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  1. #1
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    Unhappy TW Chatterbait Custom Change

    These two baits are supposed to be identical, both 3/8 TW Chatterbait Customs. The top one is over a year old, and I just received the bottom one this week. The head shape is much different on the new one, and a lot less like the 17$ jackhammer than the older version. What a shame.

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    2021 Caymas CX21/Mercury 250 Pro XS

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    #2
    Quote Originally Posted by Dh0ckey11 View Post
    These two baits are supposed to be identical, both 3/8 TW Chatterbait Customs. The top one is over a year old, and I just received the bottom one this week. The head shape is much different on the new one, and a lot less like the 17$ jackhammer than the older version. What a shame.

    If they have changed noticeably and you are not satisfied, I would send them back.

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    #3
    I'm not worried about it, posted more as a PSA for others. I bought these particular ones to drill out and install weedguards, which kinda goofs up the action anyways.
    2021 Caymas CX21/Mercury 250 Pro XS

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    #4
    Quote Originally Posted by Dh0ckey11 View Post
    I'm not worried about it, posted more as a PSA for others. I bought these particular ones to drill out and install weedguards, which kinda goofs up the action anyways.
    I wonder if a mark pack style weed guard would work? basically some heavy floro and o ring?

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    #5
    Quote Originally Posted by Jfish View Post
    If they have changed noticeably and you are not satisfied, I would send them back.
    I dont think thats his point. Its the principal of the matter.

    That sucks. I just bought my first custom a few months ago and liked it.....then tested out the hype and bought a couple jackhammers! I was also surprised by how similar I thought the head shapes were...so i was super impressed with the custom, and just meh about the jackhammer....mostly based of price/hype.

    Im pretty sure and wouldnt be surprised if they did this because the chatterbait custom was prolly just as good action wise, and the "wire tied skirt, quality hardware" pitch wasnt worth the $9 dollar difference. This sucks to read cuz I was just organizing tackle yesterday. Was organizing my "skirt" box....and when I picked up the OCB and other chatterbaits I had....I was thinking, man these suck! They just look and felt different than the Custom and Jackhammers I have. I bet customs are gonna basically be upgraded OCB's now.....damn Zman got me and im gonna buy those stupid overrated jackhammers just for confidence reasons with the head shape difference! lol

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    #6
    Quote Originally Posted by FishInTheDesert View Post
    Im pretty sure and wouldnt be surprised if they did this because the chatterbait custom was prolly just as good action wise, and the "wire tied skirt, quality hardware" pitch wasnt worth the $9 dollar difference.
    This is almost certainly the reasoning behind the change. :(
    2021 Caymas CX21/Mercury 250 Pro XS

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    #7
    Quote Originally Posted by Dh0ckey11 View Post
    This is almost certainly the reasoning behind the change. :(
    I agree....i was surprised when I got turned onto customs comparing them to all the different ones I got at academy. Then I caved in and bought the jackhammer...and felt the heads/weighting were very similar! So I was all about the customs....but didnt place an order for them, just figured them as my go to.

    Guess Zman is forcing the jackhammer on us now. SMH.....drop it to 10 bucks and ill stop crying about it! lol

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    #8
    so are you guys saying that the new custom chatterbait head is similar to the jackhammer? Don't know about you guys but i like the way my jackhammer hunts side to side, my customs wont do that.
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    #9
    Quote Originally Posted by kercha83 View Post
    so are you guys saying that the new custom chatterbait head is similar to the jackhammer? Don't know about you guys but i like the way my jackhammer hunts side to side, my customs wont do that.
    Have you put them all side by side? You cant look at the custom and say the jackhammer isnt a slightly refined improvement on it especially compared to all the others. I think both have similar shapes and weighting on the baits. Chatterbaits customs were the bee-knees before...but let a $15 chatterbait come along to make you think less of it.

    My jackhammers dont hunt....and ive tried them enough to look for that action. I mustve just got defective ones. Only difference for me...is they do stay a little lower in the water column a bit longer...but nothings hugely drastic...at least im my experience.

    Im not buying into the hype of jackhammers....with that said. I will prolly end up buying more of them if its true about the design change on the customs.

    Just for discussions sake.....considering how many different versions there already are...why would Zman decide to change the customs design? Im not sure if it was a big seller since they werent in big box stores....but chatterbait customs are very popular with everyone that is a chatterbait fisherman. So doesnt make sense that they changed the design on the custom.......unless maybe, the jackhammer is a slightly upgraded version of the custom and they realized this and did it for business purposes.

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    #10
    Quote Originally Posted by kercha83 View Post
    so are you guys saying that the new custom chatterbait head is similar to the jackhammer? Don't know about you guys but i like the way my jackhammer hunts side to side, my customs wont do that.
    I am saying the exact opposite of this. The old TW customs were very similar to the current jackhammers. The new TW customs are not.
    2021 Caymas CX21/Mercury 250 Pro XS

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    #11
    Heck I been throwing that Project Z I think it is and haven’t had any problems. Runs straight holds up nice. I just can’t see the jackhammer being $9 bucks better but I’m sure I’ll end up getting one before it’s all said and done

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    #12
    Man I hate to hear they changed it. The Custom is my favorite.

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    #13
    I never was a fan of the customs.. I like a larger hook and the skirts were crappy. A lot of them would just fly off, just poor quality.