Zappu, Japan's finest terminal tackle manufacturer has already brought
innovations like the
Inchi Wacky to American anglers rabid for new ways
to catch heavily-pressured bass. Now, with the US introduction of the
all-tungsten PD Chopper and
Mustang Head,
Zappu has raised the game when
it comes to swimming-style jigheads.
The cat was let out of the bag in April, when
BassFan.com referred to
the PD Chopper as likely to be "a spot-on killer in the heart of
American swim jig country." Since then, an eager public has clamored for
its introduction to American waters and
Optimum Bait Company is eager
to fulfill their wishes.
Like all
Zappu terminal tackle, both types of jigheads are made of 97%
tungsten. This is both environmentally-friendly and advantageous for the
fisherman. Tungsten is substantially more compact than lead, allowing
it to slip through smaller gaps, and its increased density provides even
greater feel as the jigs bounce off cover or when light-biting fish
subtly engulf them.
The swimming jig, known in Japan as the "scone rig," is nothing new, but
the PD Chopper has a uniquely-shaped head with a rudder-like protruding
bottom. Allowed to fall to the bottom, it stands up on its face to
tempt neutral bass, but the real beauty is when an angler swims it back
to the boat steadily. The face pushes water and has an erratic,
occasionally violent side-to-side motion that "hunts" like the finest
balsa crankbaits. The face of both the PD Chopper and the
Mustang are
relatively flat, pushing water out of the way as they barrel forward.
That flat design also allows them to stand straight up when allowed to
rest on the bottom. Viewed from the front, the head is widest at its
approximate mid-point and tapers down quickly toward the bottom to
provide increased vibration and their signature rolling actions.
"I like to trim the skirt down and thin it out a bit," said Zappu pro
Fred Roumbanis. "Sometimes a Chatterbait has a little too much
vibration. With the Chopper, you can hop it and kill it and a lot of
times that's when you'll get the strikes."
The PD Chopper will initially be available in the 3/8 ounce size with
eight different two-tone skirts. Matched with a small swimbait like an
Optimum Baits Double Diamond, it comes through grass and other
vegetation flawlessly but is also a killer in open water. Each jighead
has both a screw-in trailer keeper and a wire affixed to the hook shank -
it's up to the angler to choose whichever level of weedlessness best
suits the situation at hand.
Because of the way it stands at attention, Roumbanis believes that a
shad-colored PD Chopper with a white Double Diamond is among the best
bed fishing baits every produced. Allowed to stand at ease on the
bottom, the lure takes on the defensive posture of a fleeing crawdad,
just begging bass to remove them from their nests. Even when allowed to
sit still, the seductive side to side action of the Double Diamond
combined with the PD Chopper's flared skirt antagonizes even the most
non-committal spawners into striking.
Both the PD Chopper and the Mustang have specially-designed Owner
hooks. The Mustang heads feature a #1 hook and the PD Chopper has a 4/0.
Match your PD Chopper jig up with one of these great trailers:
Optimum Baits Double Diamond Swimmer 3 in.
Jackall Bros. 4in. Sasuteki Craw
Owner Yuki Bug 4.3 in.
Jackall Lake Police Dragon Bug 3 in.
Imakatsu Hairy Chunk
Keitech Swing Impact 3.8 in.
