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Flathead Classic 2019 Wrap

Another successful year for the Tackle Tactics teams at this year's Gold Coast Flathead Classic.

TT Lures Tough TTs is a two-person team made up of Classic veterans Tony Zann and Shayne McKee and this year they were as keen as ever to get stuck into a few. After a solid Day 1, the Tough TTs took the lead on Day 2 and kept the score ticking over regularly on Day 3 to win the two person teams category by a couple of decent fish.

"Wherever possible we used the TT Lures HeadlockZ Finesse, Tournament Series and Depth Charge Light Wire jig heads," Tony said. "On the light 3-4kg tackle that we like to cast all day, we both reckon the fine point sets far more easily in a flattie's mouth than some of the more heavy-duty jig models. That light wire sometimes might bend a little during a fight with a big fish, or when extracting the hook in a hurry, but if it gets a good scorer into the net it's done its job. We dropped only a handful of fish the entire tournament and I reckon that's a big reason why."

Tony Zann's lure caddy after the Flattie Classic was dominated by natural colours and chartreuse contrasts. The ZMan 5", 7" and 8" Scented Jerk ShadZ in Motor Oil, Shiner, Redbone Glow, Sexy Mullet and the new Fusilier colours were the top performers. "That tiny 2.75" TRD BugZ in Bloodworm and Hot Snakes colours rigged on 1/6oz and 1/10oz #1 heads worked great as a do-nothing lure in the clear patches on the weed beds."

Team ZMan 10X Tough also had a great event, taking out 4th overall from 280+ teams, with Kane Barclay claiming a Top 10 spot among almost 700 anglers! Here's a breakdown of the event as it played out for the team, from Adam Barnes.

"I've been saying for years and more than proved the point last Flatty Classic with a 2nd place Overall Team, 1st place 2man Team and 2nd place Individual Angler... ZMan 10X Tough plastics, perfectly matched with Tackle Tactics jigheads will have you catching quality fish more often than any other soft plastics.

The 2019 GC Flathead Classic for Team ZMan 10X Tough (C - Adam Barnes, Kane Barclay and Cory McLachlan) was no exception, with a 4th place Overall Team placing from 280+ teams and Kane Barclay getting 10th place Individual Angler out of nearly 700 Anglers. This is a testament to this product once again and in all honesty we all only used two different profiles in a few different colours to achieve this success; the mighty ZMan 3" MinnowZ and the 3.5" EZ ShrimpZ.

With some pre-fishing you will find the colours that work best for you and the area that you're fishing. Rig these up with TT Lures DemonZ and HeadlockZ jigheads in 1/6oz 3/0H, 1/4oz 3/0H and 3/8oz 3/0H to cover any situation you encounter (Lighter weights in the shallows and heavier for deeper water or faster current).

Day 1 saw a slow bite for most of the day and by 11:30am we had only managed to score one small flatty. Knowing the area you're fishing is priceless though and by 4:00pm we had 1067 points on the sheets.

Day 2 was a polar opposite, with Team ZMan 10X Tough putting 850points on the sheets before 10:00am. The bite then went a little cold, with some more fish throughout the day to finish day 2 with 1076 points and heading into the final day in 5th place overall.

Light winds in the morning had us buzzing with anticipation and on the strike of 6:30am we launched the mighty ZMan plastics into action. The flat fish responded instantly, with good numbers of 50-60cm fish coming aboard and amassing a respectable 700+ points before the strong northerly winds shut them down. Not quite enough points to take the win, however we were absolutely thrilled to take 4th place outright and to represent ZMan and all affiliated companies in such an amazing event.

I have also had a feature article printed in the Flathead Classic magazine on some time saving tips to help you get your ZMan plastics catching more quality fish more often.

ZMan for life people." Adam Barnes

Congrats again to the Tackle Tactics teams and all the best with your flathead fishing adventures. Fish on!