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Pick Your Paddle Tail - Mulloway

By Cameron Cronin

Over the last few years the ZMan stable of 10X Tough plastics has expanded to house a comprehensive range of paddle tail plastics. From the tiny Slim SwimZ all the way to 8" Mag SwimZ, you can bet that no matter what your target there is model to suit your needs. If you're anything like myself, the chances are you might have accumulated quite a few different styles and colours of ZMan paddle tails and are probably considering purchasing a few more! However, with such a large range, picking the right lure for job becomes a bit of a daunting task, especially with so many similar offerings in the range.

For many anglers around the southern half of Australia, paddle tails have become incredibly popular for chasing mulloway and in this article I'll run through a handful of my favourite larger ZMan paddle tails, covering how I rig and fish them for mulloway in varying scenarios. These techniques are not all species specific however and will also be applicable for most predatory species. Hopefully by the end of this article you'll have a good excuse to pick up a few new styles of ZMan paddles, or perhaps find some new uses for the ones that you already own.

ZMan 4" & 5" Scented PaddlerZ

Wow, where do I start with these two. I reckon that out of all of the offerings on this list, the Scented PaddlerZ have probably caught me the most mulloway of the lot. The Scented PaddlerZ are basically a hybrid lure, featuring the slender profile of a Jerk ShadZ, combined with a small oval shaped paddle tail. Although the Scented PaddlerZ still have a killer tight tail kick, the relatively slim profile and small tail wrist allows it to get down deeper a lot faster than other plastics. This is great for fishing open water with lighter gear.

I love fishing the Scented PaddlerZ over deep flats, drop offs and cockle beds on my 10 lb gear, where I use a 3/8oz - 5/8oz TT Lures HeadlockZ HD jighead in 4/0 for the 4" and 5/0 for the 5". The fast sink rate helps me cover a lot of water and is great for quickly dropping down to schools of jewfish (mulloway) marked on the sounder. I don't really have a preference between the 4" and 5" version, however I'll normally fish the 4" in clear water or when I'm chasing school sized fish, whilst I'll try the 5" in discoloured water for extra visibility or when I'm searching for an upgrade.

ZMan 4" SwimmerZ & 4" DieZel MinnowZ

I've included these two in the same category as I use both of these baits interchangeably in the same scenarios. Both lures have a busy tail kick and side to side body roll when retrieved, with the SwimmerZ having the more pronounced roll out of the two. As a result I'll usually reach for a SwimmerZ in discoloured water and the DieZel MinnowZ in clearer water, if I had to choose between the two.

They may be a similar size to the Scented PaddlerZ, however the thicker tail wrist acts like a parachute as the lure falls and will significantly reduce the sink rate on the same sized jighead. As a result I like to use this lure around vertical structure like rock walls and bridges, where the mulloway are likely to intercept the lure as it flutters down along the structure. That being said, both lures are no slouch in open water if you don't mind waiting a little bit longer to hit the bottom.

Both plastics also look great on a slow roll, which works well at night when jewfish (mulloway) are feeding on bait schools up off the bottom. These two are basically the allrounders of the list and are great if you want to fish a heap of different spots without changing lures. Don't be fooled by the diminutive size either. Plenty of big fish get caught one these lures, including my own PB of 140cm.

ZMan 5" Grass KickerZ & 5" DieZel MinnowZ

Over the past few years I've fallen head over heels for these full bodied paddle tails, to the point where I'll pretty much always have a rod rigged up with one when I'm fishing for estuary jewfish (mulloway). Whilst both baits are very similar in size, the Grass KickerZ sport a larger paddle and a cigar shaped body, while the DieZel MinnowZ is narrower across the shoulders with a deeper body.

Action wise, this translates into a super aggressive thumping tail kick for the Grass KickerZ, with an erratic side to side pitch as the body rolls. The DieZel MinnowZ is a bit more tame in comparison and tracks dead straight on the roll, with a subtle shimmy and an aggressive tail beat. For me, choosing between the two comes down to dirty water for the more aggressive Grass KickerZ and cleaner water for the DieZel MinnowZ, although both lures excel in either scenario.

I like to use these lures in the estuary when I'm targeting larger sized fish, potentially up to and over that metre mark. I think the larger size presents a more significant meal for a fish of those dimensions and is a more visible target in the murky water where these fish often hunt. I've always had more success targeting larger fish close to gnarly manmade or rocky structure and the parachute effect of the oversized thumping tails, that these lures feature, make them a top pick for slowly wafting down vertical structure. Big fish in structure don't always play fair, which is why I like to fish these lures on 20-30lb braid, with leaders ranging from 30-50lb depending on the spot.

These larger lures sit well with a TT Lures HeadlockZ up to 7/0 in size and the larger gape and thicker wire gives you the added confidence to pull hard around structure and stop a big fish without the hooks pulling. I'll generally run jigheads from 3/4oz to 1oz when fishing 20 metres plus with current, down to around 5/8oz in shallower water, less than 10 metres. I use these heavier weights to combat line drag on the thicker braid, which can get caught up in the current and slow your sink rate.

ZMan 6" SwimmerZ

Big fish beware! The ZMan 6" SwimmerZ is the lure that has accounted for the bulk of my metre plus mulloway, with the same going for all of my close mates that I chase these fish with. Yes, that's probably because we throw it the most when targeting big fish, however that is for several very good reasons. The 6" SwimmerZ sports a mullet like profile, with a killer body roll and a thumping tail kick. It's a decent chunk of plastic and I reckon that any big jewfish in the area would be hard pressed missing a 6" SwimmerZ passing by, compared to other smaller lures. Once spotted, I believe a big fish is then more likely to spend energy pursuing and striking a significant meal, such as the big SwimmerZ.

All theories aside, big fish certainly love eating the 6" SwimmerZ and I'll usually be throwing it on my heaviest gear, chasing fish from a metre and well upwards. In the rivers that might mean 30-40lb braid with 50lb leader, whilst on the ocean rocks and breakwalls I'll step that up to 60-80lb braid with 80lb leader. You can certainly get away with lighter, depending on where you fish, however those are just the numbers that are working for me after plenty of painful losses on the lighter stuff.

Heavy tackle means pulling hard on a fish and the hook on the TT Lures 8/0 HeadlockZ HD jighead is brutally strong and pairs up perfectly with the big SwimmerZ. The large gape of this hook holds better than small sizes in the bony mouth of a big jewfish, under heavy drag settings, and is the main reason why I stay clear of smaller plastics off the rocks (which require a smaller hook).

The thumping tail really slows the sink rate of this lure down. Combined with the positive buoyancy of ZMan's ElaZtech plastic and the increased drag of heavier lines, there is rarely a need to fish under 1/2oz in the rivers and I'll usually fish 3/4oz to 1oz for most locations. Off the rocks you also need to counteract wave action and I've found 1.5oz to suit most applications very well. Despite being big fish magnets, the 6" SwimmerZ are also great anywhere you need a bit of extra visibility. From slow rolling around lights at night, to the murky water of a large run out tide, the big SwimmerZ will help catch the attention of baitfish feeding mulloway of all sizes and have personally accounted for plenty of 60-80cm fish in these scenarios.

ZMan 8" Mag SwimZ

As the big daddy of the ZMan paddle tail range, there was honestly a time where I felt a little intimidated throwing the Mag SwimZ about. With this lure tied on I couldn't help wonder if I was missing fish, due to its size and my inner voice of reason kept nagging me to go back to what I know best and tie a SwimmerZ on. Thankfully I persisted and the Mag SwimZ has carved a niche for itself in my arsenal over the past few seasons, to the point where I wouldn't leave home without a pack or two whilst targeting big jewfish off the rocks.

While there is certainly an application for this lure in the rivers, it's something of a work in progress for me and I'll be focusing on coastal mulloway in this segment. The Mag SwimZ is unique for an XL sized plastic, incorporating a chunky head section with a long slender tail and finished off with a relatively small, under-hooked paddle tail. This creates a unique tail beat with plenty of movement, while the head remains relatively still on the retrieve. This is good news for getting down quickly through thick whitewash cover and means that you can generally get away with the same weights that you'd fish with a 6" SwimmerZ.

Despite the significant increase in size. The profile of this lure closely resembles the size and dimensions of a pike, which are a common food source for headland mulloway. This lure weights a lot and I usually throw it on my heaviest gear, in spots where I know most fish encountered will be over a metre. Some of these spots are especially tight and snag ridden in nature, with most battles won or lost keeping the fish inside the hole in the first ten seconds of the fight.

The advantage of the Mag SwimZ here is that you can fish a 9/0 or 10/0 TT Lures HeadlockZ Extreme or SwimlockZ jighead with no dramas, which helps keep those hooks in when you're going hard on a trophy fish. Hooks aside, you might have sometimes wondered, while chasing rock jewfish at night, or in turbulent washy swell, how on earth they manage to track down and eat your lure. They are incredible hunters, but my view is that if you are chasing big fish, you may as well make their job easier and throw a big lure, like a Mag SwimZ, which will quickly be noticed by any hungry fish in the area. Overall I'd say that any spot that regularly holds fish over 90cm is worth throwing around a Mag SwimZ. You might miss out on the odd smaller fish, but most fish that I've caught have choked the whole thing head first and weren't at all put off by its larger size.

There is no doubt that paddle tail plastics have proven themselves on jewfish, with the ZMan 10X Tough range a standout. Hopefully this article has given you an understanding of the range and how, where and why each model works for me, along with how I rig it. Fingers crossed this gives you a starting point for chasing jewfish in your area, a new addition to your arsenal or inspires you to fish a new location or explore another technique for targeting these iconic fish.

Cheers, Cameron

Gear List:

ZMan 4" Scented PaddlerZ
ZMan 5" Scented PaddlerZ
ZMan 4" DieZel MinnowZ
ZMan 5" DieZel MinnowZ
ZMan 7" DieZel MinnowZ
ZMan 4" SwimmerZ
ZMan 6" SwimmerZ
ZMan 8" Mag SwimZ

TT Lures HeadlockZ HD jigheads
TT Lures HeadlockZ Extreme jigheads
TT Lures SwimlockZ jigheads