Details

Published: 27 March 2025

Minn Kota Report

Minn Kota is bringing its proven technology to kayak anglers with the all-new Minn Kota Kayak Terrova. Designed to make boat control effortless and reliable, this motor puts advanced GPS navigation right at anglers' fingertips—so they can focus on fishing, not fighting the conditions.

Built for kayak anglers who seek an improved on-water experience, the Kayak Terrova features Minn Kota’s most trusted GPS trolling system with Spot-Lock, Autopilot, Drift Mode, and much more—making boat positioning a breeze. The One-Boat Network® integration seamlessly links with Humminbird fish finders for real-time control, while the Digital Maximizer extends battery life so you can stay on the water longer. With an Extremely Durable Composite 36” Shaft, and a weedless prop, this motor is built to handle whatever the day throws at you.

Key Features & Benefits:

• Rugged 12V, 55 lb Thrust Motor with 36" Shaft – Powerful, reliable performance designed for optimal kayak control.
• Advanced GPS Trolling System – Spot-Lock GPS Anchor, Autopilot, Drift Mode, and more for precise boat control.
• Effortless Stow & Deploy – Smooth operation with a simple lever and Auto Park.
• One-Boat Network Integration – Syncs with Humminbird fish finders for full system control.
• Digital Maximizer™ – Extends battery life for up to five times longer run time.
• Weedless Wedge™ 2 Prop – Cuts through vegetation efficiently.
• Extremely Durable Composite Shaft – Built to last, guaranteed for life

Suggested retail is $1,499.99.

See the Minn Kota Kayak Terrova Trolling Motor in action and learn more.

Details

Published: 25 March 2025

Z-Man Report

Three years ago, the idea was conceived. Realizing most great anglers were throwing ChatterBait JackHammers at every derby and on every bass lake in America and beyond, pros Brett Hite and Japanese bass wizard Morizo Shimizu quietly returned to the lure lab.

From the jump, the goal was to create an even more refined bladed jig that chattered to bass on a slightly altered octave; to deliver a familiar sound and vibration, yet one with subtle revisions to its underwater frequency, action and profile.

Today, Z-Man and Evergreen celebrate their power-packed third bladed jig collaboration, codename Baby Jack™.

Cultivated to combat the toughest bass fisheries in America, Japan and beyond, the JackHammer Baby Jack wields numerous tournament-grade accoutrements, leading with a cultivated, downsized stainless steel ChatterBlade®.

Sharing the JackHammer’s acclaimed instant-start vibration, the Baby Jack leans on its direct blade-to-jighead connection to deflect cover, produce relentless blade/jighead collisions and generate vibrant ChatterBait music—albeit on a slightly higher vibrational frequency.

“Japanese fisheries are notoriously tough, and the Baby Jack has been tested in Japan with impressive results,” states Evergreen’s Morizo, perhaps the preeminent bladed jig practitioner across the Pacific. “That was the driving force behind the Baby: tough conditions and heavily pressured playing fields where just a few more big bites can make all the difference.”

Downsized Blade Schematics

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.

As Morizo also suggests, “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 a new 1/4-ounce variant (in addition to 3/8- and 1/2-ounce sizes) for rocketing cleanly across the skinniest water and the gnarliest cover.

Weight-Balanced Jighead

To further ensure the Baby Jack stays down in the water column and swims with a balanced, natural horizontal posture, Hite and Morizo devised an astute alteration to the jighead. “We shrunk the size of the head itself, while shifting more weight—including an enlarged, restructured collar—further back down the spine,” says Hite.

“Besides moving more fluidly through the water, this reconfigured jighead also lets the lure skip super far and easy, and with minimal commotion.”

Read more …