I wanted to put a smallmouth slayer to the test on a winter day in the South. Not red-nosed, frozen-snot cold, more like putting on your pants and jacket cold. The water temperatures read lower 60s, which if you can believe it, are some of the coldest temperatures of the year. Laughable, I admit, for anyone fishing north of Atlanta.
Why would I fish a smallmouth bait in waters that don’t have smallmouth bass?
Well, because the Z-Man Fuzzy BugZ looks like it can catch plenty more fish than bronze backs. In fact, I had ‘em pegged as a panfish slayer, able to pluck bluegills and crappie from dock pilings. I think fuzzy baits — including the Z-Man Fuzzy BugZ, Fuzzy NuggetZ, and Fuzzy TRD — look similar to those large fishing spiders, hunting on the water’s surface like a mini Mind Flayer. Plenty of other anglers believe they’re crayfish, helgramite or invertebrate imitators, which I completely understand. No matter what, these baits tend to do best on their way to the bottom or directly on it.
How I Rigged the Fuzzy BugZ
Z-Man baits are tough, like ElaZtech tough, so I rigged the Fuzzy BugZ Ned rig style. I paired it with a black Z-Man Finesse ShroomZ jighead that incorporates a bait holder. But other rigging methods work well too, such as Neko, dropshot or weighted wacky rigging. (If fishing a wacky rig, insert a Tungsten SpikeZ into the Fuzzy BugZ with Z-Man’s Rattle Snaker tool. I had success wacky rigging this bait too.)
Then I cast to every single dock piling this side of the Mississippi in search of crappie. Well maybe this side of the lake. Turns out, I had better luck catching warmouth and ‘gills — but also a surprising number of largemouths. The bass swam away from the structure most of the time, but jumped enthusiastically and that can be disastrous with light wire hooks. I shouldn’t be that surprised, elephants eat peanuts and all that. (More than once, I’ve watched yellowfin tuna eat a chunk bait the size of a lego.) Buck bass or the big mamas near a bed are just as likely to eat this soft bait.
The Fuzzy BugZ is about 1.75 inches, less than the size of your thumb. So if you’re used to launching swimbaits toward shorelines, this presentation requires a completely different mindset. I wasn’t using panfish gear, but pretty darn close, a lightweight Quantum Strive reel and Myth rod armed with just 10-pound test. The light setup allowed longer casts with the finesse presentation. And there’s something to be said for casting light tackle all day compared to heavier gear.
Real World Testing
What stuck out to me casting along a weedy beach of shoreline, bookended by docks and lilypads, was just how fish react to the bait. I watched a bass track the lure as soon as it hit the water, rev up its tail, and attack the bait as it fluttered toward the bottom. Point being, many of the fish I catch on this lure are during the fall, which makes sense considering all those little legs dancing around.
But it doesn’t track well in the weeds, even if I had it rigged to a weedless presentation. I just think fuzzy legs are natural grass, weed and algae catchers. When I could find a bass sunning itself over sandy bottom, that’s when I evoked an immediate strike. It’s also not a heavy bait, so definitely incorporate weight into your presentation in some way.
Durability Bonus Points: The bait lasts for numerous catches, which is always welcome after using soft plastic lures from other brands. Many companies on the market produce great designs and fish-catchers, but Z-Man is one of those options where you can buy a pack of baits and not go through it all during a hot bite. Z-Man’s unique hooks and jigs are designed to hold baits in place, even when bass are jumping and head-shaking.
Z-Man Fuzzy BugZ Features
- For Ned, Neko, dropshot or weighted wacky rigging
- Imitates mutant-size zooplankton and insects
- Narrow midriff can be cut in half to create two mini fuzzy baits
- ElaZtech composition
- Hand-threaded silicone skirt material
- 1.75 inch in length
- Eight different colors
Future is Finesse
Finesse baits have become a dominant way to win bass fishing tournaments. A bait like the Z-Man Fuzzy BugZ has to be a part of your arsenal, even if you’re not a tournament pro or forward facing sonar aficionado. The year 2023 really highlighted finesse, with Joey Nania winning the Bassmaster Open at Lake Eufaula, Oklahoma, throwing a Z-Man StreakZ and Jeff “Gussy” Gustafson topping the Bassmaster Classic by dropping down a Z-Man Scented Jerk ShadZ.
Subtle soft baits are irresistible to a bass of any size, especially shining when fish aren’t in feeding mode. It doesn’t take much energy to slurp down a meal passing inches from your lips. For me, fishing in Florida’s lakes and rivers that receive undeniable pressure from local and national bass tournaments, plus weekend warriors and retirees, I need an “easy” bait to have rigged and ready to go. And that’s where the Z-Man Fuzzy BugZ really stands out.
