ElaZtech Panfish Record
Z-Man® LarvaZ™ Catches State Record Sunfish—and Lives On!
Mississippi angler and pond owner Eric Mayo praises the conservation powers of ElaZtech®
Ladson, SC (December 2, 2024) – Even while anglers have learned to reap the rewards ElaZtech® superplastics (i.e. ten times tougher than conventional soft plastics, naturally buoyant and super soft and lively), the ecological advantages of Z-Man’s made-in-the-USA softbaits have remained largely unknown, certainly undervalued. Among conservation-minded anglers, however, the baits’ non-toxic, fish-friendly attributes add one more compelling reason to cast them.
That, and the fact ElaZtech baits produce record-breaking gamefish . . .
Fully aware of these powerful benefits, Mississippi angler and pond owner Eric Mayo recently rigged up a Z-Man Micro Finesse LarvaZ™ and proceeded to hook—and ultimately release— his ninth state record, a beautiful bespeckled specimen of a longear sunfish. On October 1, 2024, armed with BFS tackle, 4-pound test fluorocarbon and a red LarvaZ rigged on a homemade 1/16-ounce jighead, Mayo hooked, weighed and released an 8-3/8-inch, 0.51-pound longear—among the more visually stunning members of the 30-plus North American sunfish species.
Eric Mayo's Mississippi state record longear sunfish.
Bait Material Matters
Recently, Mayo discussed his baits of choice and the conservation-minded approach that paved the way. “Six years ago, our pond was in need of some major renovation work," recalls Mayo, who works as a jig and lure designer for Boss Outdoors. "Just after the project was complete, I caught my first record fish from another pond—a big brown bullhead on a fly rod. That first fish got me thinking about state records, which prompted me to obtain a list of the biggest fish from the Mississippi Department of Fisheries. Didn’t take long to discover that many species-records were vulnerable to being broken, which has become something of a personal mission.”
After studying pond management for four years, fine-tuning water quality and forage and stocking his pond with many of his favored species, Mayo landed his second record breaker, a redspotted sunfish. A Mississippi state record hybrid sunfish followed in September 2023.
“By then, I’d became pretty protective of my fish and did a lot of work to maintain the largest specimens possible,” notes Mayo. “A big part of the management- and fish-catching plan involved the baits themselves. More research led me to Z-Man ElaZtech TPE baits and all their unconventional advantages.
ElaZtech baits offer numerous fish-friendly advantages that can benefit entire aquatic environments.
“Initially, I fished a lot of traditional soft plastics but eventually discovered that when fish bit the tails off or ate discarded baits that had sunk to the bottom, the PVC (polyvinyl chloride) material would make them swell up inside fish digestive tracts. That can become a big problem—on private or public water alike— as the ingested baits can block digestion and even starve the fish.
“When I first started using Z-Man Micro Finesse baits this year, I quickly discovered that the ElaZtech material is just completely different than the PVC used in regular soft plastics,” said Mayo.
“What surprised me was the ElaZtech baits’ durability and the fact they didn’t balloon up inside fish stomachs. And if a sunfish or other species did bite the tail off a LarvaZ, the bait could be eaten and passed through their system without swelling up or harming the fish. Catching dozens of fish on just one bait is an awesome bonus advantage. But it also gives me peace of mind that these soft plastics are the best for fish health in my pond.”
(Photo courtesy of Wired2Fish)
Unsinkable ElaZtech
Unlike ElaZtech, most PVC baits contain stabilizers and softening agents that include chemicals known as phthalates. The EPA lists certain phthalates as toxic substances with links to a variety of health problems, including organ and reproductive harm in humans. Moreover, the U.S. Geological Survey has determined that phthalates remain the single most prominent contaminant in ground and surface waters. Yet the relative role of fishing plastics within this larger category remains unknown.
“From the very beginning, we sought out alternative softbait materials,” notes Jolee Myers, Operations Manager at Z-Man Fishing. “We’ve always drawn motivation from the idea of creating a bait from an environmentally benign substance that also outperformed traditional PVC baits in the water.
“Z-Man was the first to develop fishing lures from TPE (thermoplastic elastomer) material,” says Myers. “We worked for many years to finally develop a workable bait material and the right machines and processing with which to make ElaZtech baits, right in our South Carolina labs. The great part about working with such a unique, unusual material—a non-toxic, food-grade resin— is that it allows us to constantly innovate new formulas and ways to improve the fishability of the baits.”
For pond managers like Eric Mayo—as well as conservation minded anglers everywhere—this serves as exciting news. Not only do ElaZtech baits entice voracious bites from trophy class gamefish, but their natural, fish-friendly properties also offer help safeguard the future of our fisheries.
“For my fishing and the pursuit record class fish, Z-Man Micro Finesse baits have been a revelation and a game changer for panfishing,” says Mayo. “Catching a dozen fish or more with one bait is simply amazing. But the peace of mind I get knowing they’re the best way to catch and release healthy fish is a pretty cool bonus.”
