How single Z-Man bait took record-breaking 255 fish

Lure brand Z-Man may be the proud possessor of a world record after an angler reported catching 255 fish on a single bait made by the US company.

Brian Waldman, of Brownsburg, Indiana, caught 245 bass, five sunfish, two bluegills, two green sunfish and one bullhead on the same Z-Man TRD TicklerZ.

Waldman achieved the feat over 19 outings and 32 hours of fishing between August 19th and September 16th this year, meticulously recording each one in his fishing journal. His total eclipses that of Hall of Fame angler Ned Kehde, who amassed 238 largemouth bass on a single four-inch green Z-Man Finesse WormZ in 2015. And Kehde estimates that the bait may have caught 40 to 50 other bass before succumbing.

“These are fish per bait ratios that no angler in their right mind would ever consider,” says Z-Man. “They validate the inexplicable durability of Z-Man’s radical softbait material, ElaZtech.”

Waldman had read Kehde’s posts on his Finesse News Network and started to ‘think about the possibilities.’

“At the same time, I’d been reading posts on a different fishing forum where anglers were boasting about catching six or more fish on a single Senko-style bait before it fell apart,” said the retired research technician. “Imagine, being satisfied catching six bass on one bait, while we’re catching more than 200 with ElaZtech!

“I’d recently purchased a couple of bags of TRD TicklerZ – a 2.75-inch tentacle bait purported to catch everything that swims. I couldn’t believe how well the bait held up. I realised that it might be amenable to making a go at taking down the record. So began my quest,” recollects Waldman.

“As it turned out, the bait proved more durable than some of the jig heads I used with it, as I had to throw several out over the course of the challenge.”

Sadly, Waldman doesn’t still have the record-breaking bait. “I cut it off to retie and slid a bunch of moss off the line. Not thinking, I flicked the moss off my fingers and at the same time, the bait went flying with it – over the side of the boat. The look of horror on my face had to have been priceless.“

Now South Carolina-based Z-Man is waiting to see if other anglers ‘have what it takes to establish a new all-time soft plastics record.’