The Baby Jack: Z-Man and Evergreen’s Downsized Jack Hammer

Introduction: Is there a bait that has put more weight on the tournament scales than the ChatterBait JackHammer? This bladed jig, a collaboration between Z-Man and Evergreen, has become a staple at every level of competitive bass fishing. Now, at this week’s Bassmaster Classic, the two companies are unveiling a downsized version of their award-winning bait - the ChatterBait JackHammer Baby Jack.

Z-Man and Evergreen are collaborating once again, and this time to introduce a smaller Chatterbait JackHammer called the Baby Jack

The Baby Jack: Like the original JackHammer, the Baby Jack is a collaboration between Evergreen and Z-Man, co-designed by pro anglers and bait designers Brett Hite and Morizo Shimizu. This new offering is more than just a scaled-down version - it’s a refined, downsized ChatterBait built to deliver the same performance in a smaller package.

The Baby Jack's blade is 20% smaller than the standard JackHammer

The Baby Jack features a ChatterBlade that’s 20% smaller than the original, maintaining the same thin yet rigid stainless steel construction for optimal vibration and durability. However, adapting the design to a smaller profile required more than just shrinking components. The head and collar have been completely redesigned to optimize the bait’s low center of gravity, improving stability while maintaining long castability and reducing water resistance during retrieves.

Z-Man has an assortment of ElazTech plastics like the ChatterShad and ChatterSpike that are already a perfect match for the new Baby Jack

While the original JackHammer sports a heavy-wire Gamakatsu hook, the Baby Jack is outfitted with a 3/0 Decoy medium-wire hook, better suited for the bait’s finesse approach. It retains key features that made the original a tournament staple, including the Decoy egg snap and a double-wire keeper that securely holds trailers in place. Z-Man already offers several compact trailers - like the ChatterShad and ChatterSpike—that pair perfectly with the Baby Jack’s downsized profile.

I've been fishing this 3/8oz. Chartreuse White 3/8oz. Baby Jack paired with the matching ChatterShad over the last week

Why a Smaller JackHammer? For Hite and Morizo, tricking tough bass meant, foremost, building a bait with a wider range of retrieve speeds, from super slow roll to speed demon. To achieve perfection, both bladed jig artists vetted numerous blade sizes before punching out a thumbnail-sized hexagon, mere clicks smaller than original.

“On the ChatterBait performance spectrum, the Baby Jack moves with a tighter vibration and a more restrained flash than the original JackHammer, but still noticeably stronger than the StealthBlade™,” notes Morizo. “Similar to the original, the Baby Jack hunts freely, too, especially when you give the lure little pops with the rod."

Additionally, Morizo says the smaller blade and its reduced water resistance enable faster retrieves in the same water column. “When the water’s warmer or you just need to cover more territory or to trigger a quick reaction under tougher conditions, the Baby Jack is the ultimate adjustment that will entice extra bites.”

Hite adds: “Even with the smaller blade, the Baby Jack still has a good thump to it. You can really feel it and read what’s happening. You know right away if it’s fouled a blade of grass, and you can rip free. Or when a bass quietly inhales the lure and swims toward you . . . the blade goes dead and signals a rapid-fire hookset. Those are key details that made the JackHammer into an all-time great - and the Baby Jack is all that and a little more.

Though the blade and head are smaller the bait still puts out the signature high-frequency vibration, just a little more subtlety

There are also times when a more compact profile simply better matches the hatch or when a subtler presentation can draw more bites. The Baby Jack is designed to start vibrating immediately upon retrieve, just like the original, but with a more refined, subtle vibration. Its smaller size also makes it easier to skip under docks and other structure, giving anglers more versatility in tight cover situations. Morizo stated, "The Baby’s reduced size means its more aerodynamic and casts like a bullet, even in wind. And for fishing across shallow grass or super skinny water, you can really burn this lure, while the blade stays down and doesn’t blow out.” For these specific scenarios, Morizo wanted the new 1/4-ounce variant (in addition to 3/8- and 1/2-ounce sizes) for casting cleanly across the skinniest water and heaviest cover.

With all the recent rains the water in many of the Norcal Lakes and Delta have been heavily stained. The vibration of the Baby Jack still made it easy for fish to key in and strike the bait

The Baby Jack will be available for purchase at the Bassmaster Classic on March 21st, with a retail price of $15.99. It will come in three sizes - ¼ oz, 3/8 oz, and ½ oz - and launch with 10 color patterns, including proven favorites like Chartreuse White, Golden Shiner, and Black & Blue, as well as newer patterns like Smallmouth Magic.

Our Quick Take: Prior to this week’s official launch, I received a single Baby Jack from Z-Man and had the chance to fish it extensively over the past week and a half. As expected, it performs like a scaled-down JackHammer, delivering that signature rapid, hard-hitting vibration on the retrieve. While it’s undeniably more subtle than the original, it’s not nearly as muted as I anticipated - it still puts out a strong high frequency tight vibration.

This particular setup is a good option for stained water. There will be some more subtle patterns like Clearwater Shad and Smallmouth Magic that look like great finesse options in crystal clear water

Fishing it in heavily stained water, where visibility was only a few inches, I was impressed by how easily fish located and committed to the bait. While its compact profile will undoubtedly be a go-to for anglers skilled in skipping, I see its biggest advantage in highly pressured fisheries and tough conditions where a finesse approach can trigger more bites.

The Baby Jack exhibits the same quality features and build quality we have come to expect from Z-Man Evergreen JackHammers. This bait is going to be hot this season and will officially debut at the Classic this week and start shipping to retailers in April

Downsizing often raises concerns about attracting smaller fish, but that hasn’t been my experience so far. The Baby Jack has delivered quality bites with excellent hookup ratios. I plan to test it in clearer water later this spring, but based on my early experience, it’s clear that Z-Man and Evergreen have maintained the same winning formula and refined craftsmanship that made the original JackHammer a staple on the tournament scene. While it might be easy to dismiss this as just a smaller JackHammer, its well-balanced, compact design offers impressive versatility for anglers who want to adapt quickly and trigger more strikes.

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