Ladson, SC – Ask any seasoned angler and they’ll tell you: a truly great bait starts with a story. And the story behind the DieZel KickerZ™ begins not in a lab or showroom, but deep in the wild waters of the Everglades. Following months of collaboration between Z-Man’s product design team and the boots-on-the-ground experts at Captains for Clean Water, it was there that a prototype was cast into the current—where tarpon crushed it in the tannin-stained waters of an ecosystem hanging in the balance.

“We tested this bait in the heart of the Everglades—catching tarpon in the very place we’re fighting to protect,” says Capt. Daniel Andrews, co-founder of Captains for Clean Water. “That moment was powerful.”

From those collaborative roots, the DieZel KickerZ emerged. Shaped after the beloved DieZel MinnowZ™ swimbait, the DieZel KickerZ features a familiar fish-profile body adorned with twin kicking tails that deliver subtle, natural motion—even at slow retrieve speeds or when tight-lined in the current. Mimicking the movement of an unsuspecting baitfish hovering in the water column to a T, this purpose-driven bait offers a finesse approach that convinces pressured fish, whether stalking laid-up tarpon or prowling skinny flats.

Molded from Z-Man’s proprietary 10X Tough Elaztech® superplastic, the DieZel KickerZ was originally developed in a 4.5-inch size to pair with the 6/0 DieZel Eye™ Jighead for targeting tarpon not just in the Everglades but also in waters from Corpus Christi to the Carolinas. Notoriously finicky, tarpon often shy away from conventional paddle tails and larger profiles with exaggerated displacement. The DieZel KickerZ, by contrast, produces a natural, high-frequency tail kick that mimics the lifelike movement of baitfish—ideal for coaxing bites, even in calm, high-visibility conditions.

After discovering how effective the profile was in shallow water, the team expanded the lineup to include a 3.25-inch model specifically tailored for inshore species like redfish, trout, and flounder when paired with a Trout Eye® Jighead. Each size features belly and dorsal hook slots for easy weedless rigging and solid hooksets with ZWG™ series swimbait hooks, making them ideal for skipping under mangroves for laid-up snook and tarpon or slow rolling through turtle grass for gator trout.

“We designed the DieZel KickerZ as a tool for targeting pressured fish that require a more subtle presentation,” says Z-Man Director of Product Development Jose Chavez. “It was built to excel on the water, but it also tells a story—about our fisheries, our values, and what it takes to preserve wild places for the next generation.”

That story is central to the mission of Captains for Clean Water, a nonprofit founded by Andrews and fellow fishing guide Capt. Chris Wittman to protect and restore Florida’s waters. Through grassroots advocacy, education, and policy engagement, they’ve mobilized the angling community with the aim of reducing agricultural pollution, restoring water flow to the Everglades, and promoting better water management practices.

From co-branded packaging to awareness campaigns, the DieZel KickerZ launch is as much about outreach as it is about angling performance. A portion of all DieZel KickerZ sales will be donated to Captains for Clean Water to help fuel its continued efforts to restore, protect and preserve Florida’s water resources.

“Z-Man brought a level of passion and authenticity to this partnership that mirrors our own,” remarks Andrews. “It’s not just business, it’s a shared purpose and a collaboration to raise awareness to the largest ecosystem restoration project our nation has ever undertaken, the restoration of America’s Everglades. What makes this collaboration special isn’t just the bait, it’s the fact that every purchase helps protect the waters we love.”

“We didn’t just want to make a great bait—we wanted to make a difference,” says Chavez. “And with the help of Captains for Clean Water, we are.”

Offered in eight colors tailored by Z-Man and Captains to suit a variety of water conditions and match forage on both Gulf and Atlantic waters, 4.5-inch (three baits per pack) and 3.25-inch (five baits per pack) will soon be available at an MSRP of $6.99 at tackle retailers nationwide and online at www.zmanfishing.com.