Tackle Tactics » Tips-Techniques » Pro-Lure-Fishing-Tips » Fishing the ZMan Trick SwimZ
Fishing the ZMan Trick SwimZ
By Lee Major
It has often been said that confidence is key to fishing, but to a novice, or even those attempting a new technique, how can you be confident? As a self-taught fisho, I’d often come across articles that discussed the importance of confidence, but this was always a bit perplexing to me. How could I be confident when I hadn’t had any success? How the hell could a fish tell if I was confident or not? Years later, and with a whole lot more experience, I think I get it. When you’re confident you cast with intent, pay attention to detail, focus on your retrieve and essentially fish ‘harder’. For me, a big part of being confident is the lure that’s tied to the end of my leader. There’s been numerous times I’ve tie on a lure and changed it after one cast, just because it doesn’t ‘feel’ right.
I think most lure fishos have a set of confidence lures, and the ZMan 3.5’’ Trick SwimZ has a firm place in my top few confidence lures. It may not necessarily be the first lure tied to the end of my leader at the start of a session, but the number of times it’s on my line at the end of a session is likely in the hundreds. When things are tough, out comes the ZMan 3.5’’ Trick SwimZ.
A large part of my confidence in this soft plastic is the size. Small enough to entice a hungry bream, but large enough to entice a larger predator like a mangrove jack or flathead looking for a snack. The finer profile of the lure is also less intimidating than some of the bulkier 4” paddle tails. The thinner tail section means that it has plenty of tail action at slower speeds; something that I find extremely useful on shy or shutdown fish.
By far my favourite target species when using the Trick SwimZ is shallow water snapper / squire. When rigged on a 1/8oz 3/O TT HeadlockZ HD jighead, the Trick SwimZ is deadly not only on snapper / squire, but a host of reef species. The shallow reefs that I generally fish are around the 1-7m in depth and highly pressured fishing areas. This is where I am a firm believer in ‘going light to get the bite’, and in this case I am referring to the jighead. While a 1/12oz to 1/8oz weight jighead might seem light, given the depth of water, it allows for maximum hang time, with the plastic drifting naturally down through the water column.
The retrieve that I use is what I like to call the ‘dead sticky’. You really don’t need to do much at all. Add the odd little twitch of the wrist to make things a little more interesting, but other than that, the lure will do the work for you. The natural buoyancy of ZMan’s 10X Tough ElaZtech material means that the tail of the lure will sit up and will kick with even the slightest movement of water. Another huge advantage of the light jighead is that it tends to snag up a lot less often. The lure will sit gently on top of any reef and weed structure, rather than plummeting into any holes or gaps in the weed or rubble. The water tends to be very clear in my local waters and I find that Green Lantern is a highly effective colour in such clear conditions. The green tinge in green lantern does a great job of mimicking some of our local baitfish, such as hardy heads.
The Trick SwimZ is also an excellent option in the estuaries. Again, the profile and size of this plastic makes it perfect for prospecting for active fish, particularly flathead. When chasing flathead on the Trick SwimZ I tend to again run a 1/8oz jighead or upsize to a 1/4oz weight. I prefer to chase flathead in shallow waters, with water depths to around two metres, so the 1/4oz weight isn’t necessary for getting down there but it does allow for extra casting distance. For me, flathead fishing is all about covering ground and prospecting likely areas. This will involve spreading out my casts while drifting, hopping the lure across the bottom, and throwing in a few pauses for good measure.
Having the Trick SwimZ rigged on a 1/4oz jighead means that you are also all rigged and ready to go if you come across any likely looking mangrove jack snags. When fishing for jacks I prefer a constant retrieve to try and entice a reaction bite. Having the heavier jighead means that the plastic will stay down in the water column on a medium speed retrieve. Green Lantern is also a fantastic option in terms of colours in the estuary, however, if the water is dirty, I like to change it up to Motor Oil or a darker colour. If I am specifically targeting mangrove jack, I will often change up the colour to Opening Night for a little bit of extra flash in the water.
The versatility of the Trick SwimZ means that it isn’t just limited to saltwater fishing. This lively paddle tail is also a fantastic option when chasing Australian bass in the fresh. In terms of techniques, it really depends on how and where the fish are holding on any day. A lot of my bass fishing tends to be targeting schooled fish in deeper water. Bass can be finicky at times, so my best advice is to change up your retrieve until you can get them to bite. Hopping the plastic across the bottom, big high lifts and drops, slow rolling, burn (fast wind) and then pause, are all retrieves that work, it’s just a matter of working out what the fish want on the day. I’ve had plenty of sessions where I’m jigging, jerking, flicking, and hopping the plastic like a crazy man, only to find out that all they wanted was a slow roll across the bottom. Mix it up! This also holds true for colour. I find that again Green Lantern is a great option, however I also like throwing Bad Shad for these fish. Have a few options in the tackle bag and mix it up until you work out the flavour of the day.
If we are looking at a versatile, go-to plastic, we also need a great all-purpose combo to match and fish this plastic effectively. I really enjoy fishing the Trick SwimZ on a 7’, 2-4 kg Okuma Cerros spin rod, paired up with a 2500 size Okuma Ceymar HD reel, spooled up with 8lb braid and leader. I find this to be an affordable option, that is great in many situations. It’s a happy medium between a light set up and having enough to grunt to stop a few larger fish that you might encounter. Throwing the Trick SwimZ on this combo you are likely to get taught a few lessons by a few unstoppable mangrove jack or larger snapper, but that is half the fun!
While I love to explore new and interesting lures, you’ll be hard pressed to ever come across me without at least one packet of Trick SwimZ on me. It has, and will be, a confidence bait for me, with a fixed spot in my tackle box. If you are looking for a versatile lure, give it a go!
Cheers, Lee