Z-Man Unleashes the SWAG

Z-Man® to reveal definitive line-through SWAG™ LT swimbait at ICAST 2025

Ladson, SC (July 11, 2025) - Three years ago, Z-Man® set out to redefine what’s possible in swimbait design by melding innovative lure engineering with its signature 10X Tough ElaZtech® material. That journey began with the Mulletron™ LT, which took home Best Saltwater Soft Lure at ICAST 2023. A year later, the Shadtron™ LT debuted with another groundbreaking feature—a two-way line-through harness—and claimed the Best Freshwater Soft Lure award at ICAST 2024.

For ICAST 2025, Z-Man has shifted the swimbait paradigm once again with the SWAG™ LT, a visually stunning 5- and 6-inch line-through swimbait built for versatility, lifelike realism, maximum strike-to-catch conversion, and unprecedented performance across a wide range of retrieve speeds—not to mention the extreme 10X Tough durability anglers have come to expect from ElaZtech baits.

“Three years into this journey, we've created a ‘best of all worlds’ big bass lure,” says Z-Man Director of Product Development Jose Chavez. “The SWAG tail—a proprietary hybrid of wedge tail and T-tail designs—delivers consistent, wide-swinging motion whether you're slow-rolling or burning it. You get reliable swimming action at all retrieve speeds and even on the fall, so you’re maximizing every cast and big bass opportunity.”

“As pro anglers, we’ve seen so many issues with other harness swimbaits over the years,” notes Luke Clausen, Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour angler and tenured Z-Man pro. “With other swimbaits, you often deal with fouled hooks and poor hookup rates, or you have to add weights to prevent rolling,” Clausen explains. “Not with the SWAG LT. Z-Man nailed the tuning so it swims true, right out of the package. That’s a testament to Z-Man’s attention to detail and unwillingness to cut corners. The SWAG is the real deal.”

At the core of the SWAG LT is Z-Man’s optimized Over/Under Line-Through Harness, which lets anglers choose between a dorsal-mounted sickle style single hook or a custom belly-mounted double hook, both designed for maximum hookset efficiency and hook-to-land ratio.  Rigged either way, when a fish strikes, the lure slides up the line, preventing it from being used as leverage to throw the hook.

“I use the single hook when bass are in the upper portion of the water column, especially that key one- to five-foot zone, or around cover,” says Clausen. “When I’m fishing deep water—especially using forward facing sonar—or targeting spots or smallmouth, the belly-rigged double hook gives me a better hookup rate.”

“Gotta mention, too, that the SWAG is one of the best skipping baits I’ve ever thrown,” says Clausen. “So, it’s a huge deal that the hook stays in perfect position at all times, especially key when I’m tossing the bait aggressively around docks or laydowns.”

“I’ve got a lot of confidence casting the SWAG way up shallow, watching the bait as it tracks and tail-bulges the surface,” he adds. “Mostly, I keep the retrieve slow and steady, particularly around cover. But I also like to burn it around big smallmouths, just like you’d fish a spinnerbait. Actually, anytime you’ve got a big bass that follows but won’t bite, ramp up the speed and see what happens next.”

The SWAG LT is loaded with premium features that separate it from the rest of harnessed swimbait pack:

• Hand-painted and photo-printed finishes to match key forage species and maximize realism.
  
• Twin belly hook keeper clip that holds custom double hook securely but releases easily on the strike.
  
• Painted eyes instead of glued-on eyes that fall off after a few fish.
  Internal glass rattle embedded in the harness for subtle baitfish-like sounds.
  
• Rear chamber for scent infusion, rattle insertion, or adding tungsten weight to customize fall rate.

At its core is Z-Man’s proprietary hybrid SWAG tail, delivering unmatched swimming action and signature tail wag while maintaining stability at all speeds—making it the ultimate all-purpose bait for all applications from slow rolling over grass flats to burning through schools of feeding fish.

Available in 5-inch (3/0 dorsal hook, #4 belly double hook, $15.99 MSRP) and 6-inch (5/0 dorsal hook, #2 belly double hook, $17.99 MSRP) sizes, the SWAG LT is offered in eight true-to-life baitfish patterns.