Nickajack Lake, TN — A single cast on a chilly morning has rewritten the Tennessee record books. On February 28, longtime Nickajack angler Darren Nunley caught a massive 15.75‑pound largemouth bass on a ½‑ounce Green Pumpkin Z‑Man®/EverGreen ChatterBait® JackHammer™, pending DNA testing and final certification by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) as the new state record.
For Z-Man and Japanese luremaker EverGreen International, the catch adds another chapter to the JackHammer’s growing legacy as the bladed jig behind some of the biggest tournament wins and biggest bass caught in America.
One Cast, One Giant
Nunley was fishing with close friend and guide Hensley Powell, who had been on a remarkable run of big fish in the same area. The pair launched into 38 degree air temps and 53 degree water, targeting a hydrilla flat in 4–5 feet, classic early spring ChatterBait water.
Powell had been there the day before with another client, boating two 8 pounders and losing a giant. When he idled up that morning with Nunley, he didn’t hesitate.
“Throw right there on a long cast,” Powell told him. “That’s where the big ones were yesterday.”
One perfectly placed cast with the ½-ounce Green Pumpkin JackHammer was all it took.
“I Thought I Was Hung in the Grass…”
Nunley initially believed he’d buried the JackHammer in hydrilla.
“I thought I was hung in the grass and tried to pop it through,” he said. “Then I realized it was actually a fish. I didn’t realize just how big it was until I got it to the boat and it went ape. But it was too big to actually jump.”
Powell wasn’t even looking when Nunley set the hook.
“I thought he’d hooked grass until I saw the line running sideways,” Powell recalled. “The fish came to the surface, and I netted it easy. As soon as it hit the deck, Darren said, ‘That’s the biggest bass I’ve ever caught,’ and I said, ‘That’s the state record.’”
Their scale read 15.8 pounds, and Hensley immediately headed back to the ramp and called TWRA. TWRA directed them to a certified scale where the fish officially registered 15.75 pounds.
A Fish 15 Years in the Making
TWRA biologists conducted a full examination and determined the fish had never been caught before.
“This fish swam around for 15 years and never got caught,” Nunley said. “My hook was the only mark in its mouth.”
DNA results required for final certification as a state record due to the presence of hybrid bass in Tennessee waters are expected within two weeks. Powell, who has guided on Nickajack for years, wasn’t surprised the lake produced the new record.
“I’ve been saying for years the next state record would come out of Nickajack,” he said. “The stars aligned for Darren. That fish was meant for him.”
The JackHammer Strikes Again
The catch adds to a long list of giant bass and tournament wins credited to the ChatterBait JackHammer, a lure that continues to dominate despite a wave of imitators entering the bladed jig category.
“The JackHammer just gets big bites,” said professional angler Brett Hite, who helped design the lure and has built his career around fishing it at the highest level. “That hard thump, the way it comes through grass clean, and the way it hunts are what trigger those true giants. Catches like this are exactly why we built it the way we did.”
Engineered to perform when it matters most, the JackHammer’s quick startup, aggressive vibration, and premium componentry have made it a staple on Tennessee River fisheries and across the country.
For Nunley, a lifelong Nickajack angler, the moment still feels surreal.
“This whole experience is just mind boggling,” he said. “You never know what all goes on when these types of record fish get caught, but there’s a lot that goes into it behind the scenes.”
The Tennessee state record largemouth soon will belong to Darren Nunley, and the cast that changed everything was made with Z-Man/EverGreen ChatterBait JackHammer.
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 nearly three decades. Z-Man has long been among the industry’s largest suppliers of silicone skirt material used in jigs, spinnerbaits and other lures. Creator of the Original ChatterBait®, Z-Man is also the renowned innovators of 10X Tough ElaZtech® softbaits, among the most coveted baits in fresh- and saltwater. Z-Man is one of the fastest-growing lure brands worldwide.
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