Where guides fish on their days off creates a pretty tempting trail of breadcrumbs. A similar perception often applies to fishing tackle makers and their after-hours aquatic venues of choice. Want to know where the fish are biting? Tailpipe the trucks and boats of a true fish head straight to the ramp. Want to find out where the heart of a lure maker lies? Come to ICAST. “Even though we build over a hundred lures for freshwater fishing, most of us are saltwater junkies at heart,” admits Shane Clevenger, Creative Director for the coastal Charleston, South Carolina company. “We’re surrounded by freshwater bass meccas like Santee-Cooper, Hartwell and Murray—and we spend plenty of time on those lakes,” adds Clevenger. “But given the freedom to cast anywhere, many of us launch along the Intracoastal Waterway and sling ElaZtech baits for redfish or seatrout. Even if we’re just testing or fine tuning a new Z-Man lure, having so many saltwater opportunities near the office provides a constant temptation. It’s all strictly in the name of research, of course.” Not that Z-Man expected to win two New Product Showcase awards at the 2022 ICAST show. “But admittedly, we put a lot of heart and soul into our saltwater creations,” said Clevenger. “I guess you could say the ICAST wins validate all the passion and fishing time we put into our baits. Most days, we’re just out to catch fish with stuff that works, like every other angler on the water.” |