Z-Man® Pairs Kettlebell Head Design with Skirted Finesse Profile to Present TRD Plastics Across Shallow Cover and Deep Structure
Ladson, S.C. (August 31, 2026) — Few presentations have reshaped bass fishing over the past decade quite like the Ned Rig, prized for its compact profile and ability to get bit in the toughest conditions. The new Z-Man® TRD™ Finesse Jig carries those same attributes onto a compact skirted jig platform with bulk to draw bigger strikes, adding more muscle for tournament applications and a snag-resistant design to traverse cover of every kind.
Stay in Contact, Stay out of Trouble
Central to the TRD Finesse Jig is a kettlebell-shaped head engineered to maintain bottom contact and navigate pea gravel, chunk rock, and other rugged bottoms without snagging. Its low center of gravity and rounded upper surface complement buoyant ElaZtech® trailers, allowing the jig to sway and rock ever so subtly at rest, mimicking bottom-dwelling forage and triggering aggressive strikes even when deadsticked.
A light eight-strand fiber weedguard helps the jig slip through wood and brush without compromising finesse hooksets, while a hybrid molded split-grip and wire keeper secures ElaZtech and conventional trailers. A premium 2/0 BKK® black nickel needlepoint hook provides fast penetration and the strength needed for heavyweight bass.
“This finesse jig combined with a TRD offers a faster fall rate that triggers fish in an amazing way,” said Z-Man Community Manager Jonathan Dietz. “You can fish it for open-water smallmouth, in wood cover, and underneath boat docks. That kettlebell-shaped head hardly ever gets stuck, and the weedguard keeps it from hanging in wood.”
Compact Profile, Enhanced Presence
Fine-gauge silicone skirting gives the TRD Finesse Jig a fuller silhouette over a standard Ned Rig, adding subtle movement, increased visibility, and a bigger target that appeals to quality fish, without sacrificing the compact footprint that gets bites in tough conditions. Skirts are hand tied with stainless wire for maximum longevity and consistent action, while chip-resistant matte-finish heads feature embossed weight markings for quick identification.
Each skirt pattern pairs seamlessly with TRD-family trailers, creating a natural, cohesive package that stands up off the bottom and maintains its shape fish after fish. Nine top finesse color schemes, including favorites like Green Pumpkin Goby, Yoga Pants and Coppertreuse, match Z-Man plastics to a tee, allowing anglers to build perfectly-matched jig-and-trailer combinations.
Versatility Across Shallow Cover and Deep Structure
The TRD Finesse Jig is offered in 1/4-, 3/8- and 1/2-ounce sizes that allow for maximum north-to-south, shallow-to-deep versatility.
“Whether you’re fishing for largemouth, smallmouth, or spotted bass, it flat-out catches big fish,” said Z-Man Product Manager Richard Dunham. “You can fish it in two feet of water, pitch it to spawning fish, and then bomb it out to 20 or 25 feet with the 1/2-ounce model.”
Whether crawled across a rocky flat, pitched beneath a dock, or worked through a brushpile, the TRD Finesse Jig expands where and how anglers can fish finesse plastics without sacrificing the compact profile that gets bites—and is available now at an MSRP of $5.99.
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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