Chubby darter

[vexi]

Last night I caught my first walleyes while using CD. I first put her down and was able to get fish to come in but wouldnt hit. I then put a minnow head on the tail hook and the next fish that came in just slammed it. Any body else have to do this to get them to hit?

[federline]

"Have to"? No. Do I to rule CD out for a given time/date/place? Sure! If you can draw them in quick, bit they won't bite, they need something "extra". A minnow head is the best for the CD equation, I feel. Minnow smell, minnow taste, added to minnow action.

The only downside is that the action from jigging the CD changes unpredictably depending on the size of the minnow head, which hook and which treble you hook it on, where in the head you hook it, if you got a lot of nice tasty smelly gut strings hanging off it.... The variation is infinite. It is indeed possible to end up with a CD on the end of your line that moves so unnaturally as to turn off what would up-to-that-point have been somewhat interested fish.

I always jig-test the CD after adding any bait to the hook to make sure it isn't moving too different or obviously unnaturally.

[tip_upclyma]

I always tip my Chubbys with a minnow head on the front hook. Congrats! I LOVE THE CHUB! (keep the mind out of the gutter

[JimBuck]

I always tip my Chubbys with a minnow head on the front hook. Congrats! I LOVE THE CHUB! (keep the mind out of the gutter

Ha. Yeah it's Friday.

[magic_minnow]

I never tip my CD's. I've always had good results on just a plain 'ol CD. I like to stick with what works.

[adamm1]

Do you deadstick next to it and use the CD to call in fish or use it on its own?

[Thunder]

I have yet to catch anything on the chubby I have...one night I have it quite a work out trying to committ to it for awhile, and nothing. I wish fishing one of the smaller ones (hoping to get either an eye or crappie to hit)...but I couldn't get squat. I must not have found the secret technique yet!

[Ed Carlson]

Congratulations for no longer being a "Chubby Virgin".

Tipping with a scent option is productive. I try to keep it as lean as I can. In fact to add meat scent I smooch a minnow and smear it on to add the bloody crippled scent of a wounded vulnerable pray fish. This has the least negative effect on the Chubby's action.

[Azrael]

I’m going to pick a couple of these up. And I mean “couple”. Kind of $$$.

So, what’s a good size to start with when hunting the Eyes on a larger, fairly clear, body of water?

[Down2Earth]

I would like to know the colors most have their best luck with. Or if you could only buy one color and size what would it be? For crappies? For walleyes?

[Ed Carlson]

Pick colors that most closely match the primary forage in clear water.

In stained to dirty water Glows are great, as are Hot Perch, Gold Metallic Orange, or Yellows.

[Down2Earth]

Ed thanks for the response. Now you can only buy one color and size what would it be? For crappies? For walleyes?

[Ed Carlson]

Well that hoarse has long left the barn...there is no such thing for me as just one Chubby. But for your benefit I'll pull a rabbit out of my...Ah...hat.

For Walleye #6 Luminescent Orange Dace (LOD 6).

For me Panfish/Crappie/Perch #3 Luminescent Blue Dace (LBD 3) .

[Down2Earth]

thank you

[meatfish]

So I am sold on the chubby,I took all the input from here but is there a chubby that will catch me something in the 14-18 range?Is it just the pigs that like the chubby?We watched on cam.WOW!keepers ran,and pigs pounded it.But I am not a pig fisher.I just want one for my belly a day.Any tips would be greatly appreciated.Or do you draw them in with the chubby and go to your go to for keepers?

[ac777]

Meat-fish Try a size 4 in perch.

[Drewski]

How well do the smaller ones work for pannies?

[Fishing Freak]

cost to much for me to ever try them but im 16

[Bigslugger]

Chubby Darters are on sale $10 for 3 size 6 directly from their HSOforum if anyone needs em that bad

[dougger222]

I tried them for the first time on LOW last week with #3 Hot perch and it worked great tipped with an emerald shiner head on the first treble.

For some reason one of the hooks on the first treble was dull, is this normal?

BTW, caught eyes/saugers ranging from 8-22 inches.

[Ed Carlson]

The size #4 will do better on pan sized walleye eaters.

Keep in mind that eaters often prey on a different diet than sows. They are feeding on tiny minnows not fingerlings.

In general #3's and #4's draw more pokes from the smaller game fish and pan fish.

[Ed Carlson]

How well do the smaller ones work for pannies?

Yes the #3 is designed especially for pan fish. I would try the luminescent models for night bight species and the metallic models for day biters.

[gritsnham]

I have had my best luck for walleyes on the #3 so far and have never nailed a big walleye on them yet...crappies from 10in and up have hit my #5s before