I ran into Drew Gregory, Bassmaster Kayak Series Champion and host of the Kayak Angler Series tournament trail at the Z-Man booth where we talked about some of his favorite new lures and updates on next year’s KAS trail.
The Best New Z-Man Gear for 2025
ShadTron LT
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Drew was excited about the ShadTron LT, a big swimbait for big bass. He explained how a large swimbait helps him weed out smaller fish so he can focus on tournament winners. The ultrarealistic swimbait is modeled after the shape and color pattern of real shad with a wedge-shaped tail that produces an enticing roll and wobble at slow speeds and a fish-attracting trail when the lure is ripped across the surface.
To keep a big bass from using the large lure to dislodge the hook, the ShadTron LT has line-through rigging that allows the lure body to break free from the hook and slide up the line. To improve hook-up ratio, especially with a fast retrieve, the ShadTron also has a connection point in the belly for a treble hook.
Graph ShadZ
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The race to create the best lure for forward-facing sonar is officially on. With the latest sonar technology, I can find fish and watch them react to my lure in real time. To create a lure that is easy for the sonar to pick up and stays in the strike zone, Z-Man created the Graph ShadZ.
First, the lure is optimized to appear on a forward-facing sonar screen. Then the action is dialed in to keep the lure suspended. The 3.8-inch soft plastic can be rigged on a matching 3/16, ¼ or ⅜ ounce jighead. The jighead has a unique line-through rigging with the line tie on the bottom of the jighead. To rig the lure, thread the line through a hole in the jighead and tie it to the line tie. This keeps the lure horizontal on the drop when I’m hover jigging. The line tie orientation also creates an erratic action when retrieving the lure or letting it drop through the water column.
The Graph ShadZ can be worked like a suspended lure, jerkbait, jig or swimbait. This allows me to use one lure for different tactics so I can observe the approach that appeals to the fish. Then, to optimize the sonar return of the lure, the Graph Shad-Z has an air bubble in the body creating a stronger sonar signal return. Z-man’s engineers and designers worked for two years to test and create the ideal forward-facing sonar lure and the Graph Shad-Z is the result.
Feature photo: Kayak Angler Staff
