How To Rig Z-Man ElaZtech Baits Like A Pro!! MOST Anglers Make THIS MISTAKE!!

Welcome to SonarFishing! My name is Miles “Sonar” Burghoff. I fish the Bassmaster Opens tournament trail, guide in Alaska, and just all around LOVE fishing! It is my goal to deliver fresh fishing content on a weekly basis, consisting of videos highlighting my life on the tournament circuit, as well as relevant fishing tips and tricks.
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[@charlesbeall2589]

Really helpful to this 70 year old fossil! Fishing for over 60 years or not, you taught me stuff that's bound to help me. Congrats on your grown-up, profanity free presentations too...don't think we're not noticing!

[@SonarFishing]

Thank you! I’m really glad you enjoy the videos!

[@seaneeeg1]

BRO!!! BEST FISHING VIDEO IVE SEEN IN THE PAST 6 MONTHS!!! AWESOME 👏🏻 THANK YOU 😎🫵🏻

[@SonarFishing]

Really glad you liked it. Thanks for watching!

[@krr6581]

I had issues getting good hooksets on my elaztech baits when texposing my hooks. Then I figured out what you showed in your video. The only difference is that I would push the hook totally through the bait a couple of times creating a good channel then putting the hook back through the channel and have the hook point almost ready to come out of the lure. It made an amazing difference in my hook up ratio.

[@SonarFishing]

Glad you found the same solution!

[@MrJohnB-qs6dp]

Great 2 part video!! Happen to watch the 2nd first but this is the first time I've seen a video on how to hook an ElaZtech Bait properly. I've had the problems you showed with holding the bait to firmly and having it bunch up and look a mess. Now I'll practice rigging it the proper way and making sure the hook is in the center of the bait. On the weedless swimbait hook Rapid Fishing Solutions makes a disc that holds the bait in place. I used it on the standard baits but would imagine it would work on the elaztech as well. Stay Safe & God Bless!!! 🤠👍

[@mistertwister1816]

Super glue and I don’t bond well. As a fly tier, I tie fluoro keepers on my EWG hooks at the 90. Works for both plastisol and Elaztech. While in the vise, the hook eyes are hit with UV resin just like the high end VMC hooks. No rough edges at the hook eye.

[@markblackstad8705]

Great tips Sonar! I have also used a small drop of super glue after inserting neko weights with a ball end into bang stickz. It's hard to get them in the elaztech but when you do, just touch the ball end of the weight with super glue and it welds the weight to the bait and keeps the weight from coming back out. You can, of course, use the Zman shroomz weights with the elaztech spike that way too but this way you can use also some of the cheaper weights from other manufactures or maybe a weight Zman doesn't sell that you want to use too.

[@SonarFishing]

Thanks for watching!

[@jamesbarron1202]

Here’s a subject for a video if your not sponsored by TH Marine. Thoughts on the Hydrowave if you’ve had experience with it. I hear mixed opinions and if someone’s sponsored by them I take their opinion about it with a grain of salt. Of course they’re going to say it’s great if it puts sponsorship $$ in their pocket.

[@SonarFishing]

I’m not sure if I have enough facts to do a video on the Hydrowave, but what I can say is that I am not a believer in it personally. Again, that could change if someone showed me proof that it works, but I used one for years and never saw conclusive evidence that it affected the fish. In fact, even if it did work, the fact that it could draw fish to the boat is potentially a negative. The funny thing is, I rarely see them on any boats anymore. Anyways, if I had more data on it I’d feel more comfortable giving my opinion in a video, but I just don’t. Thanks for the question.

[@jamesbarron1202]

@@SonarFishing I don’t have FFS to see how it affects fish but from my experience, it doesn’t pull fish (particularly crappie from my experimenting with it). I have one and don’t believe in it. Randy did a video on it and he doesn’t believe in it either. I did see a guy on a KZbin vid and he was using FFS and watching how the crappie reacted to it and nothing changed.

[@farrzmd3038]

Love z-man. Zman is a bank anglers best friend. I have a white goat that I’ve been fishing for 2 years now. They last forever and save me money. The only time I lose them is when I snag the bottom. …. Bury the hook for sure. There’s actually a hallow cavity in the middle of the zman baits for the hook to sit.

[@SonarFishing]

Glad you’ve enjoyed their baits! ElaZtech is pretty awesome.

[@johnhill2298]

Thank you for the tip! Can't wait to try it!!🤙

[@SonarFishing]

Thanks for watching!

[@Glock-1]

You can also use a bobber stop and slide it up the hook to the turn on the little place the plastic sits and does away with the glue build up

[@SonarFishing]

Good tip!

[@danchilds881]

I actually started using the super glue trick on ZMan Popper Shadz. Love the Popper Shad; it does not take long for it to constantly push down. I am talking the first pop on the cast. Not good for popping on top water. I am surprised I don't see more pros talking about the popper shadz; or do you all just not use it? It walks super easy and even dead sticking, the slightest wind, wave or twitch of the rod tip imparts fantastic little movements. I would be very interested in your thoughts on these lures.

[@SonarFishing]

I don’t know of a whole lot of pros that do use it, but I question myself on why I don’t fish it more because I hear things like this all the time. I’m going to have to spend more time with it. Thanks

[@danchilds881]

@@SonarFishing I am glad to hear that and hopefully will see a video on it. I would like to see your opinion.

[@S1avk0]

Grip pin hooks > using glue. Great videos 👍

[@generalprobiotic7487]

Been doing this for years. Love z man. For the minnow tips, i just use a texas rig with an ewg.Need palmetto bugz in hot snakes and a size that is similar to the d bomb plz. Thank you for the content.

[@SonarFishing]

The Palmetto Bugz in hot snakes would be killer! Thanks for watching!

[@notyetabassmaster2356]

Excellent video. Really gave me some good information about how I can use these products easily. Keep up the good content.

[@SonarFishing]

Thank you! Will do!

[@RogerFordSuperRog]

Awesome tips! I wondered about SuperGlue on the hook, so thanks for explaining. And of course with how long Z-Man ElaZtech last, it's probably not a huge issue! Can't wait until spring to try out these tips! Thanks again! Roger, The Smiling BassHole

[@SonarFishing]

Glad it was helpful!

[@campbelljfishing]

A video with tips to rig a shaky head or jig head with zman would be great! I got my young son the SMH worms and jig heads but I can’t rig them straight at all!

[@SonarFishing]

I will do that! Thank you for the request!

[@markblackstad8705]

I need to try the center of the plastic rigging with elaztech pitching and flipping baits. I flip the palmetto bugz a lot. It does sound counter intuitive to me too and I always have tex-posed?? Also the super glue tip by the hook eye should work great too! It should help keep the ends of the baits from getting ripped out by the hooks I use with a big keeper barb. May turn out to make the baits indestructable?!

[@SonarFishing]

The one thing to keep in mind is that if you continue to have issues after using this tip, and rigging the hook into the center, you may have to look at your rod and line choice. If there is too much stretch or to soft a rod, the problem could persist- but that goes with any soft plastic material.

[@swimbaitonaprairie9359]

i like zman products but im having issues with balling on hook points on ned rig and if im not super focus on packaging the baits bend so i have to waste baits

[@SonarFishing]

I’m going to do another Short video on rigging ElaZtech on jigheads. Keep an eye out for that Short.

[@SonarFishing]

I have a Part 2 to this video that should answer your questions coming out today at 4:30 EST.

[@ronniewells7906]

This helps alot. Thanks

[@SonarFishing]

Glad it helped. Also check out the video I have posting today at 4:30 EST which is a PART 2 to this video

[@jamesfaudeck540]

Great vid tkx

[@TODDWOODS]

Did you do a video on how to die elaztech baits

[@SonarFishing]

If I knew how to I would. That to me is the biggest drawback to the material. Good thing they come in a bunch of colors!

[@davehuggins5777]

Thanks for this video.

[@SonarFishing]

You bet!

[@scottkessler9602]

It seems to be standard practice for a strait shank hook to have a bait keeper. How come there is only one EWG hook that comes with a bait keeper???

[@SonarFishing]

An EWG already has a built in keeper with the offset shank bend, but it usually will require a little something extra to keep the bait even better.

[@mikewelter180]

I know that ElaZtech doesn't play well with other plastics. But, does it melt the skirting material used on jigs if you use a Z-Man product as a jig trailer? Thanks Miles!

[@SonarFishing]

In my experience, no, it does ok with skirt material. However, I don’t really store them for very long together.

[@mikewelter180]

Thanks Miles, that's the answer I was hoping for. I've been reluctant to use them as trailers due to some not so good experiences with them in the past. @@SonarFishing

[@dustinwright4601]

Can you explain the fuzzy screen on our fishfinders in the evening times or night or early mornings? I can’t find anything out about this subject.

[@SonarFishing]

Hmm, that’s honestly something I haven’t noticed, but then again I haven’t night fished in years. If I find anything out ill do a video on it. Thanks.

[@johnfontenot7861]

What is texspoz?

[@SonarFishing]

It’s just a Texas rig, but when you bring the hook point through the plastic, you put the point of the hook back into the plastic to make it more weedless.

[@Mbeez77]

Money!!! Thank!! 👊

[@goldentrucker7921]

A lot of guys I've seen complain about Elaztech baits & hookups. They weren't using the proper size hooks.

[@gregg9768]

Acetone will dissolve superglue if you want to remove it.

[@SonarFishing]

Good to know!

[@michaellamb1342]

I’d use more z man plastics, if I could ever get comfortable rigging them. Seems like I’m never happy after putting a bait in a jig head. Maybe it’s just me?

[@SonarFishing]

It’s totally understandable. Can you elaborate what the issue is when you try it on jigheads? Maybe I can help by doing another video.

[@michaellamb1342]

Absolutely, I seem to never be able to get my hook of my jighead thru the bait straight very well. It’s like I push too much of the plastic up on it and it then it gets off center and kinda balls up. I even struggle rigging a basic trd on a Ned head, I even get those off center. Thanks for your response MB!

[@SonarFishing]

@@michaellamb1342 ok, what you are describing is also very common. Let me do a short video on some ways to solve that issue. I’ll let you know when I post it.

[@michaellamb1342]

I wanna throw that diesel minnow on a jighead so bad, I’m just unable to rig it where I’m happy with it. As your aware of your bait being absolutely straight is crucial.

[@SonarFishing]

I’ve got a Part 2 to this video coming out today at 4:30 EST that should solve these issues for you! Hope it help!

[@jackmurphy8860]

Use the little rubber piece off The back of your wife's earrings works great. You don't have to put up with the mess of super glue. The only downside is your wife gets mad when she can't find any Rubber Grammates to put her earrings on.