PHOTO BY GARRICK DIXON
“ bladed jigs are deadly when deflected off wooden dock posts and timber .”
— MLF pro Stephen Browning
patent protection
If imitation is , indeed , the sincerest form of flattery , the Davises and Z-Man have been awash in flattery for the past 18 years . Copycat efforts started early . A hundred imitations seemed to challenge the original ChatterBait in the marketplace while the Davises awaited patent approval .
The patent application process itself was a wild ride . Ron Jr . understood the subtleties of his dad ’ s design , and he wrestled with the patent office as well as imitators to protect his father ’ s intellectual property , spending $ 100,000 in pursuit and protection of a patent that even baffled the U . S . Patent and Trademark Office . The primary attribute he sought to trademark was the blade-to-head connection , which the younger Davis says gives the bait its erratic , hunting action and namesake chatter .
“ The connection point of the blade directly at the eyelet of the jig provides the true stop of oscillation ,” he says . “ That ’ s what the patent revolves around — the fact that the blade oscillates in one direction , then reverses direction and goes the other way . That ’ s what makes it different .”
ONE TOOL , MANY USES
For a brief time , it seemed as though the vaunted vibrating jig had hit its peak .
“ Sales tailed off about 10 years ago , but then the bait experienced a resurgence , and sales shot through the roof ,” recalls Bass Pro Tour pro Stephen Browning
What caused the renaissance ? Browning credits part of the revival to timely tournaments on grassy lakes , in which the baits have always shined . But other factors have come into play , as well . For one , the mere presence of bladed jigs on so many boat decks invited more usage and experimentation among pro and weekend angler alike . And the more people have played with different trailers and retrieves in a wider range of scenarios , the more they ’ ve learned and liked .
“ People have caught on to how versatile a bait it is ,” says Brett Hite . “ Every season , they ’ re finding other ways to use it .”
The bait ’ s applications are limited only by anglers ’ imagination . Here are a few examples in which bladed jigs shine :
• Dock skipping – Vibrating jigs are deadly dock-skipping lures . Edwin Evers says the Berkley Slobberknocker “ skips like a flat rock ,” its head shape ideal for getting it to hard-to-reach places . “ It ’ s amazing how well a ChatterBait skips ,” echoes Hite . “ With it , you can put a reaction bait in places most people can ’ t get to .”
• Shad spawn – “ The first time I saw a ChatterBait outshine every other lure was during a shad spawn ,” says Bryan Thrift , recounting early success with the lure on Carolina lakes . “ Working the bank , it was night and day better than anything else . It was just amazing how much better it was than a spinnerbait or a topwater .”
• Working the water column – Once upon a time , anglers considered the bladed jig to be strictly a shallow-water lure . Today , pros frequently plumb depths of 15 feet or more with baits weighing 3 / 4 to 1 1 / 4ounce . Kevin VanDam reaches bass at lower depths with the 3 / 4-ounce Strike King Thunder Cricket . He credits a lower center of gravity for the bait ’ s ability to hold its depth – and to clean up on clear-water smallmouth . The Z-Man ChatterBait Freedom CFL ( available in 3 / 8 , 1 / 2 , & 3 / 4 ounce ) is an under-the-radar ChatterBait variation designed to stay down even when burned deep .
• Finesse conditions – Hite led development of a more compact variant , the Jack Hammer Stealthblade , for pressured waters and high skies with little wind . It features a transparent , polycarbonate blade with less aggressive action and quieter chatter . He ’ s fished the bait as deep as 25 feet on the clear waters of Lake Mead . The ChatterBait MiniMax ( 1 / 4 , 3 / 8 , & 1 / 2 ounce ) is an upscale , compact jig with a 2 / 0 black nickel hook designed for smaller trailers . “ It is a downsized package with a 30-percent smaller blade and great natural swimming action ,” says Thrift .
• Shallow wood – Bladed jigs are deadly when deflected off dock posts and other wood . “ They ’ re great around shallow standing timber ,” says Browning . “ In the old days , that ’ s where I ’ d be fishing a squarebill or a spinnerbait .”
OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2023 | MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM 53