Product Review
Z-Man Mag Swimz
zmanfishing.com
By now, most saltwater anglers have seen the light with regard to Z-Man products and their amazing Elaztech material. This stuff can stretch up to 10 times its molded length and it can even stand up to repeated punishments from angry bluefish. The mad scientists in the Z-Man labs have also perfected the coloring process, covering the bases from standby solids, to eye-catching neons to multi-tone, lifelike color schemes that will have you waiting to see if the baits will flop right out of the bag!
One of the most versatile offerings in the Z-Man saltwater pantheon, are the Mag Swimz. These super-stretchy swimbaits measure 8 inches for those times when big bait is needed to catch the biggest fish. Too many companies shy away from making a formidable swimbait, but not Z-Man, they come right at you with the big stuff!
And these baits aren’t just your run-of-the-mill paddletails either, the curved tail design catches more water which translates to more action and when you couple that with the super-supple Elaztech material, you get amazingly lifelike action! Anglers will find that these baits are equally effective rigged on 8/0 swimbait hooks (weighted and unweighted) or threaded onto jigheads of various weights. My preferred head for these baits is the Z-Man HeadlockZ jighead, the strategically-spaced collar really keeps the bait in place and the beefy hooks will stand up to any abuse the gamefish in our local ocean waters can dole out.
The Mag Swimz come in nine fishy colors that range from standbys like “Pearl” and “Purple Demon”, to a neon natural in “Sexy Shad” to tasteful two-tones like “Bad Shad”, “Green Lantern” and my personal favorite, “Smoky Shad”. I think we have to pause here to appreciate the thought and effort that the Z-Man team puts into naming their colors. And let this be the official request on behalf of all striper fishermen, that the Mag Swimz need to be offered in solid black, or “Yoga Pants” as it’s officially known in the Z-Man catalog.
These stretchy paddletails will catch stripers, bluefish and weakfish, and will also cull out the biggest fluke and sea bass. They are versatile enough to cover the entire water column and that tough, stretchy material adds a whole other level of action, over and above conventional soft plastic swimbaits. Once you try them, you’ll be reaching for more in no time.
