Match the hatch. If the shad are small I go without a trailer and have done very well with it.

I always use a trailer. For a smaller presentation I like a 4in hazedong with the head bit off. For a craw presentation a bandito bug is hard to beat. For a bluegill presentation a kietech or other larger boot tail. I always try to compact the package by getting the appendages or the paddle tail to start just after the skirt.

They ever show up?

Had our top 10 Championship on Lake Leon last weekend.

I weighed in an 8.5, 6.34, 6.3, 5.2, and 2 over 4.

Broke off an 8+ on day 1 that wrapped me around a dock pole, and still had ~44 lbs after both days.

All fish but 1 were caught on an original chatterbait, $5.99 version.


Plenty of jackhammers were thrown all day that day. 2nd place was ~34 lbs, but those fish weren't caught on chatterbaits.

I think there are other factors more important than jackhammer vs original........................

i agree with this also. Recent outing I am using the jackhammer and my son is using an Elite out of the back of the boat. We were on a really good chatterbait bight but he was catching three to my one on that Elite and it's the only one that he had. I finally said what the heck and just for the heck of it tied on an original chatterbait and started wacking them fish for fish with him. Possibly a coincidence but my confidence in the $15.00 jackhammers was severely diminished based on this particular outing. They all catch fish and if anything I believe the Elite might be the best out of the bunch.

They arrived 2-3 days ago, I’ll post some pics around 6pm.

Depends on the situation for me. Around grass the jackhammer is almost impossible to beat in my opinion. You can give the jackhammer a hard pull when it gets fouled with grass and it usually cleans right off. No idea why but the cheaper chatterbaits don't do that. Around wood I go with the original. Seems to me the jackhammer just stays hung up no matter what I try. Maybe it's a mental thing knowing you are likely to lose a $15 bait the next cast, but it sure seems to me the original is better around wood. At bare minimum I think it's just as good.

Put a 1/2 oz jackhammer versus a 1/2oz elite in pool and get underwater with goggles on. You'll see and hear why the elite catches them just as good

These are the ones I bought, paid something like $2-$3 each, been too long to remember. Cheap ones look like clones, 2 minor differences. Single keeper on the cheap one and the hook reminds me of a Trokar style.

Zman Project Z for the win

Here is a great trailer choice when you don’t want a big bulky trailer. Doesn’t interfere w/the Chatterbaits own action but really has a good “shimmy” in the water. Smaller profile, cheap and I use em all the time:

Jackhammers are totally worth it to me. Project Z is my other go to. I haven’t caught a dang thing on a Thunder Cricket. I also got a Jacky Hammar and they do look nice. For some reason it only let me order one though. I got it 30 days sooner than they said too

Those look pretty danged good. Did you change the snap on the bait on the right? Thats a Cross-Lock snap

No sir, that’s how it came from factory.

Strange... So one came with a regular cheap-O snap and the other came with the cross-loc?