After throwing the new Z-Man SlingBladeZ spinnerbait this spring, here are my thoughts on it.
Good profile
Most folks that have fished with me know how much I love a good spinnerbait bite. There is just something about rolling that thing along on a piece of cover and having a big bass roll all over it. So I was glad to take the new SlingBladeZ from Z-Man out when the lake started rising and putting shallow cover into muddy water this spring.
The SlingBladeZ features a minnow profile head with a very unique wider base they call StabilTrack that keeps the spinnerbait from laying on its side when it hits cover or is bumped along the bottom.
StabilTrack head design to keep upright
The grooved cavity under the chin of the SlingBladeZ gives StabilTrack its balance and keeps the spinnerbait fishing upright throughout the retrieve. Most spinnerbaits that have a narrow minnow head design, have a tendency to roll over onto their side when they hit a piece of cover, and that is how a lot of hangups occur with spinnerbaits in general.
I was able to crawl the SlingBladeZ through flooded bushes, laydowns and even some clumped vines without an issue.
Unique wire for maximum thump
Z-Man incorporated a 17-7 stainless steel wire that has a very thin diameter. You want a thin wire to give a spinnerbait more thump and vibration. But you can’t have such a light wire that the spinnerbait mangles everytime it hits something or when you rear back and really sling it. Some spinnerbaits with too light a wire will actually open up so much that your knot can slip out of the r-bend.
But this low-vis wire holds up really well and really gives the spinnerbait a great shimmy in the water. That translates to a lot more feel when you grip the rod. In cold water, all you will feel of a bite is the thump stop on a good spinnerbait. The SlingBladez really transmits the what the blade is doing well.
Quality components
Z-Man used custom electroplated blade with a jeweler finish to give their SlingBladeZ spinnerbait maximum flash. I think the blades will last a long time. They are quality from what I can tell with very good swivels and clasps. They didn’t cut any corners on the spinnerbait.
Good keeper, o’shaughnessy hook, wire-tied skirt
They have a good hook keeper to hold their Elaztech baits as well as traditional spinnerbait trailers. The 5/0 O’shaughnessy VMC hook seemed small to me but I think it’s how the hook sits in the body. It has a slight down turn to it which I found really locks down on the fish. I thought I would miss some fish but thus far I’ve been 10/10 on fish on it.
The skirt is wired tied. I thought it was a bit thin with the under strands trimmed, but you can flare it on the retrieve easily with a slight stutter or pause and now I’m thinking that’s why it was made that way so it could breath and pulse easier with the vibration from the blade and thinner wire.
R-bend on wire keeps knot in place
The in-turned R-bend on the wire arm holds your knot in place well. I didn’t have any issues with my knot moving in the bend or wrapping as sometimes can be the case casting in the wind. The little gut turn on the R-bend also allows you to easily add a skirt collar there to hold your knot snug if you prefer as some spinnerbait anglers will do.
Caught some good ones shallow prespawn
I caught a handful of good ones the past few weeks on a very stingy Kentucky Lake. I’ve had about 10 fish on the SlingBladeZ now and have been impressed with how it fishes thus far. I’m looking forward to slinging the 3/4 more around when the fish move offshore in the post spawn, but for now the 1/2 ounce is a producer. I’m hoping for some rain now to dirty the water up one more time as the lake comes back up to have a few more fun catches on this spinnerbait.
Small hook but holds them well
You can find the SlingBladeZ at TackleWarehouse.com and most retailers carrying Z-man wire baits now. It has above average components in an $8 spinnerbait and I think anglers will be very happy with how it tracks and shimmies in the water.
