In recent seasons, the rise of superplastics—extra soft, long-lasting, buoyant and energetic baits made from ElaZtech—have allured anglers and panfish alike with their crazy, almost mind-bending collection of talents. For crappie and panfish specialists seeking an edge, these next-generation soft baits yield amazing advantages via sneaky bait hacks that aren’t supposed to be possible.

Dock shooting done right

Everyone knows that the biggest crappies live way up under the darkest, gnarliest nooks of the boat dock. They’re tricky critters to reach with a lure, but often well worth the effort of learning the dock shooting technique. Essentially, you pinch the jig head between a thumb and index finger, using the power of a flexed rod to propel the bait beneath the dock on a low, water-skipping trajectory.

But there’s a catch. Dock shooting exposes your fingers to the hook point as the jig fires forward. Hooks in fingers hurt and cut into valuable fishing time.

Try this sneaky solution instead: First, create a permanent dock-shooting missile by adding a dab of Loctite Gel Control glue to the base of a Micro Finesse ShroomZ or Micro Shad HeadZ jig head before snugging the bait tight to the collar. (Consider trying it with a Tiny TicklerZ, Micro GOAT or Baby BallerZ.)

Give the glue a minute to dry and then, fire away! Pinch the tail of the stretchy, yet resilient Micro Finesse bait—rather than the hook or jig head— to guarantee a safe under-dock shot, propelling the bait forward like an arrow.

The stretch-but-don’t-break nature of ElaZtech acts like a sling, adding extra casting distance while keeping your digits well out of harm’s way.

The amazing ‘over-the-eye’ trick

The exceptional tear-resistant qualities of ElaZtech baits have inspired anglers to devise unique rigging tricks. This little hack keeps the bait pinned tight to a jig head, using only the ElaZtech material itself.

First, thread the bait onto the jig hook, right up to the collar. Using a second, larger barbless hook, impale the bait’s head, pulling and stretching a bit of the soft material and forming a small hole. While gripping the larger hook, continue stretching the plastic until the small hole slides over and snaps into place on the jig’s eyelet. Tie your favorite knot and benefit from a padlock-tight, bait-to-jig head connection.

Panfish power packs

Everyone knows that panfish respond heartily to natural scent and flavor, yet most soft plastics lack the ability to physically absorb and retain liquid attractants for more than a few casts. Conversely, you can greatly extend the potency and fish-attracting powers of scent with a simple switch to ElaZtech baits—a little like marinating a banana versus a ribeye steak. One blocks the flavor from penetrating the meat, while the other’s porous nature invites all the juicy goodness to soak in and make for a mouth-watering meal.

To benefit from these ElaZtech “power packs,” simply select your favorite oil-based scent, such as Pro-Cure Crappie/Panfish Magic Super Gel or BANG Shad Formula, squeezing a small spoonful of the solution into any bag of Z-Man Micro Finesse plastics. Spread the scent around in the bag by pinching each bait and smearing it with a thin layer of attractant. For maximum scent retention, allow baits to marinate overnight or longer, letting the solution penetrate deep into the bait’s body and yielding an hour or more of fish-catching action. (After several days, baits will soften and swell slightly in size as they continue absorbing the attractant, virtually bursting at the seams with flavor.)

Try baits like the Micro TRD, Tiny TicklerZ and Micro WormZ—any ElaZtech morsel intended to be fished slow or under a bobber is an ideal candidate for a little marinated magic.

Just imagine your fishing buddies’ faces when you roll out these killer crappie cheat codes.

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