Chatterbait Elite Evo vs Jackhammer
The Z-Man Chatterbait is by far the most popular bladed jig on the market. But they have a bunch of different models and slight variations of the Chatterbait within their lineup.
And the top two contenders are the Elite Evo and the Jackhammer. So which one is better and which one is right for you? The Chatterbait Elite EVO vs Jackhammer debate ends here!
The Differences:
Price
The price is by far the biggest and most stark difference between the Elite EVO and the Jackhammer.
The Elite EVO is literally half of the price as the Jackhammer is, and as you’ll learn here in a second, it isn’t really based on the quality or effectiveness of the baits.
In my opinion, the real reason that the Jackhammer is so much more expensive is simply because it is the original premium or high performance chatterbait.
And because it has been around much longer, everyone kind of knows the Jackhammer as the industry standard bladed jig and everyone has bias towards that specific bait.
So from a business stand point, Z-Man can charge way more for the Jackhammer because lots of people will buy it off of the name and personal bias alone.
Winner: Elite Evo
Head Shape
As you can see, the Elite EVO has a unique wedge shape on the side of the jighead. Where as the Jackhammer just has a classic, smooth head.
The point of the wedge shape on the Elite EVO was originally an effort to make the bait run a bit deeper in the water.
But in reality it ended up doing the exact opposite. That design ends up giving the bait a little more lift in the water, and the Elite EVO will actually run about 10-12 inches higher in the water column (assuming your gear and retrieve are the same).
But how much does this matter? From my experience, not much. You might just need to give and extra second or so to let the Elite EVO sink before starting your retrieve.
But honestly, it really isn’t an advantage or a disadvantage. Just a very slight difference.
Winner: Neither/Equal
Blade
For years, the number one complaint about the Jackhammer was that the paint on the blade chipped off.
So when Z-Man designed the Elite EVO, they fixed this problem by adding an epoxy coating over the paint to prevent the paint from chipping.
They also added a grainy, 3D texture to the blade of the Elite EVO. I don’t think that 3D texture makes any difference at all though, I mean it’s not like bass are using a magnifying glass to inspect your chatterbait blades.
But the non-chipping blade is definitely a nice addition and improvement over the Jackhammer.
Winner: Elite EVO
Bait Keeper
The bait keeper on the original Jackhammer is a double wire design that keeps baits on tremendously well.
I mean, your trailers will not go anywhere on the Jackhammer. The lead style keeper on the Elite EVO doesn’t quite secure your trailers as well, but it also doesn’t tear them up as much if you are someone who likes to swap out trailers regularly.
Now the only time that I have found the keeper makes any difference is when I am skipping my chatterbaits.
When skipping, the lead keeper will allow your trailers to slide down from time to time, and ruin the cast.
But the Jackhammer’s wire keepers will lock your trailers in no matter how hard you skip it. So if you are someone who does a lot of skipping with your chatterbaits, the Jackhammer’s bait keeper design is a bit better for that.
Winner: Jackhammer*
Which One Is Better?
In terms of performance, I think that these two chatterbaits are completely equal. There are some small differences between them, but none of those differences necessarily make either bait better or worse.
They just seem to be different for the sake of being a little different if that makes sense. So in my opinion, the Elite EVO is the better chatterbait because it performs essentially the exact same, but at half the price.
So I always recommend that people buy the Elite EVO.
Reeling this In
So what’s the bottom line? In the debate between the Jackhammer and the Elite EVO, there isn’t a definitive “winner” when it comes to performance.
Both are highly effective baits with minor differences, like the bait keeper design and blade paint durability.
However, when you factor in the cost, the Elite EVO is the clear choice. It delivers the same exceptional performance as the Jackhammer but at half the price, making it the smarter buy for any angler.
Ultimately, you’ll be catching the same amount of fish, but you’ll have more money in your pocket to stock up on other gear.
Also Read: The 3 Best Cheap Chatterbaits
