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The Testing Ground

Josh Dunn

Let's catch up with Josh Dunn for a quick look at some of the new ZMan plastics for 2014.

My mate and I got up early to fish a nice spot that always seems to hold solid bream, good trevally and plenty more! We arrived at the spot and were confident that the fish would smash the new plastics! We had plenty of decent follows and then I hooked possibly the first fish in Australia on the ZMan 2.5" Slim SwimZ in Blue Glimmer Sparkle colour! It was a healthy big eye trevally and one of many fish caught that day! Already the Slim SwimZ were proving successful and both Harry and I had a great session.

The best overall technique we found was to rig the Slim SwimZ with a TT Lures 1/8oz or 1/12oz 1/0 HeadlockZ HD jighead, cast or drop the plastic to the desired structure and once on the bottom flick it up a few times and then sink to the bottom again. After doing this several times, wind up quickly and erratically to trigger the bite! Another proven technique has been using a lighter jighead and casting parallel to a nice looking jetty. Allow the plastic to sink just under the lip of the jetty and then slowly wind, keeping the plastic under the lip to trigger the bite from a trevally, jack, bream or just about any species.

There is a large variety in the Slim SwimZ colour range, ready for whatever inshore species you wish to target, from bream and bass to trevally and lots more estuarine and freshwater species! ZMan ElaZtech is 10X tougher than a regular plastic, making the lure more durable to toothy predators so you can catch more fish per plastic. They are also buoyant and there's a load more benefits!

As the day went on I changed over to the new ZMan 2" CrusteaZ in Chartreuse Sparkle colour, rigged up on a TT Lures 1/20oz 1/0?Hidden Weight System (HWS) jighead. I sight cast a few decent fish and then something big smashed it. It fought well and turned out to be a heavy, 37cm winter bream! It's cool to sight cast fish and watch your lure get engulfed before setting the hooks!

That day I found the best technique for the bream was to cast as close as possible to the desired structure, let the lure slowly sink (that's when a lot of fish will hit it), then use subtle whips with the rod tip followed with sudden pauses. After a minute or so I slowly wind the CrusteaZ back up as fish will hit it on the way up (remember to set the hook when you see a touch in the line).

Pro-Cure Super Gel works well in these situations, especially when the fish are finicky and don't want to play the game. I found the plastics are quite easy to rig, though you will need a jighead in a #1 size and rig it down with the two 'claws' or 'legs' at the end of the hook for the best swimming action. The CrusteaZ range will be available in a range of colours, including favourites Bloodworm, Motor Oil, Watermelon Red, Gudgeon and Greasy Prawn.

Another new colour in the ZMan range and one to look out for is called Mulletron. It is initially available in ZMan 3" MinnowZ, 4" DieZel MinnowZ, 4 & 5" Scented PaddlerZ and 7" Scented Jerk ShadZ. This colour plastic is already showing positive results and its mullet colouration of a dark, blackish back with silver glitter and translucent silver-white underbelly is sure to appeal to a wide range of species. I normally rig the 3" MinnowZ on a TT Lures 1/4oz HeadlockZ HD jighead when flathead fishing and I cannot wait to use this colour in summer when the jacks are on!

Last but not least I threw the new ZMan 3.5" GrubZ in Blue Glimmer around for a flathead. This large tailed, 3.5" curl tail is like its little brother in the range - the 2.5" GrubZ, but with a larger body and tail to entice plenty of jewfish, flathead, bream, snapper, bass, trevally and many more species!

After a few casts I was already into a nice low 50's flatty, which fell to the 3.5" GrubZ in Blue Glimmer rigged on a TT Lures 1/4oz 2/0 HeadlockZ HD jighead. From that and the encounters that followed I found that using the same technique as I use with the 2.5" GrubZ proved successful. Simply cast, let the plastic hit the bottom and when it is at rest erratically whip the rod tip up a couple of times, then pause and allow it to hit the bottom again. Repeat this whip, whip, pause and sink. The 3.5" GrubZ range will be available a stack of colours, including favourites Watermelon Red, Pink Glow, Bloodworm and Motor Oil, along with cool new colours like Smoke Hologram and Smoke Purple.

Don't forget to keep an eye out for the TT Lures HeadlockZ Finesse jigheads - built on a fine wire Japanese hook instead of the heavy Mustad hook that the HeadlockZ HD jigheads are built on. The HeadlockZ Finesse are good for the light line and light drag guys that are all about maximum penetration for the hook, as opposed to a brutally strong hook.

These lures, jigheads and colours will be available from late August 2014, just in time for summer when the red dogs (jacks) and flathead come out to play! These plastics will have you covered for some magnificent fish around the country, from FNQ's jungle perch and sooty grunter, to southern trout and redfin, the humble bream and flathead... in fact pretty much any fish that swims in our creeks, rivers, estuaries, bays and impoundments.