Z-Man® Combines Innovative Material Technology with Smart Design to Create a Naturally Sinking, Ultra-Durable Soft Stickbait
Ladson, S.C. (July 6, 2026) – Few lure profiles have earned the confidence of bass anglers quite like the soft stickbait. Its subtle action and natural fall have made it one of bass fishing’s most productive presentations, whether skipped beneath docks, pitched to shallow cover, or fished around pressured bass.
Z-Man® now advances that proven profile with the introduction of the Kingpin™, a soft stickbait built from the company’s all‑new Sinking ElaZtech® material. The result is a naturally sinking, ultra‑durable stickworm that maintains the classic subtle action anglers trust while lasting significantly longer than traditional soft plastics.
Natural Action, Built to Last
Designed specifically around the unique properties of Sinking ElaZtech superplastic, the Kingpin features a symmetrical body for perfectly balanced wacky rigging and precisely spaced body segmentation that works with the material to produce a slow, natural fall with a subtle wobble that pressured bass rarely ignore.
“You don’t have to work to find the sweet spot when wacky rigging,” said Z-Man Director of Product Development Jose Chavez. “There’s a little Z embossed into this bait, and the center of the Z is the dead center of the bait. To get the perfect balance and sinking action, all you need to do is run the hook through the Z.”
Unlike traditional salt-loaded PVC stickworms that gradually tear and lose consistency, Sinking ElaZtech material preserves the Kingpin’s intended fall rate through repeated fish catches. Its tear-resistant construction allows anglers to wacky rig the bait without O-rings or specialized tools. And when the hook entry point eventually wears, the hook can simply be re-inserted in a new spot to extend the bait’s fishing life.
One Profile, Endless Possibilities
Available in 3-inch and 5-inch sizes, the Kingpin adapts to virtually every soft stickbait presentation. The 5-inch model excels on weightless Texas and wacky rigs, while the 3-inch version offers a compact finesse profile equally at home on wacky rigs, wacky drop shots, and Ned-style presentations.
“When fishing gets tough, a stickbait is one of the best ways to get bites,” said Bassmaster Elite Series pro Seth Feider. “The Kingpin has a really natural fall, and because it sinks on its own, I don’t have to add weight to make it fish the way I want. It stays subtle, stays in the strike zone longer, and I can catch a pile of fish on one bait.”
For Major League Fishing pro Brian Latimer, versatility is the Kingpin’s greatest strength.
“I’ve always got a stickbait rigged because there are so many ways to fish it,” Latimer said. “Whether I’m fishing it weightless, wacky rigged, Texas rigged or some other finesse style, the Kingpin gives me the action I’m looking for while letting me spend more time fishing and less time re-rigging.”
Molded at Z-Man’s South Carolina facility, the Kingpin will be available at retailers nationwide in Fall 2026 in 3-inch (8 per pack) and 5-inch (6 per pack) sizes, twelve proven color patterns, with an MSRP of $6.99.
For more information, visit www.zmanfishing.com or see it in action at ICAST, booth #4808.
About Z-Man Fishing Products: A dynamic Charleston, South Carolina based company, Z-Man Fishing Products has melded leading edge fishing tackle with technology for over three decades. The company’s roots trace back to producing silicone skirts for many of the industry’s top lure makers, a foundation that set the stage for its evolution into a full-fledged lure brand. With the addition of the Original ChatterBait® bladed jig and the development of its proprietary 10X Tough ElaZtech® superplastic material driving its transformation, Z-Man broadened its offerings into a comprehensive lineup of innovative freshwater and saltwater lures. Today, Z-Man remains family owned and is among the fastest growing lure companies in the fishing industry, with its products distributed across North America and in more than 40 countries worldwide.
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