bait in their face to get them to hit it. More often then not you do not.

Sure latter in the winter when the bite gets more lethargic you will need to slow your presentation down. This may end up being beat the mud and hold to get a fish to hit. For the most part of the year action spells reaction on a Salmo Chubby Darter.

Remember a Chubby Darter is a 3-D forage imitator. It performs best in the horizontal and in the vertical to draw in a strike. Larger predatory fish more often then not feed up on larger prey. They hunt tell they spook some prey into the open, and once in the open they pursue and consume it. By imitating a forage forced to flee into the open water a predator like a walleye feels the game is on and it is her time now to strike.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Augernaut there are 4 sizes of Chubbys out now. The newest is the Giant Chubby and it is a big bugger too, like 5 1/2" worth and 2.5 oz. The Giant Chubby is more of a pike, Muskie, and Lake Trout lure and is used in open water as well as under the ice. They also troll it for big fish and it has been doing very well.

I think the Giant Chubby would make a great spearing decoy personally. For me I would skip the spear and just jig the Giant and hold on real tight.

[Dakota Iceman]

Ok, one last question. 75% of the time I fish the missouri river either in francis case or sharpe resevoirs and "usually" 30' of water although I do have some 17-20' spots. What is the best color?? oh and I almost exclusively fish for wally's.

[Ed Carlson]

That system has a lot of the same forage options as does the Red River basin, so I can speculate to what colors I would try.

The Hot Perch (HP) is a good strong high contrasting pattern, a well known producer most everywhere. My second pick would be the Gold Metallic Orange (GMO), another strong choice in a wide range of water clarity. The third would be the new Luminescent Orange Dace (LOD), this will be a killer in stained water and in low light conditions! Another strong mention would be the Yellow Dace (YD), it has done well where yellow is a hot color. The Copper Gold (CG) is a strong choice in clear water where Sucker Chubs are top forage.

Really all depends on the water clarity? I carry a range of colors to span dirty to clear so I can adjust as needed. Knowing what they are feeding on always helps to narrow down the choice. Deep river fish often feed on cats or Madtoms in winter, or Drum, or Suckers, or Shiners, or even Goldeye, you never know. A lot of times shifting one color up or down makes all the difference to get them to fallow and strike so I carry a selection just in case.

[Matt Johnson]

Very good info Ed!! As usual

Good Fishin,

Matt Johnson

[Bob Horn]

Ya Hey Der, I`ll be at the first one for sure. I don`t know which ones after that, to far in advance because of work. Thanks Ed for the info. I don`t have the new color yet and the key word is yet.

[JHansel7]

Do you but anything on the hooks on this lure? I went out and bought some and was just curious, tip it with a minnow head or tail, or do you leave it plain? thanks guys!!