Z-man Report
Finesse-sized 3.5-inch Scented Jerk ShadZ
A cool half mill’ and a bookcase crowded with shiny bass trophies ain’t a bad haul for a single unassuming softbait.
“Over the last six or seven years, the 4-inch Scented Jerk ShadZ has produced some great tournament wins,” notes Z-Man pro Jeff “Gussy” Gustafson, who boated every one of his 2023 Bassmaster Classic winning bass on the same softbait.
But overshadowed by dock-talk surrounding standard versions of Gussy’s “best bait of all time,” whispers of a little secret have gradually leaked out. “During the 2023 Classic, when the bite got tough, I quietly switched to a slightly shortened bait to show bass a smaller, sub-4-inch profile,” he divulged. “This modified Jerk ShadZ tricked several critical smallmouths and certainly helped secure the win. Actually, whenever conditions get tough, we’ve been downsizing our moping baits for years.”
Finesse-sized 3.5-inch Scented Jerk ShadZ
So, when Z-Man recently put a new, finesse-sized 3.5-inch Scented Jerk ShadZ in Gussy’s hands, he was understandably excited.
“Really happy about adding the new, fingerling-sized Jerk ShadZ to my bag of tricks,” he admitted. “Many times, a minor adjustment in bait size can spur a major uptick in bites. During cold fronts or heavy fishing pressure, just a small tweak can produce bigtime.”
On the surface, a half inch haircut might not sound significant. But shrink and re-scale the entire head, torso and tail proportionally and you’re immediately casting a beautiful smaller baitfish snack. The new 3.5-inch Jerk ShadZ appeals to predators keyed on young shad, shiners, smelt and other minnow species.
An optimal match for interactive live-sonar style fishing, Gussy believes the new, subtler Jerk ShadZ will see extended playing time and a growing role in the coming season— from vertically ‘finesse moping’ on a jighead to dropshot rigging to working weedless or pitching docks with a 2/0 weedless hook.
Packed with two layers of powerful scent and flavor, the 3.5-inch Jerk ShadZ is both salt impregnated and marinated with 100-percent natural Pro-Cure Super Gel attractant. Slated for release in October, the Scented Jerk ShadZ is made in the USA. For more information, visit www.zmanfishing.com.