Z-Man, manufacturer of the original ChatterBait bladed swimjig, will introduce a swinging-hook version at this week's Bassmaster Classic Outdoors Expo in Tulsa, Okla. The company teamed with Canada-based Freedom Tackle Corp. to produce the new bait, which, according to a Z-Man release, allows for easy hook changes, infinite lure customization and snag-free fishing.
“We’ve been prototyping and testing bladed jigs with swinging hooks for several years now, and the best design we’ve found – bar none –is Freedom Tackle’s interchangeable hook design because it not only allows for easy customization and weedless rigging, but prevents fouling altogether,” said Z-Man president Daniel Nussbaum.
Said Freedom CEO and founder Michael Tamburro: “For years, we’ve been asked by customers to create a vibrating jig with our advanced interchangeable hook design to complement our successful lineup. Instead of building our own lure that lacked the direct head-to-blade connection that makes ChatterBait brand bladed jigs so effective, we chose to partner with the leader in this bait category.”
The addition of Freedom’s swinging-hook design enables soft-plastic trailers to be Texas-rigged.
“The ChatterBait Freedom bladed jig is a very unique bait that is sure to become a ‘must-have’ for every serious bass angler,” said Bassmaster Elite Series pro and Freedom Tackle pro-staffer Jared Lintner. “The ability to customize a vibrating jig with the precise hook size most suitable for a particular trailer takes an already incredible bait to an entirely new level.
"It’s amazing to think that, with one bait, anglers now have the ‘freedom’ to fish trailers of varying sizes, either Texas-rigged or open hooked, depending on the conditions they’re faced with. It’s definitely going to be an integral part of my arsenal during the 2016 Elite season and beyond.”
