Z-Man Fishing's new Chatterbait WillowVibe is designed to perfectly mimic darting shad.
In a major ICAST (International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades) announcement, Z-Man fishing is introducing a new bladed jig that is sure to turn the heads of bass anglers everywhere.
Named the Z-Man CatterBait WillowVibe, this new lure comes from the brains behind the original chatterbait, Ron Davis Sr. The angler teamed with the lure company to spend the last 15 years developing this interesting new lure.
Slated to hit store shelves in November, the WillowVibe, as the name implies, uses a willow blade design instead of hexagonal and the company says it perfectly replicates the erratic movements of a fleeing or feeding shad.
"You've seen shad that flip through the surface when they're fleeing predators? An underspin can't do that, but the WillowVibe's blade mimics this exact surface-flip, and does it so realistically, that bass swim right over and eat it," Davis said in a press release about the new product.
Davis further says the idea for this bait, which uses a round jig head, came while he was fishing for stripers back in 1998. The fish were keying on small shad that were making specific movements. This inspired him to start looking into a smaller lure package. You can see the lure's intriguing, erratic action in the video below. It is easy to see that this lure will likely be a hot item for many anglers.
"Who says all bladed jigs have a hex shaped blade?" Davis said in the press release.
Z-Man says the baits, which are fitted with nickel 2/0 hooks, also allow for more hookups. The company says the lure pairs up well with other Z-Man products like the Finesse Shadz, Slim SwimZ, MinnowZ and Scented Jerk Shad. While many anglers may be quick to label this interesting new lure as a finesse bait, Davis says the opposite is true. That willow blade design creates a unique new form of heavy vibration that even the most heavily-pressured of fish have never felt before.
"We selected a willowleaf blade because it leaves more room to oscillate from side to side, giving off a really tight, high-frequency vibration - more of a buzz than a solid thump," Davis said in the release.
Z-Man Pro Joey Nanina has already been using the bait extensively and touted its versatility in the press release. He says the bait produced large numbers of largemouths and spotted bass on Alabama's Lake Guntersville and Logan Martin Lake.
"A slow, steady retrieve produces a nice rhythmic vibration. You can throw it in six inches of water, starting the retrieve immediately, occasionally flicking the blade through the surface or walking it on top," Nania said. "Or, for suspended fish, count it down and keep it at any depth to about 15 feet with a nice steady retrieve. Give the WillowVibe little twitches to make it jump and dart, randomly."
The WillowVibe is not slated to be released on November 1, 2020, but Z-Man did give us lots of details. WillowVibe will be available in ¼ and 3/8-ounce sizes. It will also be manufactured in four different color schemes to help you match the baitfish the bass are targeting. A pair of 3D eyes help add to the illusion that this is a real baitfish. The MSRP is set to be $5.99 for a two-pack of jigs. Not a bad price at all. Visit the Z-Man website for more info on this and other newly announced lures from the company.
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