New Z-Man® Jighead Combines Hybrid Split-Grip Keeper, Premium BKK® Hooks, and Refined Ball-Head Sculpting
LADSON, S.C. (October 5, 2026) – The improvements that matter most in fishing tackle are rarely the flashy ones. They simply solve everyday problems better. Few pieces of tackle get less thought than the round ball jighead, and few get used more.
The new Ball HeadZ™ is what happens when that old standby gets the same attention to detail Z-Man® puts into the rest of its jig lineup.
Locked in Place
The keeper is where that attention shows first, and a well-designed one serves two purposes: easy rigging and a secure hold. The Ball HeadZ delivers both with a hybrid split grip design, a single-piece ridged lead keeper with a secondary wire running through it. Together they seat a bait straight and lock it in place through long casts, short strikes, and fish after fish, whether that bait is made from 10X Tough ElaZtech® material the keeper was designed around or traditional plastisol.
Pros asked for this keeper on flagship designs like the ChatterBait® Elite EVO™ HD, EVO™ Swim Jig, and TRD™ Finesse Jig. On a jighead, where the softbait is the entire lure, gripping it with authority is the whole job. Bringing this keeper to the Ball HeadZ was only natural.
“ElaZtechis so durable that it can be a little tough to rig without the right keeper,” says Z-Man Community Manager and tournament bass angler Jonathan Dietz. “With the Ball HeadZ, you can catch upwards of 50 fish per day on just one bait without having to adjust it much. That keeper just holds our baits that well.”
Familiar Shape, Finer Details
Up close, the Ball HeadZ is not the round ball jighead anglers grew up on. Subtle baitfish-inspired sculpting replaces the traditional smooth ball with angular facets and a forage profile, while precision balance keeps the bait riding in a natural, horizontal posture.
Those facets do more than add detail. Flat surfaces return sonar energy instead of scattering it, so the Ball HeadZ marks bright and defined on forward-facing sonar. Pinned to a Scented Jerk ShadZ™, it has become the go-to for Team Z-Man’s jighead-minnow work.
The backbone of any jighead is its hook, and the Ball HeadZ needed one that would not force a choice between penetration and strength. Z-Man found it in a premium BKK® black nickel needlepoint hook, sharp and fine enough to bury cleanly on light line and finesse presentations, yet strong enough to pull a solid fish out of cover without flexing.
“The Ball HeadZ gives you a bunch of hard returns on forward-facing sonar. You can see it clear as day,” says Bassmaster pro Beau Browning. “And the keeper is perfect for ElaZtech. The hook won’t flex either, which was a big deal for us.”
Match the Bait, Match the Depth
Sixteen combinations run from 1/8 to 1/2 ounce with hooks from size 1 through 4/0. Size 1 models pair with a 3-inch Slim SwimZ™ or 2.8-inch Octane MinnowZ™, 4/0 models carry a 5-inch Scented Jerk ShadZ or 4-inch DieZel MinnowZ™, and everything in between is covered. Lighter heads suit shallow presentations and a slow fall, while heavier models handle depth and current. Bass, walleye, and light-tackle saltwater targets all sit inside that range.
Ball HeadZ are offered three per pack at MSRPs from $5.99 to $7.49 and are shipping now to retailers nationwide.
The round ball jighead never needed reinventing. It just needed someone to sweat the details.
About Z-Man Fishing Products: A dynamic Charleston, South Carolina based company, Z-Man Fishing Products has melded leading edge fishing tackle with technology for over three decades. The company’s roots trace back to producing silicone skirts for many of the industry’s top lure makers, a foundation that set the stage for its evolution into a full-fledged lure brand. With the addition of the Original ChatterBait® bladed jig and the development of its proprietary 10X Tough ElaZtech® superplastic material driving its transformation, Z-Man broadened its offerings into a comprehensive lineup of innovative freshwater and saltwater lures. Today, Z-Man remains family owned and is among the fastest growing lure companies in the fishing industry, with its products distributed across North America and in more than 40 countries worldwide.
