Pardon my ignorance, but I'm curious what makes the Jackhammer better than other bladed jigs that are a third of the price? Just looking at it through the package, looks like any other bladed jig to me. What am I missing?
Pardon my ignorance, but I'm curious what makes the Jackhammer better than other bladed jigs that are a third of the price? Just looking at it through the package, looks like any other bladed jig to me. What am I missing?
They've got higher end components (better paint job/eyes, a Gamakatsu hook, a thinner blade, a higher quality snap, etc), seem to resist rising to the surface on the retrieve better than others, start vibrating immediately without a delay like others can have, and seem to thump harder than others. There are videos out there comparing different chatterbaits and there is definitely an audible difference from the Jackhammer.
Contrary to popular belief, they are not tungsten, so that's not why they cost more. (There is a JDM tungsten version available from tackle retailers in Japan, though it's not tungsten like you'd expect. Instead it's a tungsten resin. The head isn't any smaller than the lead version and if anything is a little larger. I'd ordinarily expect tungsten to be louder because it's harder, but since it's in a resin I doubt that's the case. I have a few of them and haven't fished them enough to tell if they work better or worse, but at this juncture I feel like it was a waste to make them tungsten if they were going to do it in resin).
All that said, I think there are two bigger reasons they cost more: First is that they're made by Evergreen (a Japanese company) that licenses the blade connection and blade style from Z-Man to be able to sell them in the US (Z-Man has patents on both); Z-Man takes a cut on sales as a result, so that adds to the cost. The second thing is that people have confidence in them over others and are willing to pay what they cost.
2011 Skeeter ZX225
225 Yamaha HPDI Series 2
Minn Kota Ultrex 112 52"
Console: HDS 16 Carbon
Bow: HDS 12 Carbon, Solix 12 G2, Mega 360, Garmin 106 SV, LVS 34
I've not bought any Tungsten sinkers or jigheads, but it's my assumption that all Tungsten fishing items are resin encapsulated Tungsten powder, because of the very high melting temperature....(6,192F) of Tungsten. Hardly a task for the DIY home shops that easily make lead (621F) and Tin (450F) sinkers and jigheads. It's very possible that they use less tungsten powder (more resin/epoxy) in the JDM ones, so there's not much reason to buy them.
Don't bother me, I'm screwing for virginity.
I killed a 12-pack just to watch it die.
Most tungsten stuff is 97% tungsten which is mixed with something like nickel and sintered - super complex and super specialized. The tungsten resin you conceivably could do at home. It’s a bit of an oversimplification, but think of it like mixing tungsten powder into some epoxy and putting it in a mold. Definitely a much lower percentage tungsten in that case, so not nearly as dense as “true” tungsten stuff.Originally Posted by Walkabout7781
I've not bought any Tungsten sinkers or jigheads, but it's my assumption that all Tungsten fishing items are resin encapsulated Tungsten powder, because of the very high melting temperature....(6,192F) of Tungsten. Hardly a task for the DIY home shops that easily make lead (621F) and Tin (450F) sinkers and jigheads. It's very possible that they use less tungsten powder (more resin/epoxy) in the JDM ones, so there's not much reason to buy them.
2011 Skeeter ZX225
225 Yamaha HPDI Series 2
Minn Kota Ultrex 112 52"
Console: HDS 16 Carbon
Bow: HDS 12 Carbon, Solix 12 G2, Mega 360, Garmin 106 SV, LVS 34
"Sintered" means it starts out as powder and is compressed into molds under high pressure. Again, not something to be done at home. Anything Tungsten is going to be costly, and I'm always thankful that our state doesn't have a ban on lead. That aside, I don't believe a bladed jig would fall under the lead ban laws of any state. At least, the regs I've seen allowed jigs but not sinkers or shotgun pellets, and so on. I don't think we have Loons, either, but if lead sinkers would get rid of the Cormorants, I'd sprinkle some around every time I went fishing. Flamengassers are apparently not allowed, except for use on any snakes near BBC houses.
Don't bother me, I'm screwing for virginity.
I killed a 12-pack just to watch it die.
Thanks for the info on the Jackhammer, and the lesson on tungsten. Sounds like I'll stick to the $5 ones that work for me.
There was a similar thread inthe Lounge a week or so ago. here's what I posted there:
I throw a bladed jig a lot and catch a bunch of fish on them. This is my take. Your mileage may vary.
The Jackhammer does have higher quality components than a regular Z-Man chatterbait, which should make it more expensive than a regular chatterbait...like by 50 cents or so. I have heard the "starts up faster on the retrieve" explanation. But, I have never seen a vibrating jig of any brand that did not immediately start vibrating on the retrieve. Some of the Jackhammers do hunt, but they do not hunt nearly as well as the original RAD Chatterbaits that I have. And, in my experience, a Jackhammer does not catch any more fish than the original Z-Man Chatterbait or other brands.
So, my answer to the OP's question of why they are more expensive is MARKETING.
"The man of system is apt to be very wise in his own conceit; and is often so enamored with the supposed beauty of his own ideal plan of government that he cannot suffer the smallest deviation from any part of it…He seems to imagine that he can arrange the different members of a great society with as much ease as the hand arranges the different pieces upon a chessboard.” Adam Smith, The Theory of Moral Sentiments
People saying they start sooner is their way of justifying spending money on them and trying to convince you to spend money on them. The components are higher quality, but not enough to justify it. Most of the cost is coming from marketing and evergreen having to pay royalties to zman. If people are paying it though why not charge that much. What it comes down to is confidence. If spending the extra money to use what everyone else is using makes you think it's better and will help you catch more fish than any all means go for it. Worse that can happen is you buy one fish it for awhile and dont like it, then throw a red skirt on it and sell it for triple on ebay.
I don't know what it is about the Jackhammer but when I'm in Texas where the fish are big and like to hang out in some nasty places, I'm now only using a Jackhammer or a Project Z. The Jackhammer flat out catches more fish for me and most importantly, the fish stay hooked. I've lost way too many quality fish on the regular chatterbait and their junk hooks. I haven't lost as many fish on the Project Z but there's a few that got away that I wish I got a look at. I also don't go through nearly as many trailers with a Jackhammer. I usually use a Little Dipper or 3.3" FAT Impact and it's no problem catching well over a dozen on the same trailer.
As far a price goes, Jackhammers go on all the time for 20% off.
2013 Ranger Z520c, 2013 Yamaha 250 SHO
2018 Ranger RT198p, 2013 Mercury 150 Optimax
Walkabout7781, we do have loons. Not sure about this side of the mountains, but there are a lot of them in Eastern Washington.
A difference that was eluded to but not mentioned is the better keeper on the jackhammer. As others have mentioned the components are better and the fit and finish is top notch. I've fished with them but have decided that the chatterbait custom at $7.99 list that can be purchased on sale for 20% off has enough of these great features for half the price. Only thing is that the customs are a Tacklewarehouse exclusive item.
Me too on the Keitech but I use the shorter one. I find the boot fowls on the hook more with the longer ones.
Ive tested just about every bladed/vibrating jig out there. It most certainly starts thumbing immediately and also can be reeled in/slow rolled better than any other design.
Kicked a friends butt using a Jackhammer while he had a Z-man. Offer to let him use one if he replaced it if he lost it. He refused when he found out the cost. I continued to kick his butt and really had a great day telling him about it---all day.
They really do get more bites.
So who has the best prices on these little gems?
No one! They’re expensive but totally worth it to me. I really liked the normal chatterbaits until I got my first Jackhammer! I habe caught more fish on a Jackhammer in the last 14 months than any other lure by far! I’m sure I could’ve caught a lot of those fish on other lures but I really enjoy throwing the JH!
Im relatively good with it at this point and I won’t use a different chatterbait. When I lost my first one I almost cried though. It had a few hundred catches on it and was just getting broken in! Where I live I throw it 12 months a year and it’s one of the few lures that has its own rod and reel and absolutely never changes!
There is no other lure I feel as strongly about, the JH is an absolute confidence lure for me.
2006 Triton SP-185, 2006 Evinrude Etec 90, PowerTech NRS3, Garmin Echomap Plus 73CV & 93SV
You used to be able to get them from Japanese tackle sites for about $9, but apparently the tackle shops in Japan aren't shipping them to the US anymore after Z-Man went after them somehow (not sure how Z-Man can actually go after someone in another country like that, though I suspect it has something to do with their relationship with Evergreen and threatening to pull Jack Hammers off their shelves).
2011 Skeeter ZX225
225 Yamaha HPDI Series 2
Minn Kota Ultrex 112 52"
Console: HDS 16 Carbon
Bow: HDS 12 Carbon, Solix 12 G2, Mega 360, Garmin 106 SV, LVS 34
Huge Jackhammer fan here , always have one tied on ,, not sure why but the Jackhammer has the ability to clear grass better than any other chatter bait ever made,,, and i have tried just about every one on the market , great hook up ratio and quality components, start up really quick,,,, skip fantastic and well they just flat out work,,,,,,,
Ive fished chatterbaits for yrs. and caught fish on them regularly. A must have bait in grassy fl. Lakes. There is a combination of reasons why it cost more. I don't like paying $15 for them but i do. Why, they flat out catch big bass. More so for me than any other vibrating jig ive ever used. The key is the trailer. Use the wrong one and it kills the action. To each his own but worth the xtra bucks to me.
Mike Clemons-Lake Butler, Fla..
97 Gambler Intimidater / 200 EFI Merc
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