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ZMan 2 Inch StingerZ - Rig and Fish

By Justin Willmer

Finesse fishing with micro plastics for big fish is growing in popularity and I have enjoyed some exciting sessions casting both the ZMan 1.75” Shad FryZ (paddle tail) and 1.75” Tiny TicklerZ (jerbait / creature) from the ZMan Micro Finesse BaitZ series. Next cab off the rank was the 2” StingerZ and I was excited to see how it performed in the water and more importantly, what would eat this little jerkbait profile.

Description / Initial Thoughts

The 2” StingerZ shares the same bulbous body profile as the 1.75” Shad FryZ, however where the latter possesses a paddle tail, the 2” StingerZ has a segmented tail with a bulbous cross on the end that encourages it to dance and quiver with any movement. The bulbous body allows for easy jighead rigging and the rigged presentation imitates micro baitfish, jelly prawns and other tiny prey that larger predators feed on.

After fishing the Shad FryZ I was confident that the body profile would appeal to a range of species and was curious to see how the tail would respond to a variety of retrieves. My initial thoughts were that, without the tail action of a curl or paddle tail, this plastic may best respond to being twitched, hopped and flicked to engage the tail and create plenty of movement. The tail design and natural buoyancy would also lend itself to fishing vertically, with the tail responding to subtle vertically lifts and shakes, which could see it stand out for anything from fishing vertical structure for bream or golden perch, through to teasing up schools of bass, redfin, and other schooling species.

Rigging Time

Sharing the same bulky little bite size body profile as the 1.75” Shad FryZ means that the StingerZ too rigs well on a jighead. You can pinch the tapered section to hold it securely and feed the hook through straight, with the tiny rigging slot on the back making it easy to bring the jighead out straight and in the correct position.

In terms of jigheads, the StingerZ rigs perfectly on a TT HeadlockZ Finesse and HWS (Hidden Weight System) jighead in a size 2 hook, allowing access to a variety of weights. These fine gauge hooks are ideal for maximum penetration on light lines and light drag settings.

For those wanting to utilise this tiny paddle tail for larger species that zone in on tiny bait, such as bass, giant herring, tarpon, threadfin salmon, etc., along with those wishing to extract fish from cover on heavier lines and with heavier drag settings, the size 4 in a TT HeadlockZ HD is the perfect fit.

Testing Time

It was off to the local pontoon to test drive the StingerZ and I had two rods rigged, both with TT HeadlockZ Finesse UV painted jigheads in 1/8oz Size 2. I paired a Black jighead with the Bumblebee coloured StingerZ and a Motor Oil coloured head with the Chartreuse Glow coloured StingerZ. I was joined by 10-year-old Cam who started with the Bumblebee colour.

We dropped them down and jigged them vertically, watching them dart all over the place on a few short jigs and a pause. It didn’t take long until we had each landed a few yellowtail pike. In amongst the Easter boat ramp traffic and with no-one else catching fish on bait or lure, it was cool to see this little plastic get eaten. Cam was then bitten off by a yellowtail, so I swapped rods so that he could keep fishing.

He changed plan and switched to the other side of the pontoon, allowing the StingerZ to drift under with the tidal flow and then jigged it back out. Fish on! After a short battle a small trevally emerged from under the pontoon, followed in quick time by four 20-25cm Moses perch. Not monster fish, but great fun for the young angler and in quick time the ZMan 2” StingerZ had passed the pontoon test.

Fishing Drains & Weed Edges

With a morning low on the cards, I rigged four StingerZ ready for action, pairing them up again with TT HeadlockZ Finesse UV jigheads in 1/8oz size 2. The plan was to fish a drain and weed edges on the end of the run out and start of the run in, fishing almost no water, through to about a metre of water. Here’s how I paired them up.

Jighead Colour / Plastic Colour / Reasoning

Bloodworm / Blue Glimmer Sparkle / A natural presentation with subtle UV.
Black / Bumblebee / A dark silhouette profile with UV belly.
Motor Oil / Glow Chartreuse / High UV and glow to stand out.
Orange / Firetreuse / Another high UV, standout presentation that should excel in dirty water and low light.

Each time I fish one of the ZMan Micro Finesse BaitZ I feel as if I am casting a tiny speck into the ocean around me. Will the fish find this micro plastic and what will eat it? Then I start to pay attention to what is going on around me and I start to see schools of tiny baitfish swimming past and micro jelly prawns being harassed. It’s at this point that my confidence in the Micro BaitZ begins to grow again and about the time that the rod buckles as something inhales this realistic, bite-size snack. Fish on!

I paddled the kayak onto a large flat that was fed by drains and began casting the 2” StingerZ, retrieving it with a twitch and shake over the top of the weed. Half a dozen casts in and the rod buckled as a bream ate the plastic and the super-sticky Gamakatsu hook on the TT HeadlockZ Finesse jighead found its mark. First fish of the session landed on the Black / Bumblebee combination, so I switched over to the Motor Oil / Chartreuse, landing bream, micro flathead and then a 41cm flathead from a weed pocket.

The StingerZ looked great with shakes and twitches of the rod tip causing the plastic to dart and the tail to dance. The Orange / Firetreuse combo I call ‘The Beacon’ as it stands out so well in the water and it would be a hot tip for a schooling redfin slayer. It accounted for a few bream and was again eaten with gusto. Finally, my natural presentation, the Bloodworm / Blue Glimmer Sparkle will be dynamite in clear water, bright conditions and when the fish are finicky. It too accounted for bream and flathead, making it a clean sweep for all colours.

As the tide dropped out, I slowed my retrieve, added more pauses, and allowed the plastic to hit the bottom while picking the sandy pockets and this produced bream and flathead of almost 60cm. As the flow increased on the run in, with plenty of water movement over the weed, I kept the plastic moving on a twitch and shake and this saw a procession of bream coming into the yak as they pushed over the flat with the tide. I left them biting, satisfied that this little plastic will produce a stack of different species for anglers, in a wide range of scenarios.

Wrap Up

So, this was my third session fishing the ZMan Micro Finesse BaitZ, each session trialling a different plastic and each session successful. The 2” StingerZ is going to be a versatile presentation for anglers, from rigging with a TT HWS (Hidden Weight System) jighead or 1/20oz HeadlockZ Finesse and skipping pontoons, to working over weed flats or fishing vertical structure or a deep bite with a TT HeadlockZ Finesse from 1/16oz to 1/8oz, to suit the application. I look forward to seeing what you all land on this bite-size snack, from tilapia, giant herring, and other creatures in landlocked lakes, to impoundment redfin, bass and goldens, and out into the salt for a mixed bag of species, there’s no doubt that this little 10X Tough jerkbait is going to get eaten. Fish on!

See you on the water…
Justin Willmer

Gearing Up:

TT Red Belly Spin Rods – RBS702L 7’ 1-3kg 2pce
Okuma Ceymar HD Spin Reels – CHD-1000HA
Platypus Pulse X8 Braid – 6lb White
Platypus Hard Armour Leader – 10lb Supple
ZMan 2” StingerZ
TT HeadlockZ Finesse Jigheads – 1/20oz to 1/8oz Size 2
Pro-Cure Super Gel Scent