NEW Football NedZ Finesse Jigheads
Category: article
Jul 2nd, 2021 by Keith Worrall
Modified Jul 2nd, 2021 at 10:07 AM
Z-Man® Kicks off Football Season
New Football NedZ™ Finesse Jighead goes deep, delivers the winning catch
LADSON, SC – (July 2, 2021) – Rambling down the sideline, arms waving and shouting for the pass, a wide open receiver is a touchdown waiting to happen. Juking and scooting across the rocks, Z-Man’s new finesseful Football NedZ jighead and a buoyant ElaZtech® bait present an equally enticing deep strike target. The sweet little morsel stands tall, waving and flapping its limbs, calling for bass to swim over and eat it in one game-winning gulp.
“Finesse football jigging has been a bit of a secret technique for me,” divulges Bassmaster Elite Series champion and Z-Man pro Jeff “Gussy” Gustafson, referring to the new compact Football NedZ head. “Few years back, I was up at the St. Lawrence River, fishing big smallmouths in 20 to 35 feet of water. A buddy had made up a few of these little football jigs with smaller hooks. I got bit a ton. Allowed me to mine deeper rock structure with my favorite finesse baits—TRD™, TicklerZ™ and my all-time favorite, Hula StickZ™—even in heavy current and wind.
The easy-to-rig Z-Man Football NedZ Finesse Jighead accommodates ElaZtech and other finesse baits.
“When I brought the idea to Z-Man, they got right to work perfecting the Football NedZ Jighead. They definitely gave the final, finished jig some sweet little touches. Glad this awesome jig and tactic will now be available to everyone. Seriously, finesse footballing is legit— a cool little tweak to your Ned rig game.”
Built on a downsized football jig framework, the Z-Man Football NedZ Jighead crawls cleanly across rock, gravel and other hard bottom substrate, suggestive of a live crustacean. Hinging on its rounded, football-shaped head, the new compact jig swivels and rocks its finesse bait trailer like an 80s hair band concert. Easy to rig with most finesse baits, a custom-forged medium-wire 1/0 black nickel hook blends into nature while effortlessly stinging the lip of a biting bass. A minimalist welded wire keeper snugs soft plastics, pinning them tightly to the base of the jighead.
“What’s cool about the Football NedZ’ rounded shape is that the buoyant, lively, rise-up nature of ElaZtech actually accentuates the jig’s rocking action,” observes Gussy. “When you retrieve it, the jig and bait flatten themselves to the substrate, legs kicking and churning. At rest, the wide-bodied jighead stands up straight, won’t tip over. As the bait levitates and makes itself visible to bass, the jig swivels up and puts the hook in perfect position. It’s like the Football NedZ was built just for ElaZtech,” he winks.
“What I also like about the Football NedZ design is that it keeps the hook up so it snags less. The jig’s heavy, compact nature gets it to the bottom fast. That’s what I want from a Ned rig bait— get to the bottom fast and do your thing.
“Every time this little jighead stops or contacts a rock or some other disruption on the bottom, it pivots and brings the bait to life. You can simply drag it and catch fish. Or work it stop-and-go. In rivers, just let the current carry it along. The Football NedZ lets you feel every rock and easily read the terrain. It’s always a bite waiting to happen.”
Easy to rig with the Hula StickZ™, Baby GOAT™ or other popular ElaZtech finesse baits, the Z-Man Football NedZ Jighead goes deep and scores big. The new jig sports naturalistic Green Pumpkin and Black finishes in 1/8-, 3/16- and ¼-ounce weights. MSRP is $5.99 per 3-pack, available at outdoor retailers in July. For more information, visit www.zmanfishing.com.
