Product Review – Z-Man Pop Shadz
Ask an angler their favorite way to catch fish, and the overwhelming answer out of most mouths will be on “top.”
This favorite tactic has always been limited to casting and presenting hard baits over open and unobstructed water. However, Glen Young of Z-Man lures has introduced Pop Shadz, a versatile topwater soft plastic bait that fishes like the tried and true hard baits. This new Z-Man version, though, allows anglers to fish a topwater weedless in heavy grass and timber.
Constructed of high floating, tough ElaZtech material (which helps to withstand violent surface strikes and being ripped through surface cover), this first-of-its-kind soft plastic surface popper sports a cupped face that pops, spits, and chugs along the surface for maximum fish-calling attraction. The lure’s cupped face and side-to-side walking movement creates strike-provoking surface action, and its baitfish profile accurately mimics a number of saltwater forage species.
Buoyant enough to float even a heavy gauge hook, the Pop Shadz are best fished Texas-rigged on 4/0 or 5/0 offset hooks. The Pop Shadz can also be rigged with a treble hook for even better fish hooking (and holding) capabilities.
And as an added bonus, these soft plastic topwater lures will encourage the fish to hold onto the bait longer than the traditional hard plastic plugs, as their “squishy” texture feels more natural to a fish’s mouth, as opposed to the unnatural feel of biting down on a hard bait.
For more information on hook sizes, styles, and how to rig, you can look up a Z-Man published Pop Shadz “how to” video on on YouTube.
The Pop Shadz are 5” in length, come three per pack, and are available in eight vibrant fish-catching colors. They retail for $5.99.
For more information, please visit www.zmanfishing.com.
