ZWG™ Gaff™ Worm Hook Gets to the Point

New Z-Man® Hybrid Worm Hook Pairs an Outward-Angled Point with a Conical Molded Keeper for ElaZtech® and Standard Soft Plastics

LADSON, S.C. (October 28, 2026) – The right weedless worm hook needs to do more than hold a bait. It needs to keep soft plastics securely rigged through repeated casts, skips and pitches, then drive the point home reliably when a fish bites. The new Z-Man® ZWG™ Gaff™ Worm Hook tackles both jobs with a hybrid design that combines key elements of offset and straight-shank hooks.

Engineered for Z-Man’s 10X Tough ElaZtech® superplastics and conventional soft plastics alike, the ZWG Gaff pairs a traditional offset neck with an optimized hook-point angle and conical molded plastic bait keeper. The result is a versatile hook that promotes efficient penetration and keeps plastics in place.

 

Better Angle, Easier Hooksets

The geometry came out of watching what Z-Man’s pro staff were already doing.

“What we found was that many of our pros preferred using flipping hooks with our baits,” said Z-Man Product Manager Richard Dunham. “The hook angle on a flipping hook helps the point drive through the plastic more efficiently, resulting in better penetration with less effort. That made an outward-angled point essential.”

Combined with the easy-rigging advantages of an offset design, the hybrid profile delivers reliable hookups without sacrificing rigging simplicity. Built around a medium-wire construction with a sticky-sharp needlepoint, the ZWG Gaff balances penetration and strength for fishing around grass, docks, brush and other cover.

Locked In, Any Bait

Just as important as the hook point is what happens at the other end of the bait. Borrowing the proven conical molded keeper from the original ZWG™ Worm Hook, the Gaff holds the nose of soft plastics over the neck of the hook, so baits stay put instead of sliding down the shank or going crooked after repeated casts and strikes.

That combination makes the ZWG Gaff a natural match for worm-style baits like the Bang StickZ™, FattyZ™, SMH™ WormZ™, and Kingpin™, as well as bulkier profiles like the Gremlin™, Hella CrawZ™, and Palmetto BugZ™. It’s equally at home working minnow-style baits like the Stuntman™ and Scented Jerk ShadZ™ on the surface and throughout the water column. From Texas and Carolina rigs to light flipping and pitching, the ZWG Gaff covers a broad range of bait styles and applications.

“The hook’s versatility is what really stands out,” added Dunham. “Whether you’re fishing sparse grass, docks, brush, offshore structure, or shallow cover, the ZWG Gaff Worm Hook gives anglers a streamlined, reliable weedless setup that performs equally well with ElaZtech and standard soft plastics.”

Finished in electroplated black nickel for durability and corrosion resistance, the ZWG Gaff Worm Hook is available now in 3/0, 4/0 and 5/0 sizes. Each package contains four hooks at an MSRP of $6.99.

Hold the bait through everything, then drive home when it counts. The ZWG Gaff was built to do both.