Okay, I get it. Grubs aren’t exactly the most exciting bass fishing baits in the world. But these age-old soft plastics have stuck around for a good reason: They catch just about anything that swims, even in super tough conditions. While many of us try to reinvent the wheel when it comes to catching fish, we often overlook this tried-and-true option to our own detriment.
With the strange weather we’ve been having in my area this year, the fishing has been uncharacteristically tough for just about everyone. So one evening last month, I walked out to my shop and beginning scanning my pegboard walls to find something—anything—that would catch a bass.
I ran across a few bags of Z-Man GrubZ and I’m telling you, putting them in my boat was one of the better fishing decisions I’ve made so far this year. They catch a pile of fish and I’m kind of getting addicted to ’em.
I’ll go through my favorite characteristics of this productive soft-plastic bait.
A new-age twist on an old-school classic
If you haven’t fished with ElaZtech plastics yet, you’re probably going to get your mind blown when you try the Z-Man GrubZ. Because most anglers tend to use traditional grubs in tough fishing conditions, ripped tails can become an annoying problem. The fish will often nip at the grub and after a few bites, it’s already time to rig up a new one.
With the Z-Man GrubZ, however, you likely won’t need to re-rig anything for several trips. It’s no exaggeration at all when I say you can probably catch upwards of 30-40 bass on each bait and to be honest, it wouldn’t surprise me if you caught even more than that.
This is a great bait to have rigged up whenever you’re taking a beginner angler or a child fishing. It doesn’t slide down the shank of the hook and again, it doesn’t get ripped to shreds, so there’s absolutely zero “babysitting” with the GrubZ. Cast it out, reel it in slowly and wait for the next bite. That’s all there is to it.
Lively tail at all speeds
One of my favorite traits of the Z-Man GrubZ is its tail action. Again, all grub-type baits tend to excel in tough conditions, so slow retrieve speeds are common for these baits. The GrubZ tail kicks and rocks back and forth with an incredibly slow rate of retrieve. The tail is very thin, so even the smallest amount of water movement will bring the tail to life.
Additionally, the tail also looks great during quicker retrieves throughout the warmer months. Although it kicks nicely, it doesn’t kick enough to make the GrubZ track incorrectly. You can burn this bait back to the boat and it will continue to swim straight as an arrow.
If it swims, it’ll eat the GrubZ
I’ve been having a blast with this bait so far this year. Whether you’re targeting bass, hybrids, stripers or even crappie, you’ll catch a bunch of fish with the GrubZ. It is becoming my ultimate “oh, crap” bait when the fishing gets tough and I need to get a bite quickly.
I’ve also been hearing a lot about its success in the salt water. I know we’re a freshwater company, but heck, most bass anglers bring a few rods to the annual family beach trip. Instead of going to the local tackle shops and buying too much tackle for your week-long trip, bring a few bags of these GrubZ. I hear they’re catching the fire out of redfish, trout, flounder and even snook.
Final impressions
I consider these to be a staple item every angler should have a few packs of. When things get tough and the fish are being finicky, it’s awfully tough to find a bait that’ll get bites better than a Z-Man GrubZ. Open my rod locker anytime and guess what? You’ll see one rigged up on a spinning rod.
The Z-Man GrubZ are available at TackleWarehouse.com.
