Tournament News Powered By Lake Drive Marine
Tuesday, May 05, 2026
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Z-Man Report
Few fishing lures redefine a sport. Even fewer create an entirely new category.
In the mid-2000s, Z-Man was known primarily as a behind-the-scenes manufacturer of silicone skirts and components supplied to other brands. The company was respected, but its growth had plateaued.
“We got to a point where our sales had kind of leveled off,” recounts Daniel Nussbaum, President of Z-Man Fishing Products. “The owners wanted us to control our own destiny — to build the brand into something more than being just a supplier of components.”
Zucker understood that growth required moving beyond OEM margins and into the consumer space.
Ron Davis, Jr. recalls the late Jerry Zucker emphasizing the need for that business shift in a meeting. “We have the capability. Let’s pick up a successful lure type that has legs and go with it.”
That lure type was the bladed jig.
Garage Innovation Meets Strategic Opportunity
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BFHOF Report
The second Induction Class of the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame is being featured in the latest round of Bass Fishing HOF Signature Lures.
Bass fishing icons Johnny Morris, Jimmy Houston, Denny Brauer and Bob Cobb — surviving members of the Induction Class of 2002 — have teamed up with PRADCO Outdoor Brands lure designer Frank Scalish to create memorable topwater designs for the 2026 Bass Fishing Hall of Fame auction. These new colors will be featured on Heddon lures, a brand founded in 1894 by Bass Fishing Hall of Famer James Heddon.
These lures will be available for sale exclusively at www.lurenet.com on September 1. All proceeds from the sale will benefit the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame.
“These legends helped build the lifestyle of bass fishing,” said Bruce Stanton, president of the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame Board of Directors. “I can’t think of a better way to celebrate the 25th anniversary of their induction than by putting their names on a legendary Heddon topwater lure. This will be a must-have for lure collectors and people who love topwater fishing. Only 450 of each will be made. And when they’re gone, they’re gone!”
Johnny Morris’ signature will appear on a Heddon Super Spook 5-inch — a topwater walking bait with three treble hooks. He worked with Scalish on a bleeding shad pattern named “Milk Shaker Shad.”
Jimmy Houston’s signature will appear on a Heddon Super Spook Jr. This walk-the-dog lure will feature a one-of-a-kind tree frog pattern named “Red Eye Tree Frog.”
Denny Brauer’s signature will appear on a Heddon Magnum Torpedo. This single-prop topwater bait will feature a shad pattern developed by Brauer and Scalish dubbed “Threadfin.”
Bob Cobb’s signature will appear on an Original Zara Spook — the original walk-the-dog lure. His Spook will feature a unique, classic frog pattern known as “Bullfrog.”
“The Hall would like to show special appreciation to Strike King and Luck-E-Strike for allowing some of their top pros to sign their names to Heddon brand lures,” Stanton said. “Once again, I think it shows how the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame bridges gaps and helps bring the bass fishing industry together.”
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Z-man Report
A single cast on a chilly morning has rewritten the Tennessee record books. On February 28, longtime Nickajack angler Darren Nunley caught a massive 15.75pound largemouth bass on a ½ounce Green Pumpkin ZMan®/EverGreen ChatterBait® JackHammer™, pending DNA testing and final certification by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) as the new state record.
Nunley was fishing with close friend and guide Hensley Powell, who had been on a remarkable run of big fish in the same area. The pair launched into 38-degree air temps and 53-degree water, targeting a hydrilla flat in 4–5 feet, classic early spring ChatterBait water.
Powell had been there the day before with another client, boating two 8 pounders and losing a giant. When he idled up that morning with Nunley, he didn’t hesitate.
“Throw right there on a long cast,” Powell told him. “That’s where the big ones were yesterday.”
One perfectly placed cast with the ½-ounce Green Pumpkin JackHammer was all it took.
“I Thought I Was Hung in the Grass…”
Nunley initially believed he’d buried the JackHammer in hydrilla.
“I thought I was hung in the grass and tried to pop it through,” he said. “Then I realized it was actually a fish. I didn’t realize just how big it was until I got it to the boat and it went ape. But it was too big to actually jump.”
Powell wasn’t even looking when Nunley set the hook.
“I thought he’d hooked grass until I saw the line running sideways,” Powell recalled. “The fish came to the surface, and I netted it easy. As soon as it hit the deck, Darren said, ‘That’s the biggest bass I’ve ever caught,’ and I said, ‘That’s the state record.”
Their scale read 15.8 pounds, and Hensley immediately headed back to the ramp and called TWRA. TWRA directed them to a certified scale where the fish officially registered 15.75 pounds.
A Fish 15 Years in the Making
TWRA biologists conducted a full examination and determined the fish had never been caught before.
“This fish swam around for 15 years and never got caught,” Nunley said. “My hook was the only mark in its mouth.”
DNA results required for final certification as a state record due to the presence of hybrid bass in Tennessee waters are expected within two weeks. Powell, who has guided on Nickajack for years, wasn’t surprised the lake produced the new record.
“I’ve been saying for years the next state record would come out of Nickajack,” he said. “The stars aligned for Darren. That fish was meant for him.”