Z-Man Accelerates Impressive Growth with 18 New Products
OutdoorHub 07.22.14
Z-Man Fishing Products, makers of The Original ChatterBait brand bladed swim jigs and 10X Tough ElaZtech soft plastics, revealed the next line of its revolutionary fishing lures Monday. In all, Z-Man is introducing 18 new products to the fishing industry in conjunction with ICAST 2014. While some offerings are variations of proven producers, others are completely new and unique, representing a continuation of Z-Man’s mission to provide anglers with the most innovative, effective baits on the market.
“In the past year we’ve seen a tremendous response to our new product releases and an increasing amount of interest in the Z-Man brand,” said Z-Man General Manager and Executive Vice President, Daniel Nussbaum. “As anglers realize the benefits of ElaZtech, we are constantly receiving requests for new baits and body shapes built from our proprietary material. We’re also spreading our wings and broadening the entire product line wherever we see an opportunity for newness or innovation.”
Pop ShadZ
Foremost among the launch is the Pop ShadZ, a 5-inch soft plastic topwater bait unlike anything else on the market. Both fresh- and saltwater anglers alike recognize the effectiveness of poppers at calling in fish from a distance and eliciting surface strikes. However, anglers have been limited in the past to hard baits armed with multiple treble hooks when situations call for ruckus-raising, floating topwater baits. Thanks to ElaZtech super-plastic technology, Z-Man is able to roll out the very first true soft plastic popper, something that simply cannot be duplicated with traditional soft plastic materials. Not only will the Pop ShadZ cause a commotion on the surface and float a heavy-gauge hook on the pause, but it will also walk through grass, pads and other cover without snagging, all the while offering a natural texture and ultra-soft feel that will have all types of game fish coming back for more.
The Pop ShadZ boasts the profile and body shape of a baitfish, yet thanks to its cupped face, pops, spits, and chugs when twitched along the surface for maximum fish-calling action. Best rigged with a wide gap 4/0, 5/0, or 6/0 hook, its belly slot and shallow dorsal pocket makes weedless rigging and solid hooksets a breeze. This one-of-a-kind soft bait is equally at home for a variety of fresh- and saltwater applications, from skipping under mangroves for laid-up snook and redfish, to working through dense lily pads for largemouths, to drawing vicious topwater explosions from blitzing blues and stripers. And, like all ElaZtech plastics, the Pop ShadZ is extremely durable, capable of withstanding any schooling onslaught with a single bait, enabling anglers to capitalize on small feeding windows without having to break to search for and re-rig a new bait.
Finesse T.R.D.
The innovative Midwest finesse style of fishing, more commonly known as the “Ned Rig,” has been gaining momentum throughout the country as a subtle and easy-to-master, yet amazingly effective, presentation. While anglers have long been crafting their own jigs and carving up ElaZtech baits to create the perfect finesse offerings, Z-Man has worked with some of the nation’s best finesse fishermen to develop a complete, ready-to-use Midwest finesse system that will produce on lakes, rivers, creeks and ponds everywhere.
Inspired by the venerable ZinkerZ, which anglers have been modifying for years to create perfect finesse baits, the new Finesse T.R.D. (The Real Deal) possesses the ideal finesse profile in a ready-to-fish package. Checking in at 2.75 inches in length, the T.R.D. features a familiar stickbait profile, but a unique dimpled tail texture, softer ElaZtech formulation, and custom salt content. These attributes allow the T.R.D. to mimic the sink rate, lifelike action and irresistible feel of a well-worn ZinkerZ that expert finesse anglers have learned result in longer holds and increased hook-up ratios—but right out of the package. While it may look basic on the surface, the unique flutter and near-horizontal posture on the fall created by its ElaZtech construction makes it not only an incredible black bass bait, but also a catch-all bait that has proven effective on numerous species from panfish and trout to white bass and dr! um.
Finesse ShroomZ
Designed to be paired with the Finesse T.R.D.—as well as other proven Z-Man baits like the Finesse ShadZ and Hula StickZ —to create the perfect Ned Rig, the Finesse ShroomZ jigheads sport a custom wire keeper welded onto the hook shank that not only makes rigging a breeze, but holds ElaZtech baits securely without the need for gluing. Offered in custom 1/15, 1/10, and 1/6 ounce weights specified by top anglers for various finesse presentations, the Finesse ShroomZ are built around premium, high carbon black nickel hooks with a head shape that blends seamlessly with small finesse baits. The unique keeper, coupled with the extreme durability of 10X Tough ElaZtech, creates a near-bulletproof package that will tempt fish-after-fish for hours on-end without the need for re-rigging.
“The Ned Rig is the best way I know to catch numbers of fish in a wide array of species and size ranges,” exclaimed Luke Clausen, Z-Man pro and former Bassmaster Classic and Forrest Wood Cup champion. “There’s no doubt that it’s a great way for anglers of all ages and skill levels to catch more fish and have more fun, but I’ve seen my competitors on the tournament trail use it enough times to catch quality fish in tough conditions that it will always be part of my tournament arsenal.”
Z-Man’s National Sales Manager, Glenn Young, feels the same way about this technique that is garnering more popularity. “The Ned Rig is a proven fish-catcher when other techniques simply aren’t working at all. I’ve personally seen it produce bass in crystal clear shallow water where other baits got ignored, in deeper water, and in areas just fished by other anglers. It’s a great system for novice anglers since there’s really not much to it and will keep their rods bent all day. It’s also an amazing tournament tool for experienced anglers who need to produce a lot of bites in a short period of time and in water that sees a lot of fishing pressure.”
Project Z Jigs
Given its 25-plus years of experience in the silicone skirt business and recent mission of bringing new technology and innovations to anglers, the unique look of Z-Man’s new Project Z skirted jigs should be a surprise to no one. Offered in two varieties—Football and Flip ‘N Cast—these revolutionary new jigs are highlighted by new Z-Tex textured silicone skirt material that traps bubbles on the descent and gives traditional skirted jigs a full, lifelike, three-dimensional look that fish have not seen before. Both jigs are made in the USA using high-quality Mustad® UltraPoint® hoo! ks, and the skirts feature the patented quick-change, solid-hub EZ Skirt design for swift and simple color changes on the fly.
Designed by leading professional anglers and jig makers, the Football Jig features a wide, football-shaped head that minimizes snagging on rough terrain as well as a flat face that slams into rocks and kicks up silt to create fish-attracting disturbances. The Flip ‘N Cast Jig sports a versatile crawfish-style head that produces enticing action, slides easily over and through cover, and is perfect for a variety of casting, flipping, pitching and swimming applications. These jigs are hand-painted with color schemes matching the six popular Z-Tex jig skirt patterns and feature molded-in custom keepers that hold all types of trailers securely.
BatwingZ
While the durability and buoyancy of ElaZtech is clearly advantageous for a host of bass-fishing applications, the superiority of Z-Man’s proprietary super plastic is perhaps most apparent when it is used as a jig trailer. The 10X Tough material produces baits that will last an entire day when pinned to the back of a skirted jig, and its buoyancy unfailingly turns any jig into a stand-up jig on every cast. Recognizing the need for a tournament-grade jig trailer, Z-Man also unveiled the new BatwingZ, a jig chunk designed with input from touring professionals Clausen, Stephen Browning and David Walker.
Offered in two sizes (2.75 and 3.5 inches) to cover all jig fishing applications from small finesse jigs to heavyweight football jigs, the textured claws produce a unique, lifelike action on a variety of retrieves.The ridged texture not only pairs perfectly with the Project Z jigs but offers a fuller and more realistic look than the flat, lifeless appendages of other trailers on the market. And, of course, the buoyant ElaZtech pinchers float up off the bottom, mimicking the natural defensive posture of a crawfish and creating the perfect stand-up jig. Featuring a unique body shape spec’d out by Z-Man’s pros, the BatwingZ is designed to be rigged either by threading onto the hook and trailer keeper or by simply hanging it on the hook. Either way, the body is incredibly tear-resistant—almost bulletproof even—allowing anglers to use the same trailer fish after fish without having to constantly search for a new trailer.
“The BatwingZ has a buoyancy that is unlike any other jig trailer on the market,” said Walker. “It gives your jig a unique action as the arms actually stand up, perfectly mimicking a crawfish. It comes through the heaviest cover with ease, and the Elaztech material allows you to catch multiple fish before ever having to reach for a replacement. It catches fish and saves you both time and money.”
Browning echoed Walker’s sentiments. “My jig trailer has reached an entirely different level with the all-new Z-Man BatwingZ. Now I don’t have to reel my jig in to check my trailer after a short strike. I simply drop it back down for that comeback strike!”
DieZel ChatterBait and DieZel Spin
From Louisiana to the Carolinas, inshore saltwater anglers know that the flash and vibration of bladed baits can be the ticket to garnering consistent strikes from redfish, particularly in muddy or stained water. However, the majority of bladed jigs and jig spinners on the market simply aren’t built to withstand constant abuse from saltwater game fish.
Shallow-water anglers looking for beefed up blade baits will love the new DieZel ChatterBait and DieZel Spin. Both baits are designed to hold up to double-digit Louisiana redfish, but are equally at home when targeting all kinds of fresh- and saltwater game fish, including bass, stripers, sea trout, flounder and snook. Both baits are equipped with a custom, heavy duty, black nickel Mustad UltraPoint hook, premium red 3D eyes, and a new-for-2015 double-barb stamped stainless keeper that will hold any soft plastic swimbait securely, even after brutal strikes from bull reds. Each bladed bait is equipped with the toughest inshore swimbait on the market—an ElaZtech 4-inch paddle-tail DieZel MinnowZ that produces unmatched swimming action and accurately mimics the profile of common inshore forage. The DieZel ChatterBait is available in eight color patterns with matched head, blade, and tail color combinat! ions while the DieZel Spin offers six.
The DieZel ChatterBait delivers unmatched flash, vibration, sound, and erratic action with its patented bladed swim jig design and hex-shaped ChatterBlade. Extremely effective either rolled through grassy areas, bottom-bounced over rocks, or hopped along sand or mud bottoms, the ChatterBait is an extremely underrated bait for virtually all estuarine species, and the new DieZel version provides a package built to withstand the rigors of saltwater fishing. In addition to the beefed up jig construction, the new Mustad Fastach clip provides an incredibly strong and secure connection between the blade and line-tie.
Unlike standard “safety-pin” style spinners that routinely break or are tweaked out of alignment by the crushing jaws of redfish, the DieZel Spin features a heavy-gauge, stainless spinner wire that is connected directly and permanently to the eye of the Mustad hook to produce a failsafe connection. This spinner-on-steroids also boasts an oversized Colorado-style blade for maximum flash and fish-calling vibration that produces in even the most stained and turbid waters.
“We go to Louisiana to fish for reds at least once a year, and one thing we learned quickly is that nothing gets bites in off-color water like a ChatterBait, but a super heavy duty version is really needed to hold up to the beating that these baits take from getting hammered by lots of big fish,” said Nussbaum. “Last fall, we handed out over 100 of our DieZel ChatterBait prototypes to nearly 50 anglers down there, and we didn’t see a single failure in three solid days of fishing. The spinner version did just as well, while other spinnerbaits only lasted a few fish. I really think these baits will be winners not only among the saltwater crowd, but also with the bass guys looking for beefed up bladed baits with swimbait trailers.”
Other new for 2015 Z-Man products include:
- Scented Curly TailZ (4 inches) – A versatile curly tail baitfish imitator that is effective on all coasts. Impregnated with 100 percent natural Pro-Cure Super Gel.
- Scented ShrimpZ (4 inches) – New size is ideal when sea trout, redfish, tarpon, and snook are feeding on larger shrimp.
- Slim SwimZ (2.5 inches) – An incredibly versatile, downsized ElaZtech swimbait that delivers the same incredible softness, swimming action, and 10X Tough durability as its larger brethren.
- Grass KickerZ (5 inches) – New head shape is easier to rig and creates a more lifelike appearance. Raised, split-dorsal fin increases weedlessness and improves stability on fast retrieves.
- SwimmerZ (6 inches) – New laminate colors match Z-Man’s most popular swimbait hues, but in a larger 6-inch size. Features molded-in eyes and split-body design for easy rigging.
- GrubZ (3.5 inches) – New 3.5-inch version delivers the durability, swimming action, and versatility found in the original GrubZ, but in an ideal size for bass fishing.
- CrusteaZ (2 inches) – Unique, miniature crustacean imitation with twin u-tail claws that produce attention-getting action.
- QuadZilla Four-Arm Spinner Rig (6 inches) – Based on the design of the popular QuadZilla Four-Arm Spinnerbait.
- BTB FlatZ Jig (3.5 inches) – Better Than Bucktail. A modernized, upgraded version of the venerable bucktail jig that has long been an inshore fishing staple.
- EZ Skirt Finesse (2.75 inches) – Spider cut skirt profile and premium silicone material provide tremendous life-like action on jigs of all sizes.
