Ingenious new Z-Man ElaZtech® bait headlines paddletail worm category
Ingenious new Z-Man ElaZtech“You can go in right after other anglers’ have tossed bladed jigs or other surface baits and really clean house,” exclaims Z-Man pro Miles “Sonar” Burghoff, referring to the new Turbo FattyZ swimming worm. “This is an amazing ElaZtech® bait that goes where wire baits and even swim jigs can’t, subsurface or right on top, such as the thickest pads or matted grass. Or I can pitch and skip the Turbo FattyZ way up beneath overhangs and docks and pull big bites. On the surface, the bait’s buoyant paddletail spits and sputters water. And when you pause it, the worm has this killer tail-waggling action as it slowly flutters.”
Now available at tackle retailers across America, the new Z-Man Turbo FattyZ is already impressing anglers with its versatility and easy-swimming, tail-vibe action. As Burghoff and other pro anglers will tell you, though, working shallow grass merely skims the surface of the versatile new bait’s talents.
“For several years, I searched for a high-performance swimming worm, but just couldn’t find one that clicked,” notes Burghoff, a Major League Fishing Pro Circuit competitor. “I wanted something with extra bulk and weight; a bait with some natural, neutral buoyancy that could be fished on the surface or below. When my friends at Z-Man listened to my wishes and helped me design the Turbo FattyZ, I knew the bait would be something special.
“The fact the bait—like all ElaZtech plastics—is made by Americans right in the USA means we can control and fine-tune every feature. It also means Z-Man is quick to deliver and replenish inventory at your favorite tackle store. That’s huge when you need to stock up on your favorite color, especially when a local bite is on fire.”
Weighing in with a robust, yet extra soft swim-worm physique, the 6-inch Turbo FattyZ provides effortless casts. The bait’s intricate design and density also allow it to carve the surface or swim through submerged cover unscathed. The softbait’s stout, segmented torso transitions to a razor-thin, high-action tail. Propelled by a smartly designed convex paddle tail, the Turbo FattyZ hums along with a pulsing, gliding action on a slow to moderate retrieve. The entire tail section is speckled with micro-protrusions for an appetizing appearance and texture. To offset some of the bait’s natural buoyancy, Z-Man added a 15-percent salt dosage, which also increases density for easy casts, even when fished unweighted.
Further proving the new ElaZtech bait’s versatility, Z-Man pro and Bassmaster Elite Series angler Jeff “Gussy” Gustafson has taken it deeper, swimming a shortened Turbo FattyZ on a jighead for structure-hugging smallmouth bass and walleyes. “Looking at the bait’s ingenious paddletail, I wanted to swim it on a jighead and see how fish responded,” Gussy explains. “Suffice to say, it looked really cool in the water and caught a bunch of fish. Realize that’s a long way from its intended design, but it also proves the bait’s amazing versatility.”
Meanwhile, as Gussy, Burghoff and other anglers travel south for early season tournaments in Florida, the Turbo FattyZ immediately becomes a big bass player. The bait’s fundamental presentation— a surface and near-surface swimming worm— employs a lightly weighted 3/16-ounce EWG or 1/6-ounce, 4/0 ChinlockZ SWS™ hook, Texas rigged.
“Love the way this worm spits and sputters on the surface,” notes Burghoff. “Slides right over and through the thickest pads and matted grass. Pause it in pockets and let its tail slowly waggle as the whole worm glides and entices bites. Throw this bait in any of Florida’s big bass lakes or a ton of other shallow cover, big fish situations. You’ll be a happy angler. The Turbo FattyZ is just a really sweet bait for searching shallow cover, especially areas that’ve been worked hard by other lures.”
Paralleling Gussy’s jig pattern, Burghoff also calls the Turbo FattyZ his go-to swim jig trailer. “I’ll trim an inch or two off the bait’s head and thread it onto a CrossEyeZ™ Snakehead Swim Jig,” he suggests. “The subtle profile and refined tail-kicking action of the Turbo FattyZ especially shine in slower-retrieve swim jig situations. When a faster swim jig retrieve and more thump and action is needed, such as in dirtier water, I’ll switch to the double tailed GOAT™, which displaces even more water.”
Highlighting a trifecta of presentations, Burghoff says the Turbo FattyZ on a Carolina rig remains one of his aces in the hole. “Put the Turbo FattyZ on a 4/0 or 5/0 EWG hook and you’ve got perhaps the ultimate Carolina rig bait for covering water and getting bit,” he explains.
Burghoff continues: “The Turbo FattyZ is the perfect complement to a heavy Carolina sinker. You’re putting a confidence bait down there in front of the bass—an almost neutrally buoyant soft worm that swims and thumps as you drag it behind the sinker. On the pause the bait flutters seductively and then almost hovers in place.
“Every time I cast the Turbo FattyZ on a Carolina or any other rig, it makes me want to keep this little trick to myself,” Burghoff laughs.
To grab your own packs of Turbo FattyZ, check your local fishing tackle stores or online retailers now. Crafted at Z-Man’s South Carolina headquarters, the Z-Man 6-inch Turbo FattyZ features 10X Tough ElaZtech® for extreme softness and durability. The new swimming worm comes in eight pro-selected colors. MSRP $5.99 per 5-pack. For more information, visit www.zmanfishing.com.
About Z-Man Fishing Products: A dynamic Charleston, South Carolina based company, Z-Man Fishing Products has melded leading edge fishing tackle with science and 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 innovator 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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