Science, Natural Selection and a Bladed Jig for the Ages
| Across generations, natural selection favors those species with superior genes and adapted traits that jive with their environment. The process is ever advancing, gradually progressing toward perfection. Filter and refine the smartest, most valuable assets. Discard the extraneous stuff. And ultimately, augment and expand those essential ‘building blocks’ of DNA. The superior species of bladed jig from day-one, the Z-Man ChatterBait continues evolving and delivering mind-blowing angling experiences. Always at the apex of bladed bass jigs, Z-Man has renewed its frontrunner status once again as it sets to circulate the fully empowered ChatterBait® Elite EVO™. Constructed with upgrades to the max, the new Z-Man ChatterBait Elite EVO is a next-level bladed jig built with highly evolved bass-catching DNA—plus enough little tricks to electrify even a jaded bass pro. Shaped and developed in response to bass behavior and angler instinct, the ChatterBait Elite EVO reflects decades of original ideas on blade design, hook and jighead configuration—and how all moving parts coalesce to deliver smooth yet action-filled fishing. |
“Years of fine-tuning bladed jig design has paid off bigtime,” reveals MLF touring bass pro and Z-Man in-sider, Stephen Browning. “The ChatterBait Elite EVO is already yielding awesome rewards; big bass are inhaling it with authority. Simply a smart, well-built, pro-level bladed jig that’s equipped with every upgrade imaginable. I think anglers will like the price tag, too.” For Browning, among the top ChatterBait tacticians of all time, the ‘fishability’ factor comes first. Asked to isolate a singular stand-out feature, his response is immediate. “I can say confidently that the Elite EVO is the most user-friendly ChatterBait yet. Like the JackHammer™, the EVO’s blade kicks hard and sends pulses right down to your hands with that first revolution of the reel handle. Considering its digestible price, it’s the closest we’ve come to building the perfect bladed jig—and that’s saying something.” Z-Man Director of Product Development Jose Chavez calls out key assets such as the lure’s patented, direct jighead-to-blade connection. “Similar to all Z-Man ChatterBaits, fishability of the Elite EVO distills down to critical, subtle details developed over decades of on-water and in-the-lab R&D. It’s not one single lure element, but all moving parts, working in concert, converging to create the ultimate angler experience—from quick-start blade vibration to random hunting action to snag-resistance and even trailer performance. Everything is a function of precision—high-grade components ordered with exactitude—that’s the ChatterBait Elite EVO in essence.” In lockstep with proven assets such as a trademarked hex shaped ChatterBlade®, the ChatterBait Elite EVO sports an all-new head design. “We chiseled the head to move with a knuckleball effect, promoting an easy hunting action,” notes Chavez. “It has a blunt nose with streamlined top and side sculpting, so when the lure tries to hunt, it can do so freely and erratically.” “To me, the head design makes the lure work better, provides a loose, free-flowing action,” notes Browning, fresh off a weeklong ChatterBait bender. “The lure gets off track unpredictably and then comes quickly back to center. All along, the blade is constantly cracking the jighead, emitting another dimension of sound beyond blade vibration itself. |
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New ChatterBait Elite EVO by Z-Man goes live at next week's ICAST show. |
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“Another cool trick . . . by rigging the lure with the new ChatterSpike™—a subtle, pintail style trailer with sweet tail wagging action—I’ve found that no two casts with the EVO act exactly the same. Sometimes the lure runs true as can be. Other casts, at the exact same speed, the EVO darts and dives, exhibits a strong zig-and-zag hunting action— always a powerful trigger for bass that have seen plenty of other bladed jigs. Further bolstering the lure’s user-friendly assets, Z-Man implemented a new hybrid “split-grip,” dual trailer keeper design. “The EVO’s keeper system includes both a molded and a wire trailer keeper on the hook shank. Makes rigging a soft plastic trailer a hundred times easier, and even allows you to remove it without ruining it, especially if it’s ElaZtech®. The molded portion of the keeper ‘opens the gateway’ on the trailer’s head, while the wire keeper locks it tightly in place. To date, it’s the smartest solution for effortlessly rigging ElaZtech or any other ChatterBait trailer.” For optimal flare and undulation, the lure’s 100-percent silicone skirting is wire-tied for superior longevity. Skirt patterns have been hand-selected by Z-Man’s pro team, color-matched to the lure’s sculpted head for a seamless natural appearance and presentation. |
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Durable metal plated and glitter finishes add fresh flash patterns to the classic fish-catching ChatterBlade. |
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Moving from head to hookpoint, the ChatterBait Elite EVO features a completely customized 5/0 heavy duty, black nickel hook, expertly altered by Browning himself. “Designing a better ChatterBait hook was a labor of love,” he says. “But the endgame was to address one complaint I hear on the street, which is ease of freeing a lure that becomes snagged on wood or grass. By lengthening the shank a mere quarter inch, you put enough distance between the head and the hookpoint to effortlessly move and free the lure when it gets hung. Just that tweak alone makes all the difference in the world—and adds to the ease and joy of fishing the lure for everyone.” To hook and hold bass even better, Browning slightly upsized the barb, and nudged it back ever so slightly toward the bend. “As with a flipping hook, I believe barb size and position is a major factor in hooking and keeping bass pinned, giving the angler more control over a big fish without fear of losing her on a jump, etc. It’s just one more critical tweak in the evolution of ChatterBait design,” Browning suggests. The driving force behind every Z-Man ChatterBait, a trademarked hex-shaped ChatterBlade rides, pivots and oscillates freely, big bold vibration deriving its power from the direct blade-to-head connection—free from superfluous split rings or other action-deadening contraptions. Stainless steel blades on the ChatterBait Elite EVO sport metallic plated, painted and next-level glitter-coated finishes for exceptional light refraction and durability. |
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A dual molded and wire keeper system assures easy rigging and a rock-solid trailer connection. |
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Summarizes Browning: “By putting bladed jig design under a microscope—both from an angler’s and a bass’ perspective— we’ve discovered decisive details that have culminated in a lure that delivers on all levels. The ChatterBait Elite EVO provides anglers with a superior user-experience—powerful quick-start vibration, unpredictable hunting action and an amazing new trailer-keeper system. It’s become my new go-to ChatterBait on the 2023 Bass Pro Tour.” Since inception, the ChatterBait has led anglers on a remarkable big bass-catching odyssey, unlike any other lure in modern history. The next level of the bladed jig, the new ChatterBait Elite EVO is a highly evolved bass tool built with patented Z-Man engineering and time-test big fish attraction. Ready to hit the water in October, the new ChatterBait Elite EVO sports two sizes—3/8- or 1/2-ounce—in twelve pro-driven color patterns. Durable wire-tied silicone skirts are color matched to each hydrodynamic jighead, complete with oversized 3D eyes. An upgraded line tie offers extra insurance. Stainless steel blades sport extra durable plated, painted and glitter finishes. MSRP $9.99. For more information, visit www.zmanfishing.com. |
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