Z-Man Fishing rings in the New Year with world-class pro-staff additions
Category: press release
Jan 18th, 2017 by OutdoorsFIRST
Modified Jan 18th, 2017 at 12:00 AM
Z-Man Fishing Products, manufacturer of the Original ChatterBait® brand bladed swim jigs and 10X Tough ElaZtech® soft plastics, is excited to welcome Brian Latimer, Brett Hite, and Bryan Thrift as the latest members of its highly regarded-and hugely successful-pro-staff team. Latimer, Hite, and Thrift will join Luke Clausen, David Walker, Stephen Browning, Capt. C.A. Richardson, and other standout fresh- and saltwater anglers to increase awareness of-and demand for-the company’s growing product lineup. Specifically, Latimer will be promoting the entire Z-Man product line (ElaZtech and ChatterBait), while Hite and Thrift will focus exclusively on representing the company’s ChatterBait brand.
“Having experienced tremendous growth over the last two years, we feel that expanding Z-Man’s pro staff on both the Bassmaster Elite and FLW Tour trails is a great way to help spread the good news with our increasing number of customers and prospects,” states Z-Man President, Daniel Nussbaum. “I’m confident that Brian, Brett, and Bryan will do a great job educating anglers on our growing product line, and how to best use our baits to increase their success and enjoyment on the water.”
BRIAN LATIMER
An up-and-coming FLW Tour and Bassmaster Open pro, Brian Latimer finished 3rd in the Rookie of the Year standings and 47th overall in his 2016 FLW Tour season debut. A South Carolina native known for his fishing versatility, the social media-savvy Latimer has also amassed an entertaining, content-rich YouTube channel that provides subscribers with a chronicle of his angling adventures, as well as a wealth of tips on how to employ Z-Man baits.
“Joining the Z-Man pro-staff is a tremendous honor for me,” remarks Latimer. “The company’s ingenuity and cutting-edge product development clearly demonstrate their dedication to the sport-and helping anglers of all skills levels catch more fish. Their diverse product line, coupled with the thought and quality that goes into making it a reality, is second to none.”
Adds Nussbaum, “Upon meeting Brian, I was immediately impressed with his engaging personality and enthusiasm. In addition to being a talented angler with a bright future ahead of him on the tournament trail, Brian also has a keen understanding of the influential role social media plays in consumers’ ‘connected’ lives, as evidenced by his robust YouTube channel that’s constantly being updated with exciting, educational video content. Everyone here at Z-Man thinks highly of Brian, and couldn’t be more excited to have him join our pro-staff team!”
BRETT HITE
A 4th year B.A.S.S. Elite Series pro and past FLW Tour standout, Brett Hite is widely regarded as one of the world’s preeminent bladed-jig fishermen. Among his numerous angling accomplishments, Hite relied on a ChatterBait bladed jig en route to taking top honors at both the 2014 Bassmaster Elite event on Lake Seminole and 2014 FLW Tour event on Lake Okeechobee.
“I’m super excited about my partnership with Z-Man, and the ChatterBait brand,” Hite exclaims. “Over the last nine years of my career, a bladed jig has been my go-to bait that’s contributed to four major tour victories on both the B.A.S.S Elite and FLW Tours, and close to $1,000,000 in winnings. I’m looking forward to providing the Z-Man team with new and innovative bait ideas that will make the brand even stronger-and help anglers catch more, and bigger, fish!”
And, Nussbaum echoes Hite’s enthusiasm. “Anyone who follows bass fishing knows that Brett’s name has become synonymous with bladed-jig fishing, so this partnership is just a perfect fit for Z-Man. In getting to know Brett over the last few years, I’ve found him to be incredibly detail-oriented when it comes to his lure selection, which will help ensure that we’re providing our customers with the highest-quality, feature-rich bladed jigs possible.”
BRYAN THRIFT
A dominant force on the FLW Tour since 2007, Bryan Thrift has amassed nearly $2 million in earnings, nine tournament wins, and 10 Forrest Wood Cup births. A 2007 FLW Rookie of the Year and 2010 FLW Tour Angler of the Year, Thrift helped put ChatterBait on the map with his 2006 FLW Stren Series win on Lake Okeechobee when he relied on the original bladed jig to land 19 of his 20 fish over a four-day span.
“I owe both the start of my professional fishing career and my first tournament win to the ChatterBait, so I’m obviously thrilled to formally represent Z-Man and their world-class products,” remarks Thrift. “In addition to being one of the most versatile and productive lures that anglers of all skill levels can have in their arsenals, the ChatterBait is also a proven difference-maker when tournament success, and wins, are on the line. I’m thrilled to be a part of Z-Man’s pro-staff, and look forward to helping make even more advancements, and enhancements, to this game-changing lure.”