Comments: Less expensive compared to the Jackhammer. Takes a while to vibrate but I still love these.
From: Isaac: 10/14/22
Comments: they catch fish but takes a while to vibrate, also pretty cheap.
From: someone: 10/2/22
Comments: I really like the OG chatterbait the thing I don't like is they changed the snap. That new clip they put on will grab weeds and grass because of the way it's twisted. Extra metal extends from the clip and grabs grass and weeds. I have been putting snaps on the newer ones way better
From: Christopher: 2/6/22
Comments: Another dude here to tell you the OG catches fish just fine. Color, weight, line size, rod action, and trailer matter much more than if it says Jackhammer or not on the bait.
From: Jason: Unknown 10/31/21
Comments:These are one of my all time favorite baits to throw. Do not spend extra money on the more expensive chatterbaits they will catch fish but these $6 get the job done great. I caught my Pb on it 6.10 pounds.
From: Luke: California 4/5/21
Comments: I used the original forever then finally got a few of the z man custom and it is worth the extra dollar or two, better hook better colors better vibration , the custom is all I use now and I don't have lots of money to put in fancy baits it's just that much better!
From: Christopher: Elizabethtown 1/25/21
Comments:I still love the original! Great bait that keeps working despite all of the variations.
From: Unknown: 1/18/21
Comments:Great bait for the money. Caught a snapping turtle on it that bent the hook out so I bent it back. Caught multiple fish after the snapping turtle and the skirt, hook, and vibration are still great.
From: Unknown: 12/22/20
Comments: I caught my pb 7lb 6oz on it sexy shad is the way to go. With a Gary Yamamoto swimbait trailer this thing vibrates nicely.
From: Roscoe: Effingham, Illinois 12/8/20
Comments:I LOVE these baits, best all around bladed jig for the money IMO. Nothing comes close to the original; skirts are awesome and perfect size stout hook. Great head design and overall a 10/10. Every time I place an order I'm sure to grab some Z-Man Original Chatterbaits!
From: Lucas - Madison, WI 10/24/20
Comments:I started out using SK paddle tail swim bait for a chatterbait trailer and not catching many fish the profile was so big , I started using Big Bite Bait 5" double tail grub and started catching lots of quality fish also 4" Zoom fluke works great and the SK rage tail for larger fish and these trailers are not expensive other than the rage tail, anyway you don't have to use expensive trailers recommended buy the Z man or big time pro angler , also I catch lots of fish on the original chatterbait so why spend a ton on the more expensive models , I don't cry as bad when I lose a $5 bait vrs a $10 or $20 bait that hung up on wood cover , when I'm not fishing worms and beaver style baits t-rigged and hollow body frogs I use the original chatterbait and it produces , I use straight braid to bait and catch lots of fish not tying leaders on if I can help it
From: Christopher - 9/10/20
Comments:I love this lure it really works but weedless it is not , I have lost several by hanging up on submerged tree tops and such so if I know the place well I stay away from tree tops and such , it will hang up and that hook gets buried and i can't work it in any direction to get it loose , this is why I fish texas rigged soft baits worms and craws or beaver style bait more than anything and top water , but the bladed jig does produce fish well so I still use it in open water
From: Christopher - 8/12/20
Comments:I love using the original. It works great at night here in the blue/black with a Fat Albert Black Twin Tail trailer. My issue is, the 1/4 ounce comes in the original only(except for the mini). I wish the Elite would at least come in a 1/4 ounce size. The waters I fish are shallow and 3/8 simply hugs the bottom unless you burn them. The bass aren't always ready for that speed, especially in the Spring. I can use the 1/4 ounce at my choice of depth by altering my retrieval speed. Also, the 1/4 ounce original limits the color selection significantly.
From:Rob: Galloway, NJ 6/3/20
Comments: Still the best vibrating jig in my opinion.If you are new to Chatterbaits I would recommend buying three originals in the clear/pond/muddy trifecta (clear: white, chartreuse, shad; pond:green pumpkin purple, perch; muddy: black & blue, junebug) and you have all three water conditions covered for the price of one Jackhammer. I prefer 1/2oz, but that's just a personal preference.
From: Bill: Florida 6/5/20
Comments:Zman changed the head shape of the 1/2 "original" chatterbait to some off balance totally messed up shape compared to how the original chatterbait was 4 or 5 years ago. Now they are junk.Obviously done to try to influence people to buy the jackhammer.
From:Rob D: Lewistown 8/2/19
Comments:Four or five years ago, I bought 2 of these lures in 3/8 oz.; (1 black/blue, 1 white). If I could just remember to try these lures in the Spring in dirty, cold, shallow, water I know they would produce. These lures vibrate like crazy, but I keep forgetting to throw them in the same places I would normally use a spinnerbait. It seems the 6.3:1 retrieve ratio works best for Chatterbaits, but cranking speed reels would work well too. With their vibration, I know smallmouth would KILL them. Every Spring season, I talk to so many fishermen that catch their biggest smallmouth on these vibrating jigs! I will have to dedicate more time next Spring to fishing shallow, muddy water with these vibrating jigs.
From: John:Old Hickory5/29/19
Comments:I've been catching big bass all spring on a chartreuse/white 1/2 ounce z-man. They just destroy these on a reaction strike. I use a 5 Kalins baitfish colored grub for a trailer. This has become my go to confidence bait. Braid works best for me on a spinning rig. Get some!!!
From: Billy:Iowa4/19/19
Comments:If I had to choose one lure to use for the rest of my life, this'd be it. You an do just about anything you want with this bait. Rip it up out of grass, steadily retrieve it at any depth, burn it near the surface, I even hop it along the bottom like a jig. My advice for anyone is to color in the blades of the darker colored ones with a sharpie, I find that it produces more bites in dirty water.
From: Unknown 2/16/19
Comments:I've fished the original for a couple of years now. It is much easier to rip out of weeds than the pure poison or the chatterbox. It has always been my go-to and I have probably caught over a dozen over 5 on them and many more in the 3-4lb range. Good action and colors and solidly built.
From: Jack - New York 12/27/18
Comments:You just cannot beat the original chatterbait.I have fished many others but that's a thing of the past now as I have realized that its pointless. The Chatterbait skips better than just about all the others, vibrates easier, the hooks never break, the hardware never fails, and they are cheaper.
From: Moses Lake8/21/18
Comments:Dissapointed that Zman changed the line tie snap on the new original models. I've caught many 5lb northern strain Largemouth and even weighed in Lunker of the day with the old line tie snap. I always fished em with mono or copoly and never had a issue. I like how they added a baitkeeper but the new line tie picks up more weeds and just looks even more fragile than before
From: Angry Angler:Rhode Island 4/12/18
Comments:This is a great bait! Used zman chatter baits for two years not a single problem with hooks or snaps. These produce a better average fish than a spinnerbait.
From: John: Sulphur, LA 2/15/18
Comments:(Review Update) --I have been using the Z-Man Original now for almost a year and every single time I tie it on it has produced. I landed me my Personal Best Largemouth this past spring. On April 22nd, 2018 I caught my biggest ever LMB that weighed in at 7.7lbs on a 3/8 Green Pumpkin with a Bluegill colored swimbait trailer. About 40 minutes later I caught a 5.12lb LMB.I've tried a few different colors, but now I just keep them pretty simple: Black/Blue, Green Pumpkin, White or White/Chartreuse. *Original Review*8-7-18 Zman was the first Chatterbait I had ever used. On a day when the bite was slow and my buddy and I hadn't caught a fish for 6hrs and had thrown just about everything we had at them; I put on a White/Chartreuse 3/8 Zman Original Chatterbsit with a 4" Strike King Caffeine Shad in White Pearl and within 10 minutes caught my first of 4 LMB in a span of about 20min with my largest being 3.1lbs. I am really impressed with the action and thump of these. I was also VERY impressed with how well they pulled through the grass/hydrilla. I like to keep things simple as far as color goes. I now have these in just 4 colors: White/Chartreuse, Black/Blue, Houdini, Orange/Brown And so far, I've had no problem with durability of the blade or hookups.
From: Nick: MO 11/17/17
Comments:Used a green pumpkin for the first time this morning. I caught my first ever clown knife fish. I very impressed with this lure. Ill be buying more.
From: Unknown Boynton beach, Florida 8/6/17
Comments:This bait flat out catches bass but after a few good fish the hook will be destroyed. I recently caught 4 5 pounders in it with a creature bait trailer.
From: John - Delaware 6/1/17
Comments: The chatterbait works amazing. It vibrates well and I was able to catch 5 bass in my Local pond easily
From: Unknown Illinois 5/21/17
Comments:I love these things! I picked one up at Cabelas and just flat out caught fish. I caught 23 large mouth on a local pond in only a few hours. They're great with the Strike King Caffeine Shads for trailers.
From: Bo - Othello, WA 4/14/17
Comments:It's is awesome love this bait the movement is nice I yet to catch a fish on it yet but it's to early in the season up here in Canada plus I only fished it once
From: Logan - Canada 3/4/17
Comments:Went out to a pond after a warm front moved in during winter and wasn't getting a thing. Tied this on and ended up catching 4 bass at least 4 pounds each. This bait provides a good flash and a hard thumping action in the water. Don't underestimate it for crappie either, as I have caught some monster slabs on it.
From: Jeremy: Dallas, TX 1/10/17
Comments:First time ever using one of these. I had in mine in the chartreuse color with a trailer hook. I decided to throw it on after the soft plastic bait died down. The very first cast I hooked my biggest bass ever. It was 5+ (didn't have a scale) it help up perfectly I now love these baits.
From: Zane: WV 6/7/16
Comments:Caught 20 lbs five fish stringer on this, bait I got 10 bites put 9 in the boat. Spinnerbaits get. More bites but by no way put solid fish in numbers in the boat.
From: Phillip: TX 4/3/16
Comments:love every type of the chatterbait from Zman. Even though the original dosent have a keeper for the skirt or trailer, it catches fish. I've caught my biggest bass in a pond (7.6lb) on a Zman chartreuse original. Didn't bend the the hook, snap didn't open, I've caught 17 bass in 3 days in my pond & still don't need to sharpen the hook. Love these things. Started with 1 & I now own 12 Zman chatterbaits. All different series.
From: Brandon: NC 1/27/16
Comments:These are great lures, they straight up Catch fish. I bought 3 more of these in different colors I didn't have already & every single one that I had a fish on last weekend I lost because the blade came right off the jig.
From: Cody: Charleston, WV 8/17/15
Comments:really like this chatterbait.its been helping me catch some pretty heavy fish lately. Been using just a lil paddle tail swim bait as a trailer and it's been producing fish for me.
From: Zach: TX 5/16/15
Comments:I catch more big bass each year on this bait than any others. I like to stick to white, green pumpkin, and black and blue you can't go wrong with those three colors. I would also add a different trailer because there is many better ones out there than the one it comes with. Since I added my "secret trailer" I have been getting double the bites I usually would and my hook- up ratio is 100 percent plus the choke the bait.
From: Zach: KY 10/27/14
Comments:This is a great bait- get you some- sharpen up the hook- try different type trailers-great action and lots of big bites !!
From: Johnnie: KY 6/22/14
Comments:I've tried other brands. I came back to these because, well, they work. Yes, sharpen the hook, modify it to hold your trailer, replace the snap, heck, add a new skirt.
From: Jay6: USA 6/13/14
Comments:Got a 3.5 pounder the first time i used it and a 6.5 the next day, and 6.5 is a very nice bass in CT. Haven't had and problems with the snap or the hook, but then again i haven't had it for long. Green pumpkin is the way to go.
From: Jake: Amston, CT 6/7/14
Comments:I have never tried any other blade bait and I there is no reason to. I have landed many pike and bass with these lures with NO problems. match it with an arkie twin tail grub and you're good to go
From:Nick: Lake St. Clair, MI 5/1/14
Comments: The cheap "skirts" keep falling off on these, I can't keep a trailer on without a keeper, the hook dulls, and the snap occasionally comes unbuttoned as well.
From:Frustrated Consumer: OK 3/19/14
Comments:I don't know if Z Man reads these reviews but they should. The hooks and snaps on these baits are AWFUL.I do feel the Z Man chatterbaits have better action than other brands but that's almost completely negated by the fact I have zero confidence in landing quality fish on them. Sure, you will bring in a couple but virtually every one I've owned has ended its life shortly with a bent/broken snap.With as many of these things that Z Man has sold and now especially with Hite winning the opening Elite series tourney with one there is simply no excuse for this poor quality.
From:Hydrilla: Lake Seminole, FL 3/17/14
