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In September 2024, a twenty-year old Chatterbait patent expired.
And baitmakers everywhere rejoiced.
You see, this patent said we couldn’t make Chatterbaits with the blade connected directly to the hook.
We were forced to attach a blade to a flat eye jig with a split ring.
This workaround…worked.
But it was far from ideal.
We found these revised Chatterbaits could chatter…sometimes…and not always right away….but they did chatter.
Yet we always knew the original design protected by Zman was better.
It chattered harder.
It chattered more reliably.
It chattered immediately on the retrieve.
It caught tons of fish.
Limited to the split ring design, we baitmakers made do.
Some had the wherewithal to make direct-connect Chatterbaits, braving the evil eye of Zman’s patent lawyers.
Many commercial makers who did this promptly received cease-and-desist letters 😵💫.
But now the secret’s out 👉 the patent has expired!
The flat eye hooks and flat eye jig molds are no longer necessary. The game has changed.
Welcome back to Jig Is Up Lurecraft! Today, I am stoked to bring you the best Chatterbait molds you can use to make your own super effective, direct-connect Chatterbaits!
Without further ado, let’s get started 😎.
Chatterbait Molds Breakdown
Best Premium Mold 👉 Bladed Slayer Mold
Best Versatile Mold 👉 Poison Tail Jig Mold
The Best Chatterbait Molds
👉 Bladed Slayer Mold (Best Premium Mold)
Starting off this list of Chatterbait molds is a new release from the fine folks at Epic Bait Molds.
An incredible collaboration between Epic Bait Molds, SDG Custom Lurecraft, and Barlow’s Tackle, the Bladed Slayer molds are the most premium Chatterbait molds you can buy.
Bar none.
If you don’t believe me, consider this.
These are made from CNC aluminum.
Each mold has 6 or 8 cavities, depending on the model you get.
Chatterbait sizes range from 1/16 oz (crappie anglers, you seeing this?!) to 1/2 oz.
Each mold is optimized for wire forms and straight shank hooks, meaning each cavity is designed from the start for a direct-connect between the blade and the hook.
🙌
Need I say more.
The catch?
You get what you pay for. These molds are $200 each.
Pros
✅ High quality CNC aluminum, for seamless pours.
✅ Five common sizes to choose from (1/16 oz to 1/2 oz).
✅ Designed for making direct-connect Chatterbaits, using a wire form and straight shank hook.
✅ Great looking 3D-eye head design.
Cons
❌ Expensive
👉 Poison Tail Jig Mold (Most Versatile Mold)
The next Chatterbait mold on our list is near and dear to my heart.
The Poison Tail Jig mold is the darling of the jig making world.
The Poison Tail jig skips great, like an Arky jig.
But it still slices through grass like a dream, like a true swim jig.
The mold itself is fantastic too.
You can build micro 1/8 oz jigs, or massive 1 oz jigs.
The best part? At $68, this mold is a fraction of the price of a Bladed Slayer mold.
In fact, you could get three of these and still not reach the $200 retail price of a Bladed Slayer mold.
Now, you might be wondering if there is a catch here and the answer is…yes. There is.
The Poison Tail Jig mold is designed to build weedless jigs. Not Chatterbaits.
Now don’t get me wrong, you can still build Chatterbaits with this mold.
It simply requires a little extra work.
You see, this mold takes a weedguard pin, so you can glue in a weedguard.
But if you are interested in Chatterbaits, then you already know….Chatterbaits chatter better without weedguards.
But fear not, you can get around this. Simply insert the weedguard into the mold, but don’t slide it all the way into where the head forms.
You might have some flashing to clean up around the weedguard as a result, but with a little trimming you can have a dazzling looking Chatterbait head… with no unsightly weedguard hole.
As a super affordable mold with a great design and tons of sizes, I recommend the Poison Tail Jig mold for anyone who wants to build great Chatterbaits on a budget.
Pros
✅ Affordable ($68 per mold).
✅ Tons of sizes (1/8 oz to 1 oz).
✅ Gorgeous swim jig head design.
Cons
❌ Head requires additional trimming after being poured.
👉 Hybrid Grass Jig Mold (Best For Making Jackhammers)
The Zman Jackhammer is the golden child in the bladed jig world. It boasts having the best materials and action of any other Chatterbait on the market.
The problem? It comes with a super premium price of $20.
#ouch 🤕
Fortunately Do-It Molds offers a jig mold you can, with a little ingenuity, use to build clones of the Jackhammer Chatterbait.
Enter the Hybrid Grass Jig mold.
What sets this jig apart?
First off, it has a versatile bullet-shaped head.
This bullet head helps the jig swim straight and plow through grass.
Second, this jig takes extra large eyes (just like the Jackhammer). If you love big eyes on your jigs, this is a mold you’ll love.
Third, this jig has the biggest keepers I’ve ever seen on a bait.
I’m talking huge spikes on the collar.
Any trailer you put on this thing is going nowhere.
But something to keep in mind – like the Poison Tail mold, this mold is designed for jigs and not for Chatterbaits.
Meaning this mold expects you to put a weedguard pin in it when you pour.
But don’t be alarmed, you can still use a wire form and a straight shank hook with this mold to make your own killer Chatterbaits…just like the Poison Tail mold.
If you want to make DIY Jackhammers, look no further.
This is the mold for you.
Pros
✅ This jig head looks just like a Jackhammer.
✅ Affordable price of $68 a mold.
✅ Extra large 3D eyes on a great looking head.
Cons
❌ Designed for pouring jigs with weedguards (head will require additional trimming)
❌ Limited to a few sizes (3/8 oz to 3/4 oz)
👉 Sparkie Jig Mold (Best Mold For Simple Chatterbaits)
Last on our list of Chatterbait molds is an oldie but a goodie.
The Sparkie Jig mold by Do-It Molds.
We’ve covered some great molds so far.
Each spits out gorgeous jig heads that can be turned into Chatterbaits.
But all the molds covered so far required additional work.
Glue on some 3D eyes here…
Trim some flashing off the head there…
This is where the Sparkie Jig mold shines.
With this mold, you don’t have to worry about messing with a weedguard pin.
And you don’t have to worry about glueing on eyes.
This mold cranks out straightforward jig heads that simply get the job done.
On top of that?
It comes in eight common sizes.
We’re talking anything from 1/16 oz….to 1.5 oz.
If you want to quickly make simple Chatterbaits that get the job done, this is the mold for you.
Pros
✅ Simple and easy to make (no eyes or weedguard hole to worry about).
✅ Affordable price of $60 a mold.
✅ Oodles of sizes.
Cons
❌ No-frills head design may be a turn off for some.
❌ No bait keeper on the collar.
Which Chatterbait Mold Is Right For You?
By now, you’ve probably noticed something important.
There is no single “best” Chatterbait mold for everyone.
The right mold depends on how much work you want to do, and what kind of Chatterbaits you want to fish.
Here’s how I’d break it down.
👉Choose the Bladed Slayer Mold if…
You want the best of the best.
And you don’t want to mess around.
If you’re serious about making premium, direct-connect Chatterbaits with zero compromises, the Bladed Slayer is the clear winner.
This is the mold for:
- Small-batch sellers
- Hardcore tinkerers
- Anyone who wants factory-level results at home
Yes, it’s expensive.
But it’s also the only mold on this list that was designed from the ground up to make Chatterbaits.
👉Choose the Poison Tail Jig Mold if…
You want versatility and value.
The Poison Tail mold is perfect if you:
- Already pour jigs
- Want one mold that does a lot of things
- Don’t mind a little cleanup work
With some minor trimming, this mold produces fantastic Chatterbait heads that skip well, come through grass cleanly, and look downright gorgeous.
If you’re on a budget—or just want to experiment without dropping $200—this is the one for you.
👉Choose the Hybrid Grass Jig Mold if…
You’re chasing that Jackhammer look and feel.
Let’s be honest.
The Jackhammer is expensive…because it works.
The Hybrid Grass Jig mold is as close as you’re going to get to that look without paying Jackhammer prices. Big eyes. Bullet head. Massive bait keepers.
If your goal is to make DIY Jackhammers this is your mold.
Just know you’ll need to do the weedguard-pin workaround like with the Poison Tail mold.
👉Choose the Sparkie Jig Mold if…
You want fast-to-make, simple, no-nonsense Chatterbaits.
The Sparkie mold doesn’t try to be fancy.
And that’s exactly why it’s great.
No weedguard pin.
No eyes to glue on.
No extra trimming.
Just pour, add your blade, add a skirt, and go fishing.
If you’re:
- New to baitmaking
- Pouring a lot of baits at once
- More interested in fishing than tinkering
This mold gets the job done.
Chatterbait Mold FAQ
❓Can I really make direct-connect Chatterbaits now that the patent expired?
Absolutely.
As of September 2024, the original Z-Man patent covering direct blade-to-hook connections expired. That means baitmakers can legally make Chatterbaits with a blade connected directly to the hook using a wire form.
No more split-ring gymnastics required.
❓Do I need a special hook to make a Chatterbait?
For direct-connect Chatterbaits, you’ll want:
- A straight shank hook
- A wire form designed for bladed jigs. I currently use either
Some molds (like the Bladed Slayer) are designed specifically for this. Others can be adapted with a little extra effort.
❓Why do direct-connect Chatterbaits work better?
When the blade is connected directly to the hook, vibration transfers immediately from the blade to the head. That means:
- Faster startup
- Harder thump
- More consistent chatter at slower speeds
Split rings dampen vibration. Direct-connect designs don’t.
❓Can I turn any jig mold into a Chatterbait mold?
Technically? Yes.
Practically? Some work better than others.
Molds that:
- Have 30-degree or 60-degree line ties
- Can fit a straight shank hook and wire form
…are far easier to convert into great Chatterbaits.
That’s why the molds in this article rise to the top.
❓Is making my own Chatterbaits actually worth it?
If you fish Chatterbaits a lot—100%.
You’ll save money.
You’ll lose less sleep over snagged $20 baits.
And you’ll be able to fine-tune things like:
- Head weight
- Hooks
- Skirt colors
Plus…there’s just something special about catching fish on a bait you made yourself 😎.