Sinking ElaZtech® Hits the Water
Z-Man®'s New Superplastic Formula Shipping Now in Kingpin™ Stickworm and Stuntman™ Soft Jerkbait Profiles
LADSON, S.C. (September 23, 2026) – For over two decades, ElaZtech® has been defined by buoyancy. The thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) Z-Man® brought to the fishing world floats, which is why an ElaZtech tail stands up off the bottom and why appendages keep working when the bait is sitting still. Sinking ElaZtech® is the other half of that story: the same tear-proof material, with density blended into the polymer itself rather than loaded in as salt, built for the presentations that live and die on the fall.
That distinction shows up on the water. Salt-loaded plastics tear easily and shed weight while doing so, and their fall rate drifts along with it. Sinking ElaZtech carries a uniform density throughout, so the hundredth cast falls like the first. The heavier formulation adds body mass for longer casts, while the harder material holds a hook better, all while maintaining the 10X Tough durability that defines the ElaZtech material.
"What anglers will notice immediately is that it's firmer, less stretchy and much denser," says Z-Man Director of Product Development Jose Chavez. "That extra density improves casting distance and accuracy, helps anglers cover more water, and opens up a completely new world of applications."
The Kingpin™ puts that fall to work in a symmetrical stickworm profile. Few shapes in bass fishing are as universal, or have won as much, and the reason is a fall rate and shimmy that must be exactly right. The Kingpin delivers both, with precisely spaced segmentation exaggerating the wobble on the drop and the material setting a slow, level descent. Because Sinking ElaZtech resists tearing, both sizes wacky rig straight through the body with no O-ring. The 5-inch handles the weightless wacky and Texas rig work the shape built its name on; the 3-inch carries the idea into finesse presentations, a naturally sinking Ned-style profile that works the entire column rather than waiting on the bottom.
The Stuntman™ pairs that natural sink with 10X Tough ElaZtech, a combination the soft jerkbait category has never seen. Added body mass launches it on long weightless casts, and a broad forked tail drives erratic darting on the twitch. On the pause, the bait quivers its way down like a dying baitfish, while other soft jerkbaits simply sink. Molded dorsal and belly hook slots make weedless rigging easy on a ZWG™ Worm Hook, while the extra weight turns it into a ChatterBait® trailer that keeps a bladed jig tracking deep.
"Because it sinks on its own, I don't have to add weight to make it fish the way I want," says Bassmaster Elite Series pro Seth Feider. "It stays subtle, stays in the strike zone longer, and I can catch a pile of fish on one bait."
Molded at Z-Man's South Carolina facility, both baits are in stock now and shipping to retailers nationwide at a $6.99 MSRP. The Kingpin is offered in 3-inch (8 per pack) and 5-inch (6 per pack) in twelve colors. The Stuntman is available in 4- and 5-inch (5 per pack) in ten patterns.
More than two decades in, ElaZtech does something it has never done before, and two baits on the shelf now prove it.
About Z-Man Fishing Products: A dynamic Charleston, South Carolina based company, Z-Man Fishing Products has melded leading edge fishing tackle with technology for over three decades. The company's roots trace back to producing silicone skirts for many of the industry's top lure makers, a foundation that set the stage for its evolution into a full-fledged lure brand. With the addition of the Original ChatterBait® bladed jig and the development of its proprietary 10X Tough ElaZtech® superplastic material driving its transformation, Z-Man broadened its offerings into a comprehensive lineup of innovative freshwater and saltwater lures. Today, Z-Man remains family owned and is among the fastest growing lure companies in the fishing industry, with its products distributed across North America and in more than 40 countries worldwide.