Some just brushed it off as a fad while others reveled in it’s effectiveness. 2006 will go down as the year of the chatterbait. The chatterbait has the profile of a jig, the flash of a spinnerbait, and more vibration than most crankbaits. By now this bait has been copied, reworked and renamed by many lure companies all the while accounting for many livewells rife with bass.

Maryland’s Dave Kashuba began tinkering with his own design last spring and by August, was satisfied with it’s effectiveness. He calls his bait a "Chatterkash".

With weapon ready, Kashuba plied the waters near outside channel bends of the Occaquan River during the Maryland BASS Federation Nation’s Tournament Trail event on the Potomac River on August fifth.

"I had three good fish in the livewell by 8:30 on a chatterkash", stated Kashuba. "The tide eventually changed and the fish turned off, but I was happy with the initial results this homemade bait afforded me."

With the Occaquan bite all but dead, the West Mar Bassmaster member cranked up the motor and ran to a creek further up the river. Here, he and his partner Gerson Aranjo skipped 5 inch Texas rigged Senkos to docks and scattered cover. That’s when his bigger fish of the day and tournament lunker nailed the worm, jumped and then wrapped David’s eight pound test monofilament around two of the docks pilings. With precision and care, Kashuba worked the fish back out into the open where "net-master" Aranjo dipped the big fish from the confines of the Potomac’s backwaters.

Kashuba had his limit by noon and proceeded to cull another three fish before weigh-in. Back at the scales, his sack of 5 bass weighed 14 pounds, 15 ounces took first place honors in the boaters division. Dave dedicated his win to the health and well being of fellow club member, Randy Bottomly and his speedy recovery due to a recent illness.

Ed Riley’s plan was to head up river to a productive grassbed and skitter a frog across the mats. Riley is a proficient purveyor of this technique and had two fish on the frog before the sun reached it’s zenith. Riley couldn’t help notice his non-boaters success rate from the back of his Skeeter boat. Denise Saunders was turning Ed into the "net boy" as she expertly worked a chatterbait around the perimeters of the grass mat. Ed chuckled as he watched this gal fill her side of the livewell with 5 chunks. Denise went on to weigh in 12 pounds, 15 ounces to secure a second place finish on the non-boaters side.

Not to be out done, Riley switched to a red Senko and pitched to grass clumps to finish out his limit of bass that weighed 14 pounds, 5 ounces and also gave him the second place slot in the boaters division. Ed wishes to thank Yamaha Outboard Motors and Skeeter boats along with Lowrance electronics for their support.

Non-boater Bob Englebert arrived at the scales with four fish weighing 13 pounds, 3 ounces. The Conowingo bass Anglers member walked away with first place honors in the non-boater division.

Charles Jackson was another angler that had grown confident with the Chatterbait. Armed with a Gambler Swim Blade, a knock off of the Chatterbait, the Smoketown Anglers club member headed south of Mattawoman creek and proceeded to boat three good fish with the swim blade on a main river grassbed. Jackson then ran north and finished off his limit in Dogue Creek pitching a Mann’s Dragon in Green Pumpkin. Jackson took third place with a 12 pound, 5 ounce limit. Charles wishes to thank Brook Hoover at Brooks Marine for his last minute effort in fixing some mechanical problems on his boat just in time for the Potomac tournament.

Third place non-boater finish was awarded to Joe Fleishman. Paired with George Loope, the two anglers started in Mattawoman creek but soon realized their pattern would not produce the fish they needed. George indicated to Joe that he had high hopes for a secondary patterned he found near the pads in Quantico Creek. Once there, Fleishman fished red bug finesse worms using a 3/16 ounce tungsten weight and 8 lb fluorocarbon line.

Joe had an 8 pound, 15 ounce limit by 1 PM that was good enough for 3rd place in the non-boaters division.