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Z-Man Takes Finesse a Step Further with Micro Baits

Date:	7/14/22
Tackle Type:	Swimbaits
Manufacturer:	Z-Man
Reviewer:	Zander

Introduction: The crown jewel in the Z-Man plastic arsenal is the brand’s ElaZtech thermoplastic material which is ultra-tough, buoyant, and able to be molded in very detailed bait profiles. This season the company is taking finesse to the next phase with the introduction of five micro-sized lures, each of which is designed to be fished with an equally small micro finesse ShroomZ jighead.

The new Z-Man® Micro Finesse™ System has been in the works for about three years and leverages the same ElaZtech material found in the company’s most popular existing plastics. ElaZTech is extremely durable and can be molded into tiny appendages and when you add in the buoyancy of the material it is possible to create some pretty unique baits.

There are five new baits in the Micro Finesse lineup and at the core of each of these is the new Micro Finesse ShroomZ™ Jigheads which are molded in the classic Z-Man mushroom configuration, and feature fine-wire needlepoint hooks and welded wire keeper pins to help keep the new miniature baits securely in place. The new Finesse ShroomZ will be offered in red, chartreuse, black and glow/white finishes, in 1/30-oz(#6), 1/20-oz(#6), 1/15-oz(#4) and 1/10-oz(#4) weight (hook sizes).

The Micro Finesse System of baits includes:

Micro TRD™: The bait that I’m most excited about is a mini version of the ever-popular TRD. The 1.75-inch Micro TRD features the classic stickbait profile on an even smaller scale. This is one of those baits where the natural buoyancy of the material does the work by standing at attention to attract fish to pick it right off the bottom. This new micro version should be good for situations where even more finesse is required. Crappie and panfish weapon? Definitely. The new Micro TRD will be available in 10 colors including several exclusive TRD patterns such as Electric Chicken, Bumblebee and Glow Chartreuse.

Tiny TicklerZ™: Need a little more action than a TRD? The Tiny TicklerZ is a 1.75-inch version of the established TRD TicklerZ™ and is designed to generate more attention with tentacle quivering action when paired with a Micro Finesse ShroomZ jighead. Here the ElaZtech material once again shines as the small tentacles will not get bitten off by tiny sunfish. The Tiny TiklerZ will be offered in ten colors, including Firetreuse, Pink Glow and Bumblebee.

Shad FryZ™: While some manufacturers are going bigger and bigger with their swimbaits Z-Man is going micro. The Shad FryZ is a high-performance 1.75-inch micro swimbait that is designed to mimic the thin, deep bodied anatomy of baby shad, crappies and panfish. The Shad FryZ’s accentuated eyes and thin-bodied profile transition toward a super-fine, segmented posterior and swimming tail. This new bait is designed to exhibit subtle swimming motions at almost any retrieve speed, including on the fall. A molded dorsal hook-slot makes rigging with a Micro Finesse ShroomZ jighead easy. The Shad FryZ will be available in 10 colors include popular crappie and panfish patterns.

StingerZ™: Blurring the line between bait styles is the exclusive Z-Man profiled 2-inch StingerZ. This bait features a broad, easy-to-rig shad profile. The lure’s alternating-segmented tail terminates with a bulbous stinger for wide tail-wag action in every direction. A strategic dorsal hook-slot enables easy rigging with a Micro Finesse ShroomZ jighead. This versatile bait can be cast and twitched, or fished under a float and will be available in popular crappie and panfish patterns.

LarvaZ™: The new lineup would not be complete without a tiny creature and the LarvaZ is designed to fit this niche. This 1.75” bait mimics small invertebrate forage including dragon and damselfly nymphs, dobsonfly larva, mayfly larva, and tiny crustaceans. The ElaZTech allows for a lot of detail and small appendages including bulbous eyes, thin legs and a segmented stinger tail. Designed to match a #6 Micro Finesse ShroomZ jighead, the LarvaZ excels jigged, crawled or hopped along the bottom or fished under a bobber. This should be a good bait for everything from panfish to bass, and even effective for shy trout, and will be available in eight colors include popular panfish and trout patterns.

Our Quick Take: The new Micro Finesse lures leverage the best attributes of ElaZTech material to create new smaller profiles that should be a great addition to the arsenals of finesse anglers. I’m personally very excited about both the Micro TRD and Shad FryZ lures which have the potential to be very versatile bite sized stick and swim baits year-round. All the new Micro Finesse Baits will retail for $4.99 per 8-pack and start shipping in the August timeframe.