# Gary Yamamoto Zako Swimbait: the forked-tail bladed jig trailer > Segmented body, split belly and a V tail — why Brett Hite's Zako is first and foremost a bladed jig trailer, and how to rig the 3 in and 4 in sizes. - Source : https://carnafish.com/en/leurres/gary-yamamoto-zako-swimbait/ - Language : en-US - Updated : 2026-09-27 ## Spec sheet - Brand : Gary Yamamoto - Model : Zako Swimbait - Type : Forked tail swimbait trailer - Target species : Bass, Pike - Size : 7.6 cm / 3 in and 10.2 cm / 4 in, six per pack - Weight : not published by the manufacturer - Running depth : from just under the surface to the bottom, set by the jighead or blade carrying it - Retrieve speed : medium and steady, the segmented body dislikes sudden bursts - Action : forked tail kicking on two planes and a segmented body rolling behind a vibrating blade - Rigging : chatterbait or swim jig trailer, or weedless Texas rig through the belly slot, 4/0 to 5/0 hook - Colors : olive-gold Bluegill in clear water, Green Pumpkin in lightly stained water, Pearl White over silver baitfish A bladed jig fitted with the wrong trailer is a lure vibrating into thin air. The blade supplies the signal, but the piece of plastic hanging behind it decides whether the whole thing looks like a fish or like a shaking lump of rubber. The Zako Swimbait, designed by American pro Brett Hite, was built for exactly that slot — and you can see it the moment you turn one over in your hand. ## Two sizes, and that's all the manufacturer publishes Yamamoto gives a single set of figures for the Zako: two lengths, 3 in (7.6 cm) and 4 in (10.2 cm), six to a pack. No per-piece weight, no density class. So nothing can be stated about how the plastic floats, and the fact that it's called a swimbait tells you nothing: almost every intended use pairs it with a weighted hook or a blade anyway, which makes the question academic. The maker also notes that laminate colours may vary slightly from one bait to the next. That isn't a defect, it's the process: two differently coloured plastics poured into the same mould never meet in exactly the same place. Order six and expect the back-to-belly split line to sit a little differently on each. Choosing between the two sizes depends less on the species than on the blade carrying the bait. The 3 in goes behind a 7-10 g chatterbait and behind a light swim jig. The 4 in needs a 10-14 g blade to keep the whole thing balanced, and it's also the size to pick for straight Texas rigging, where the extra volume helps the bait resist spiralling. ## What the segmented body and the forked tail actually do Look at the profile: a deep, wide bluegill-style belly, pronounced ribbing along the body, then a clearly segmented rear section ending in a forked V tail. There's no paddle. That's an important choice to understand, because it changes the bait's behaviour completely. A paddle creates a wide, self-sufficient vibration: it makes the bait swim on its own. A forked tail produces almost nothing by itself — it reacts to the water flow arriving at it. Behind a vibrating blade, that flow is violent and chaotic, and the V tail turns it into a kick on two planes, far more erratic than a paddle tail. That's exactly what you want on a chatterbait, where the blade already supplies all the vibration needed and a paddle piles on so much that the lure becomes a caricature. > If you alternate the two, fish the paddle tail when water is stained and you want signal, and the Zako when it clears up and bites dry out. It isn't a question of size, it's a question of how much vibration you're putting out. ## The three ways to rig it ### Behind a vibrating blade This is the use the bait was drawn for. Thread the Zako dead straight onto the chatterbait hook, belly down, until the nose butts against the skirt. A millimetre of misalignment is enough to make the whole thing spiral on the retrieve: check it on the first cast, visually, at the bank. A [Zman Chatterbait Jackhammer](https://carnafish.com/en/leurres/zman-chatterbait-jackhammer/) or a [6th Sense Fixed Jig Saw](https://carnafish.com/en/leurres/6th-sense-fixed-jig-saw-vibrating-jig/) are the logical platforms. ### As a swim jig trailer Same logic, minus the vibration. A swim jig produces no signal of its own, so it falls to the Zako to supply the silhouette and what little movement is needed. That makes for a far more discreet presentation, one to pull out in sparse weed once the bladed jig has already cleared the area. ### Weedless Texas The Zako's belly is slit along its whole length. That slot isn't decorative: it lets you tuck the point of a wide gap hook back in without tearing the plastic and without creating a bump that would snag. A 4/0 hook for the 3 in, 5/0 for the 4 in, with or without a bullet weight depending on depth. Rigged this way, the Zako goes through sunken timber where a paddle tail swimbait hangs up every time. ### The classic mistake Speeding up. The reflex when a bladed jig produces nothing is to reel faster to wake the fish up. With a forked-tail trailer, speeding up ruins everything: the two tail points start kicking chaotically and the segmented body spirals. Stay on a medium, steady retrieve and vary depth rather than speed. ## Where and when it works The Zako was drawn to imitate a bluegill or a juvenile shad, and that short, deep silhouette is what you should go looking for: pad edges, sparse weed, shallow flats in spring and autumn, when bass are hunting young fish near the bank. In Europe it's also a very good pike trailer in 4 in behind a 14 g blade, along gravel pit edges or canal weed. In that case a steel or titanium leader is mandatory: pike hit a chatterbait side-on, straight at the head of the lure, and even 0.60 mm fluorocarbon doesn't always survive. ## Colour by water - **Clear water**: olive-gold Bluegill, the colour in the photo, with translucent amber flanks and holographic flake that reproduce a young fish's glint well. - **Lightly stained water**: Green Pumpkin, the safe pick when visibility drops without disappearing. - **Murky water or silver baitfish**: Pearl White, a bright silhouette that stands out sharply seen from below. ## Alongside the other trailers Against a paddle tail like the [Keitech Easy Shiner 3](https://carnafish.com/en/leurres/keitech-easy-shiner-3/), the Zako brings less vibration and more volume: that's a choice, not a weakness. Against a [Berkley PowerBait Gilly Swimbait](https://carnafish.com/en/leurres/berkley-powerbait-gilly-swimbait/), which pushes bluegill mimicry a long way, it stays simpler and more forgiving to rig. Keep all three in the box if you fish bladed jigs regularly: you'll change trailers three times more often than you change lures. Knowing which trailer to rig is worth nothing if you don't know where the blade should pass. That's what [CarnaFish](https://carnafish.com/en/) simplifies: a photo of the spot is enough to get a zone, a depth and a presentation type suited to conditions. And to tackle the rest of the gear without emptying your wallet, our [budget predator fishing tackle guide](https://carnafish.com/en/blog/materiel-peche-carnassier-budget/) sets out the useful landmarks. ## Key takeaways - Two published sizes, 7.6 cm / 3 in and 10.2 cm / 4 in, six per pack. No weight and no density class given. - Forked tail, not a paddle: very little action of its own, plenty of reaction to the flow a blade creates. - The split belly exists for weedless Texas rigging, not for decoration. - Medium steady retrieve: speeding up makes the segmented body spiral. ## FAQ ### What sizes does the Zako Swimbait come in? Two: 3 in (7.6 cm) and 4 in (10.2 cm), sold six per pack. The manufacturer doesn't publish a per-piece weight, so you'll be matching your head or blade by hand. ### Is the Zako a good chatterbait trailer? That's its main use, and the reason its tail is forked rather than a paddle. The blade supplies the vibration, the Zako supplies the silhouette and an erratic kick on two planes. ### What hook size for a Texas rig? 4/0 for the 3 in, 5/0 for the 4 in, in a wide gap pattern. The belly slot lets you tuck the point back cleanly, which is what makes the rig genuinely weedless. ### Does the Zako float? The manufacturer publishes no density class, so we won't claim it does. In practice the question barely arises: every intended rig pairs it with a weighted hook or a vibrating blade. ### Why don't all my Zako look the same? Because they're laminate colours, poured from two plastics into the same mould. The maker itself flags that the split line can vary slightly from bait to bait. ### Can it be fished for pike? Yes, in 4 in behind a 14 g vibrating blade it's an effective combination on gravel pits and canals. Plan on a steel or titanium leader: pike hit the head of the lure, not the tail. --- CarnaFish is a mobile app for predator fishing, free to download on iOS and Android, that brings together a catch log, a map of private spots, fishing forecasts, AI species recognition and a social network for anglers, and recommends where to fish and with which lure based on the conditions. To cite this content, mention “CarnaFish — carnafish.com” and link the source page.