The bladed jig is alive and deadlier than ever since its second coming, thanks to refined tools and the systematic approach of practitioners like Brett Hite.The chatterbait hit the angling scene over 13 years ago. It set off an explosion of sales before settling back into the vast pegboard sea.But unlike so many other baits that have experienced 15 minutes of fame, the bladed jig caught a second wind. What top anglers have learned since its resurgence has made it one of the most versatile lures in bass fishing.Paul Mueller rode the chatterbait to an historic record catch of 32-03 on Day Two of the 2014 Bassmaster Classic and to a 2nd place finish.Brett Hite got an even bigger return with bladed jigs that season, earning $250,000 in 10 days with a 2014 FLW win on Lake Okeechobee followed by a Bassmaster Elite victory on Lake Seminole. Bladed jigs have won tour events every year since, too, prompting anglers everywhere to dust off old chatterbaits and add new ones to their tackle trays. More importantly, they have learned to fish them in earnest. "The chatterbait muscled its way in and created a whole new lure category, really displacing a lot of spinnerbaits," says Daniel Nussbaum, president of Z-Man Fishing Products, the company whose innovations and patents have enabled it to dominate the category. "It has to be up there as one of the top 'four-seasons' baits," assesses Brett Hite, who worked with Japanese pro angler and lure designer Morizo Shimizu in the development of the Jack Hammer, sold under the Evergreen brand through Z-Man and generally regarded as the Cadillac of the category. "As long as fish are in the upper column of water, 10 feet deep or shallower, I can catch them," Hite adds. Lure Presentation:Is the bladed jig a jig or a reaction bait? Some pros point to the bait's jig-like qualities and fish it accordingly, especially in cold water conditions. But the man regarded as the maestro of the bladed jig leans to the latter."It's always a reaction bait to me," says Hite, who compares his bladed jig's vibration to that of a Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap. "It is so versatile and so user-friendly around aquatic vegetation. You can present the bait and fish it efficiently in vegetation, areas you couldn't work a reaction bait before."Hite leverages the lure's "reaction bait" traits at every opportunity."The goal is always to strike cover, whether it's a stump or laydown or hitting aquatic vegetation," Hite explains. "I will either speed a bait up or slow it down to hit the object. If grass is high, I will speed my retrieve, just burn it. In early spring, the grass is immature, so I slow it down. When the bait hits grass, I speed it up with the reel and give it a small jerk. That often triggers a strike... The great thing about the bait is you can get the same action you get with deflection by just jerking the rod tip. It prompts strikes from fish just following it."New iterations of the chatterbait have extended the lure's durability, performance and even its versatility.The Hite-Morizo collaboration - the Chatterbait Jack Hammer - boasts subtle design improvements such as a stainless-steel blade that emits better vibration, a blade protector design feature, a heavy wire Gamakatsu hook, double wire bait keeper, and premium snap."We put in years of testing to get it perfect," says Hite. "As soon as you engage the reel after a cast, it vibrates, and it skips and runs better than other models."Hite emphasizes the hunting and triggering action of the bait. "It hunts and deflects like a squarebill crankbait," he says. "But you can also fish it where you can't fish a squarebill or other reaction baits. You can't skip a squarebill 40 feet under a dock!"Chatterbait Gear:No matter what your bladed jig of choice, your delivery system is equally critical. Hite has refined his tools - rod, reel and line - to maximize every aspect of performance.Rod: His rod of choice is the Evergreen USA Combat, a 7-foot 3-inch heavy glass rod he designed specifically for the Chatterbait Jack Hammer. "The biggest misconception fishing this bait is to view it as a jig," says Hite underscoring the reasoning behind his gear selection. "It's more like a crankbait."He opts for a stiffer glass rod than what he would use for a squarebill crankbait but a similar parabolic action to aid casting distance and accuracy and to allow the fish fractions of a second more to mouth the bait. The fiberglass "give" also keeps fish pinned.Reel: With its 6.3:1 gear ratio, the Daiwa Tatula SV adapts easily to either fast or slow retrieves and has sufficient power for all-day cranking. But it has an added functional advantage, too."The other cool thing about the SV is its non-backlash spool," explains Hite. "I skip bladed jigs under docks and overhanging cover. The non-backlash feature can make a novice dock-skipper look like a pro." Line: Sunline FC Sniper 20-pound fluorocarbon is Hite's line of choice no matter the conditions. The line has just the right amount of stretch for ripping the bait through grass."If I'm ripping through grass with braid, the lure comes through too quickly," he explains. "I want it to come off the grass like a slingshot, not like a rocket. The fluorocarbon has enough stretch along with sufficient sensitivity. It keeps the bait in the strike zone and delivers more bites. The 20-pound Sniper is just a good solid line. I can horse a fish if necessary yet still make long casts. The density of fluorocarbon also helps get the bait down."Colors and trailers:Hite's preference for a green pumpkin bladed jig teamed with a matching green pumpkin 4-inch Yamamoto Zako - a bait he designed - are well documented. But he does leave some room for variety. His recommendation is basic: "A couple dark colored bladed jigs and a couple shad colors." Next choice behind Green Pumpkin is Bruised Green Pumpkin, "black and blue on top, green pumpkin on the bottom." Preferred shad colors are Green Shad and Clearwater Shad. The latter is his preference fishing ultra-clear water. His Zako colors take their cue from the bladed jigs.Z-Man's RaZor Shadz is another popular chatterbait trailer. Its baitfish profile complements the lure's action. Use a trailer that matches the size of the jig. A trailer that is too large will detract from the bait's action.Pehanich, Mike. "The Second Coming Of The Bladed Jig." Bass Angler Magazine, pp. 94-96.