Tungsten ChatterBait Intel

Influential bass pros weigh in on new, super responsive Tungsten ChatterBait Elite EVO™

Ladson, SC (October 3, 2024) – Hits harder. Runs deeper. Jukes sharper. Transmits sound and strikes like a tuning fork. Incites primal responses from pot-bellied bass, those big-headed baitfish hunters attuned to every sound and vibe. And when you change the frequency and dial up the decibels, the results—according to top bass pros— might just rock your world.

As ChatterBait maestros like Clausen, Stephen Browning, Seth Feider and others have recently witnessed firsthand, the instant a Tungsten ChatterBait Elite EVO touches down and starts churning water, a sharp, piercing sound— borne from blade colliding with rock-solid tungsten head—completely disconnects the bass’ reluctance to strike. And when they bite, the sensation up the line and down to your hands echoes with twice the intensity.

The Tungsten ChatterBait Elite EVO features 3/8- and 1/2-ounce sizes in 12 color patterns (Bama Bream shown).

“To me, fishing a standard ChatterBait beside the new Tungsten EVO is akin to driving a Mercedes versus a Ferrari,” suggests Z-Man bass ace Stephen Browning. “One gives a super smooth, dependable ride while the Ferrari just screams down the road, hugs hairpin turns and counters instantly to the slightest steering wheel shifts.

“The Tungsten EVO feels and fishes so different than any other ChatterBait today,” adds Browning. “The lure is so quick to respond that it’s almost like it has a mind of its own, darting and hunting left-right-left (zip-zip-zip!)—effectually reacting like a baitfish in evasion mode. That’s the exact action you want for triggering the biggest, wariest bass in every environment."

Z-Man bass pro Seth Feider calls the Tungsten EVO his new go-to ChatterBait.
(Photo by B.A.S.S. / Tommy Sendek)

Browning continues: “The smaller, more compact tungsten head offers less air resistance, making it immensely castable, even into the wind. What’s also surprising is how well this lure comes through heavy cover. This ChatterBait doesn’t roll over when it contacts wood, so it slides right across the branches and limbs with ease.

“I also feel like tungsten can give anglers more confidence because you really feel it working the rod, which is a big factor in bite detection. With traditional lead-headed ChatterBaits, it can be easy to miss certain bites, especially when bass ‘push’ the bait and you fail to detect it. The Tungsten EVO alerts you to these subtler strikes, so even if bass initially miss, you’ll get ‘em on the next cast.”

Z-Man's new Tungsten ChatterBait Elite EVO sports a more compact, sound-resonating head than the original.

Bassmaster Elite Series angler and Z-Man pro Seth Feider chimes in with his own tungsten take: “The noise and action of the Tungsten EVO are next level,” believes Feider. “The blade is super dialed, so it starts up quicker than almost any other ChatterBait.

“The action is pretty true-to-form, too—a lot like that signature JackHammer cadence— but with a totally new sound bass haven’t heard. All season, I’ve been rolling with the ½-ounce size, leaning on its small, compact head that just fishes faster and delves a lot deeper than lead. Or go with the 3/8-ounce, which casts and fishes like a traditional 1/2-ouncer.

“At the Bassmaster Elite derby on the St. Lawrence River this year, I ran a green pumpkin version, rigged with a green pumpkin ChatterShad™ and caught a bunch of big smallmouths. Ever since, the Tungsten EVO and ChatterShad combo has become my go-to bladed jig,” Feider asserts.

“To me, the magic lies in the intense sound that comes from the blade cracking the solid 96-percent tungsten head as it pulses back and forth. The tungsten jighead produces a different, distinctive sound that zings your rodtip— and bass get super zoned in on it."

“Every time I’ve been in the boat with someone else, the Tungsten EVO has simply produced more bites than other ChatterBaits,” notes Clausen. “No doubt, it puts out a different sound and vibration. You feel the difference immediately—it’s more reactive, hunts faster and falls quicker. Add a ChatterSpike™ trailer and you get even more movement, and more depth to reach the active fish faster. This is one lure to keep a serious eye on in the coming season.”

Sculpted with a downsized, high-density tungsten head, the Tungsten ChatterBait Elite EVO is wired to cut through water fast, hunting bites with its off-the rails wandering action, while singing to bass on new levels of vibration. Landing at outdoor retailers now, the heavy metal Tungsten ChatterBait Elite EVO sports two sizes—3/8- or 1/2-ounce—in twelve pro-driven color patterns. MSRP $15.99. For more intel, visit www.zmanfishing.com.