The WillowVibe is a unique bait that is made by Z-Man who is known for their ChatterBait bladed jig and ElaZtech plastic lures. This particular lure is a smaller version of a bladed jig, but it also doesn’t have skirt and it has a smaller willow blade instead of the traditional square blade that you see on most bladed jigs. It’s been out for several years now but lately I don’t see as many people mentioning it or using it as most people seem to be more interested in shaking a minnow these days. This is good for people like me that still use this lure since it means the bass don’t see as many which can lead to more bites. While the willow blade on this lure may appear smaller don’t let it fool you, it still gives off a good amount of vibration and I personally think there’s more vibration to this lure than what you get with a Mini Max or the new Elite Evo Mini Max.
Generally speaking this lure can do well all year, and it has become one of my confidence lures when the visibility is lower and the fish don’t seem to be interested in other moving baits. There have even been days when this lure has outperformed a drop shot for me, which is impress since it’s still technically a moving lure. They have a few colors available and honestly all of them are good and will catch fish. I have also found that the CrushCity Mooch Minnow is a fantastic trailer for this thing, and while it can be a bit tricky to get it on once it is on it’s usually not going anywhere and one or two trailers can last you an entire day. One thing I will say about this lure is the hook is exposed and the blade in front of the hook is thinner than a standard blade that comes on most bladed jigs, so it doesn’t do quite as well if there’s a lot of grass around, but if you are in open water and the bass are chasing shad then this lure can do very well.
Lure Summary – Willowvibe
Suggested Rod Length: 6’10” – 7’3″
Suggested Rod Power: Medium or Medium Heavy
Suggested Rod Action: Fast or Moderate Fast
Suggested Reel Type: Spinning Reel
Suggested Reel Size: 3000
Lure Weight (est.): .44oz
Tackle Required
- Z-Man ChatterBait WillowVibe
Suggested Soft Plastic Baits
- 3.5″ Rapala CrushCity Mooch Minnow