A bladed jig might just currently be the best bass fishing tournament lure on the professional level. With all the tournaments combined in 2022 and 2023 on both the Bassmaster Elite Series and MLF Bass Pro Tour, a bladed jig has factored in about 15% of all the top 3 finishes. This might not seem like a large percentage, but it is when compared to all the different bass fishing lures on the market that could be used to finish at the top of the leaderboard. One of the most successful bladed jig fishermen in the world is MLF Bass Pro Tour angler Brett Hite. Success requires knowledge, and Hite used his knowledge to co-design the best-selling bladed jig on the market, the Evergreen/Z-Man Chatterbait Jack Hammer. Hite believes that the bladed jig is one of the most versatile lures on the market. It performs extremely well around all types of cover, specifically aquatic vegetation.

Like any other lure though, the bladed jig requires the right gear to perform at its highest potential. Hite’s preferred rod is the Evergreen USA Combat in a 7-foot 3-inch heavy glass rod, designed specifically for the Chatterbait Jack Hammer. The biggest benefit of having a glass rod is the parabolic action, allowing for increased casting distance and preventing from pulling the bait out of the fish’s mouth. Hite pairs his rod with a Daiwa Tatula SV reel in a 6:3:1 gear ratio, allowing him to slow the retrieve down if he chooses to. For spooling the reel, Hite chooses Sunline FC Sniper 20-pound fluorocarbon most of the time. It has the perfect amount of stretch that allows the bait to rip out of the grass and allows him to horse the fish out of the heavy cover. When it comes to the colors, Hite prefers a green pumpkin bladed jig with a green pumpkin Yamamoto 4-inch Zako trailer most of the time.