Best Chatterbait Rods & Reels for Every Budget

The chatterbait is a great best bass lure for open water as well as grass and heavy cover. Below you will find our recommendations for chatterbait rods & reels for any budget based on our independent testing.

• Best Overall Chatterbait: G Loomis IMX Pro 883C BJR paired with a Shimano Metanium MGL 150 B HG
• Best High End Chatterbait Rod & Reel: Shimano Expride 7’2″ MH Glass paired with a Curado 70 MGL HG
• Best Value Chatterbait Rod & Reel: Shimano Zodias 7’2″ Medium Heavy paired with a Curado 70 MGL HG
• Best Budget Chatterbait Rod & Reel: St. Croix Bass X 7’4″ Medium Heavy paired with a Shimano SLX 150

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Best Chatterbait Rods & Reels

Best Overall – G Loomis IMX Pro 883C BJR

The G Loomis IMX Pro 883C BJR is a 7’4″ medium heavy action baitcasting rod that was designed to fish chatterbaits. It is the perfect balance of weight, sensitivity and strength.

My friend let me borrow their rod for a few days of testing and I was blown away with this rod. It’s heavy enough in the mid section to dive the hook in and get a solid hookup. It’s also soft enough in the tip so it can really load up and keep your chatterbait pegged in the fish. When using this rod I never lost a fish that I hooked into.

After speaking with them, they confirmed the things I noticed in my testing. There is no going back after using the 883C with a chatterbait.

Pair your rod with the Shimano Metanium MGL 150 B HG reel for the perfect performance. You will notice a large improvement in performance and comfort compared to value options.

Rod	Taper / Action	Line Wt	Lure Wt
G Loomis IMX Pro 883C BJR	Fast	12 – 20lb	3/8 – 3/4oz

Reel	Gear Ratio	Weight	Bearings	Line Capacity (Test/Yd.)
Shimano Metanium MGL 150 B HG	7.1:1	6.3 oz	10S A-RB + 1S A-RB	10/120, 12/110

Best High End – Shimano Expride 7’2″ MH Glass

The Shimano Expride is a 7’2 medium-heavy action glass casting rod that makes a great chatterbait rod at a great price. It has a great balance of sensitivity and responsiveness, it fishes like a $400 rod.

The glass rod gives you a slower action that is key when fishing a chatterbait in grass. When you get your chatterbait hung up in grass and you rip it free, you need that slower response to give bass time to attack your bait.

I tested this rod for a few weeks and was really impressed. It gives you a taste of the high end chatterbait experience and around $100 cheaper than the top of the line option.

Pair your rod with the Curado 70 MGL HG reel for great performance. You will notice an improvement in performance compared to budget options.

Rod	Taper / Action	Line Wt	Lure Wt
Shimano Expride 7’2″ MH	Fast	10 – 20lb	3/8 – 1 1/2oz

Reel	Gear Ratio	Weight	Bearings	Line Capacity (Test/Yd.)
Curado 70 MGL HG	7.4:1	6.9 oz	8BB + 1RB	10/105, 12/85

Best Value – Shimano Zodias 7’2″ Medium Heavy

The Shimano Zodias is a 7’2 medium-heavy action casting rod that makes a great chatterbait rod at a great price. It has a good balance of sensitivity and responsiveness.

After testing this rod, I believe this is the best balance of performance and price. This rod is perfect for anglers who love fishing chatterbaits but might not fish often enough to justify the price of higher end options.

Pair your rod with the Curado 70 MGL HG reel for great performance. You will notice an improvement in performance compared to budget options.

Rod	Taper / Action	Line Wt	Lure Wt	Guides	Handle Length
Shimano Zodias 7’2″ MH	Fast	10 – 20lb	3/8 – 1oz	8+ Tip	15 3/4″

Reel	Gear Ratio	Weight	Bearings	Line Capacity (Test/Yd.)
Curado 70 MGL HG	7.4:1	6.9 oz	8BB + 1RB	10/105, 12/85

Best Budget – St. Croix Bass X 7’4″ Medium Heavy

The St. Croix Bass X is a 7’4″ medium-heavy action baitcasting rod that can throw a chatterbait very well. It is the good balance performance without breaking the bank.

This is the first rod I purchased specifically for fishing chatterbaits. It is perfect for anglers who only fish for a few hours at a time here and there but want to have the right action for a chatterbait.

Pair your rod with the Shimano SLX 150 reel for the good performance.

Rod	Taper / Action	Line Wt	Lure Wt	Guides	Handle Length
St. Croix Bass X 7’4″ MH	Moderate-Fast	12 – 25lb	3/8 – 1 1/4oz	7 + Tip	15 1/2″

Reel	Gear Ratio	Weight	Bearings	Line Capacity (Test/Yd.)
Shimano SLX 150 HG	7.2:1	6.9	3BB + 1RB	12/110, 14/90

What Makes a Good Chatterbait Rod?

The ideal chatterbait rod is around 7’2″ to 7’5″ long with a medium-heavy action. The longer length will give you a good balance of casting distance and accuracy to help you get your bait to where you want it.

Medium-heavy action is better for open water or light cover. If you fish heavy cover often you may want to bump up to a heavy action baitcaster.

You want reel with a fast retrieve, the 7:1 gear ratio is ideal.

Gear Up for Chatterbait Fishing