USA BASS TACKLE Tomcat Review
The vibrating jig category has exploded with options over the last decade. Z-Man has introduced iteration upon iteration and variation after variation to capitalize on their namesake: ChatterBait. Then there’s the Thunder Cricket from Strike King that’s gained quite a following. Plus, there are dozens of similar baits made by various brands. One of the more popular lures from that bunch is the subject of today’s review: the USA BASS TACKLE TOMCAT
As vibrating jigs go, the Tomcat is a solid choice. I’m a longtime lover of Z-Man’s ChatterBaits, but I’ve also been mixing the Tomcat in here and there over the last few months. It certainly has some appealing characteristics, as well as a unique action and vibration. Let’s dive deeper into the conversation now.
THAT TOMCAT FEELING
For starters, the Tomcat has a different feel—at least in comparison to a lot of ChatterBaits. I admittedly haven’t used many other brands of vibrating jigs because I have such an affinity for the quality and variety of baits offered by Z-Man. However, out of the half dozen or so of their vibrating jigs that I’ve tried, I haven’t found one with the exact same action as the Tomcat.
This bait has a duller kick to it, which contrasts with the sharp vibration I’m used to with similar baits. It’s not better or worse, but different. The difference can be summed up by comparing a lipless CrankBait filled with several small beads and a knocking lipless with one large bead. Both are great baits, the bass just prefer one over the other sometimes.
THE DIFFERENCES CONTINUE
The Tomcat has a steady vibration to it—one that starts as soon as the lure hits the water—but it’s more of a soft thump than a sharp one. This vibrating jig also tracks a little straighter than most of the other vibrating jigs I’ve fished with. Again, this isn’t necessarily bad, just different. I believe it can be used to your advantage in certain situations.
Though the erratic action of a vibrating jig is part of its appeal, the wide swings and rolls from side to side also make many of these baits really grabby, as the hooks rock back and forth towards passing cover. This makes it hard to fish ChatterBaits and other vibrating jigs with aggressive actions around wood in particular.
I believe the Tomcat will prove itself to sneak through laydowns and brush a little better than many other vibrating jigs. I had the opportunity to fish this bait around a lot of shallow wood. If you keep the SlobberKnocker moving on a steady retrieve, the hook point stays relatively straight up and down, thus making it more weedless for sure.
GET CONNECTED
The blade connection on the Tomcat is unique in comparison to most other vibrating jigs, similar to the SlobberKnocker from Berkeley. Most vibrating jigs use a metal loop similar to a typical jig eye to connect their baits to the blades. USA BASS did something different with this one, molding the connection point into the head of the jig itself. Then they took a metal dowel and hinged the blade on it through the hole.
This unique connection no doubt has a lot to do with the different action of the bait. The physics of the connection point—with the horizontal bar—simply won’t allow the bait to rock back and forth as hard as baits that connect to a thinner, vertical eye. The design of the connection point of the Tomcat also gives this bait more head to blade contact than most, adding a different sound signature to go along with the strong vibration provided by the blade.
TOMCAT DURABILITY
The weakest link in most vibrating jigs comes by way of the line tie. Traditional quick-clip line ties can open up when fighting a big fish. U.S.A. BASS TACKLE used an upgraded version on this bait that doubles over quite a bit more than a standard clip that you’d use to swap back and forth between CrankBaits.
Additionally, the paint on the head of these things is quite durable, as is the powder coat finish on the blades. Not all of the blades in the lineup have paint on them, but the one I tested has an orange one. There isn’t a scuff on it after having used it a fair amount. The paint around the connection point isn’t scuffed much either, despite the constant abuse it receives from the rocking of the blade.
The Owner Hook is also worth noting. A wire bait keeper is attached to what amounts to a stout 4/0 flipping hook. The bait keeper provides plenty of grip and does a good job of locking the trailer in place. The hook is superb: solid, strong and ultra sharp. The skirts are tied to the baits by hand too, which means they’ll last longer than those that use a rubber band to secure them.
With 8 color choices, there’s something for most any water color and forage type. I would like to see one other option in a more translucent shad pattern for clear water, but otherwise they have about anything you could want. These baits currently come in 1/2-ounce versions with 3/8-ounce versions to be released soon. There has been some talk from USA BASS about a larger 5/8-ounce as well.
FINAL THOUGHTS ON THE TOMCAT
Overall, this is an extremely well thought out and rather unique bait. It’s durable, has innovative design elements in the head, blade, skirt and hook, with a more subtle action than most others in the category. I wouldn’t say this is the be-all end-all of vibrating jigs that will replace all others, but when the fish have seem a million Jackhammers run in front of them and you love chatter bait fishing this will be the change-up you need to get them to bite.
- Travis