Z-Man® Combines Sinking ElaZtech® Technology with Dialed-in Design for Erratic Action and Legendary Durability
Ladson, S.C. (July 7, 2026) – Few lure styles mimic a fleeing baitfish and trigger bass across such a wide range of conditions as a soft jerkbait. Whether worked on the surface for schooling fish, twitched across shallow sand and grass, snaked through emergent vegetation, or skipped beneath docks, soft jerkbaits excel nearly everywhere.
Traditional PVC soft jerkbaits have earned a place in bass fishing, but anglers have long accepted their limitations — especially durability and the way their stiffness can mute action. They tear easily, often requiring replacement just as the bite heats up or when fished aggressively around cover, and their inherent rigidity can limit the erratic darting and natural shimmy anglers expect.
Built from the company’s all-new Sinking ElaZtech® material and engineered around its unique properties, the new Stuntman™ soft jerkbait from Z-Man® eliminates those compromises.
Designed to Move
The Stuntman produces fish-triggering action both during the retrieve and on the pause. Its detailed baitfish profile, broad vertical forked tail, and balanced body work together to create wide, erratic darting action on a twitching retrieve, with unpredictable directional changes that trigger aggressive strikes. When stopped and allowed to descend through the water column, the Stuntman produces a subtle tail kick and shimmy as it falls.
“One of the first things anglers are going to notice is the tail,” said Z-Man Director of Product Development Jose Chavez. “That vertical fork acts almost like a rudder. Every twitch sends the bait gliding farther off center, and as it sinks the tail continues to move naturally, giving fish a completely different look than they’ve seen from existing soft jerkbaits.”
The engineering extends beyond action alone. High body mass improves casting distance without sacrificing balance, while molded dorsal and ventral hook slots simplify weedless rigging and improve hookup ratios. And because it’s built from Sinking ElaZtech material, the bait resists tearing and maintains its form and action through repeated catches instead of quickly wearing out like conventional PVC jerkbaits that rely on salt for density.
A Soft Jerkbait Without Limits
A true freestyle jerkbait, the Stuntman adapts seamlessly to changing conditions and applications. Pinned to a ZWG™ Worm Hook or new ZWG GAFF™ Hook, it can be fished weightless through grass and laydowns, danced underneath docks, or burned around schooling fish. The Stuntman also excels as a ChatterBait® trailer, offering a natural baitfish profile, free‑flowing action, added bulk for long casts, and enough density to help keep the bladed jig tracking deeper without rising.
“One of the things I like about the Stuntman is that it gives you a lot of the same fish-triggering action you’d expect from a hard jerkbait, but you can throw it anywhere,” remarks Bassmaster Elite Series pro Seith Feider. “I can work it through grass, around wood or skip it under docks without worrying about hanging up a bunch of treble hooks. That’s something you just can’t do with a hard jerkbait.”
For Major League Fishing pro Brian Latimer, the Stuntman’s greatest advantage is how many situations it covers with one bait.
“Some days I’m burning it across the surface over schooling fish. Other days I’m letting it sink through grass or skipping it under docks,” Latimer says. “The Stuntman gives me the freedom to fish all those presentations with one bait, and I don’t have to keep reaching for another soft jerkbait every time one tears.”
Built in the USA, the Stuntman will be available at retailers nationwide in Fall 2026 in 4-inch and 5-inch (5 per pack) sizes in ten pro-selected color patterns at 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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