Just got back from Quetico and wanted to once again thank QM for turning me onto the Z-Man softbaits. Really didn't need any other lures, as these were getting the fish on the line. I'm seriously thinking of scaling back my tackle box for future trips to just Z-Man softees and maybe a couple of Daredevils for NP fun.
Thank you!

Dang, I'm going to have to get some of these.

I am glad to hear you did well again using what I assume were the Z-Man StreakZ or ShadZ made from ElaZtech. These lures work better and out last any 5 inch soft plastic jerk bait ever produced. They are also resold by Strike King under the names Zulu and Z Too. If you haven't tried the RaZor by Z-Man you should look into using this lure as well. Just rig it like you would a Zulu. Get the Bad Shad color, it resembles a cisco.

If anyone on here hasn't read my article on Zulu fishing and wants to read it, just send me an email at - queticomike@yahoo.com - and request the Zulu article.

Here are a couple of fish I caught on the ZMAN RaZor this year......

I tried the Strike King version last week up in VNP with no hits. I didn't stick with it too long because my wife keep getting bit using a little spinnerbait. The smallies were shallow - just inside and outside the lily pads.

Mike (or others) - what's your go to technique for early September?

In Sept. up there I typically look for moving water first. If any of the stretch of moving water looks fishable, then fish it. Upper part of falls or outgoing flow from lake to stream or river and any parts of the stream or river that looks deep enough to hold fish. Look for eddies and large rocks that create a break in the current. Smallmouth are ambush feeders and they looking for places to sit out of the current and wait for the prey to come to them. Then also fish the outflow of the stream or river into the next lake.

I will use green pumpkin\watermelon tubes (imitate a crawdad) with 1/8 oz jig heads. I tend to swim it more than jig it due to snags from the rocky areas I am fishing. I will also throw gray and pearl (imitate a cisco) 5 inch soft plastic jerk bait ( ZMAN ShadZ ) with a thin wire 1/0 Gamakatsu worm hook, about a 10 inch inch mono line leader with a quality ( Spro ) ball bearing swivel, size 3 or 4 depending on how deep I want the lure to go.

If no moving water, I concentrate on big flats in 6 to 10 feet of water with an extreme amount of rocks on the flats. Try to locate some of the bigger rocks to fish around. Use large top water water baits such a magnum Pop-R in a Foxy Shad color, a bullfrog magnum torpedo or a Lucky 13 in a bullfrog pattern.

Also fish the points and the outside stretches from the small coves along any weed lines.

Thanks. No moving water where we were. Next year....

quote QueticoMike: "Here are a couple of fish I caught on the ZMAN RaZor this year......





"

you always seem to get some quality pike !

quote shock: "

quote QueticoMike: "Here are a couple of fish I caught on the ZMAN RaZor this year......







"

you always seem to get some quality pike !"

It wasn't the longest pike, but it had good girth. It was lucky that this fish was so old that it's back teeth were worn down where my mono entered the fish's jaws. No metal leader.

I sent Mike an email requesting the article and he sent it to me within five minutes. Just shows that Mike really is interested in helping everyone out. Big Thanks to Mike!!

Sometimes it takes me longer than 5 minutes to reply to everyone who requests my articles, but I try to respond as soon I can. :) People helping people, that is what this message board is all about. I truly enjoy helping out others the best I can. I'm glad I could help you.

Can someone describe how you hook these/what retrieve method you use?

Were headed up next weekend and curious which colors work best and can I buy them.

quote Birdknowsbest: "Can someone describe how you hook these/what retrieve method you use?


Were headed up next weekend and curious which colors work best and can I buy them."

You can request a copy of my article on Zulu fishing, send an email to queticomike@yahoo.com - request the Zulu article. You can also do a search on the message board for - Zulu rigging - and see pictures of how I rig the Zulu. Let me know if you have any questions. Good luck! ( BTW - I use a gray\pearl color ZMAN SHADZ - it looks like a cisco )

quote Birdknowsbest: "Can someone describe how you hook these/what retrieve method you use?


Were headed up next weekend and curious which colors work best and can I buy them."

If you are going through Ely you can find them at Piragis Northwoods Company.

Mike, AdamXChicago and I have been tripping together for the past few years and I too have benefited from reading your article and employing your techniques. But I have one major complaint about your article: I've read and reread your article many times, but I still haven't found an explanation as to why Adam catches so MANY MORE FISH than I do!

And believe me, it is SO FRUSTRATING to be sitting in the same canoe as Adam, both of using the same lure and techniques (I sit in the stern just so I can keep an eye on him and what he's doing), and he still catches five fish for every one of mine. ARGH!! I just can't stand it. :-)

Thanks again for all of your help!

Johno........Adam is just fishing a better spot than you! You fish the bow next time!

In all seriousness I can totally relate to what you are saying. I fish offshore party boats and when I first started I would get so caught up in watching the guy next to me slay them (same bait, line etc) while I twiddled my thumbs.....very annoying! You basically become a spectator instead of a participant and actually stop fishing. When the bite does come you don't even realize it or you miss it!

Stop observing Adam first off. Get a subscription to IN-Fisherman, educate yourself, try some NEW and DIFFERENT things and armed with confidence concentrate on what your doing instead of what Adam is doing.

There might be some growth pains along the way. When I was a kid we used to bike and sneak into private gravel pits and catch some really nice bass. My pal would always use the tried and true rapala and do very well. I kept trying new things and he would boast of putting a whipping on me. That is until I started hitting on what REALLY worked and I finally started spanking him big time.

quote johno: "Mike, AdamXChicago and I have been tripping together for the past few years and I too have benefited from reading your article and employing your techniques. But I have one major complaint about your article: I've read and reread your article many times, but I still haven't found an explanation as to why Adam catches so MANY MORE FISH than I do!


And believe me, it is SO FRUSTRATING to be sitting in the same canoe as Adam, both of using the same lure and techniques (I sit in the stern just so I can keep an eye on him and what he's doing), and he still catches five fish for every one of mine. ARGH!! I just can't stand it. :-)


Thanks again for all of your help!
"

Hello Johno, there might be a couple of things going on here. Does he out fish you no matter what lures you are using? I don't know why anybody would fish with anything different than a Zulu \ ShadZ type bait, but I guess it happens from time to time....haha. I sit in the stern as well when I canoe and the bow person always gets to cast in the prime area first when you are working shorelines. You have to learn how to come into a fishing stretch where you can place the canoe in an area where you can fish fresh water behind you while Adam works the water in front. It isn't easy fishing backwards all of the time, but it does get you fresh water to fish. That might help you catch a few more fish. Another issue might be your presentation. How fast do you retrieve a Zulu? Do you retrieve at the same rate as Adam? Can you even tell? Does he work the lure slow? Some people will work these lures too quickly and this may cause the lure to spin in a swirl instead of the better action of a side to side, walking the dog, dying flutter type of presentation. Maybe you need to slow down. I tell people to cast the lure out a few feet from the canoe and twitch it slowly a couple of times to see how the lure works on how quick your twitch and retrieve is. If you are twitching it too fast or hard you might see the lure spin and spiral. Get to the speed where you can see it dart from side to side after a couple of twitches and let it pause. Once you see how it works with your slow presentation, cast it out and work the lure the same way you just did next to the canoe. You have to image that lure out there working the same as it did next you, picture how the lure is working out there. Slow twitch, twitch, pause. This will generate more strikes for you and might help you catch up to Adam. If you have any questions, just ask them and I will help.

You are most welcome! Good luck next year! I hope your catch rate increases. Maybe you can practice at home on a nearby lake?

I missed the boat and wandered away. I am not advocating fishing something other than QM Zulu method........at least during the first 1/2 of the year when smallies are generally shallow. If I fished canoe country then they would be my #1 option for smallie fishing. I used them once on an early july trip and was very impressed.

Mike has touched the bases for you Adam but allow me to ask a very important question. Are you incorporating a swivel into the set-up as per recommendations? I ended up skipping the swivel once and noticed a dramatic difference in the baits presentation.......from deadly tecnique to something quite ordinary as the bait tends to pop to the surface and you lose that "walk the dog" just under the surface which is so devastating. Are you using mono or braid? I like mono for this and I think Mike does to (please correct me if I am mistaken). Pretty sure Mike uses 10lb which is probably perfect IMO especially between the lure and swivel. Any lighter and you risk breakage especially with the short leader (not much shock absorbing stretch) and any heavier and you minimize the action.

Another thought just entered my noggin. What sort of rod are you using? To limber a rod might not have enough stiffness to "snap" the lure sufficiently the create that "walk the dog" back and forth (zig-zag) retrieve which is required. If I were you I would email Mr QM and get the make and model of his favorite Zulu rod and with Christmas coming up maybe Santa will cooperate.

Adam wasn't the one being out fished 5 to 1, he was the guy who out fished Johno 5 to 1. So...I assume you meant to address the last comments to Johno and not Adam.

Anyways.....if anybody has any further questions involving fishing the Zulu rig or fishing in general, just let me know and I will try to help you the best I can. If you would like to read my article on fishing the Zulu send me an email at - queticomike@yahoo.com. If you want to see how they are rigged, click on SEARCH up above and do a search on " ZULU RIGGING ".

Was using 8-lb mono. No leader; no swivel. I'm willing to trade-off losing a fish or two in exchange for what I feel is a more natural presentation. Had a couple solid northern saw off the line this past trip - both times the Zman floated to the surface in a couple minutes, so I was able to recover them. Gotta love a bait that finds its way back to you after you think you've lost it ;-)

Do you see what I mean? Even when his lure gets bit off, he gets it back! He is so frustrating! But he's a great buddy to canoe and fish with, and he's able to give as well as take when it comes to teasing about fishing prowess... or lack thereof. :-)

Mike and Mastertangler: thanks for the great suggestions. I'll spend less time trying to watch Adam's every fishing move and I'll definitely spend some quality time in shallow water experimenting with different twitching techniques while observing the lure's reaction. I suspect I'm retrieving the lure too quickly.

Thanks again for the help.

Johno
Do yourself a favor and rig according to Mikes suggestion and include the swivel. Observe in shallow water and then copy what Adam is doing with no swivel and see the difference. The action of the bait IMO is far superior with the swivel. The question next is why? The swivel sinks faster than the bait and this creates a downward angle on the line (between swivel and bait) so when its snapped the lure has a tendency to retain its depth instead of popping towards the surface.

Adam (no disrespect intended > just one mans opinion) decides that the bait looks less "natural" with the addition of the swivel. I strongly disagree and in fact the swivel becomes part of the baits VISUAL appeal. Snap the rod and observe the Zulu and the swivel and tell me if it doesn't look like the Zulu is chasing the swivel! In fact I use a little bigger swivel and a nice shiny one to try and imitate a small minnow. With a little bigger (and hence heavier) swivel I am also able to work the bait a bit more aggressively which really imitates the visual appeal of a small fish feeding. Snap, snap, snap! watch the swivel dance and watch the Zulu try and catch it. This is a major trigger for any predator wether land or water based.......eat something while its busy foraging and not paying attention.

If you want to fish slower with more pauses then use a lighter swivel such as a Spro. You still get the "chasing" scenario but are able to have more pauses. If I became a Zulu specialist I would have a variety of swivel sizes and finishes so I could vary my retrieves and see what works best on any given day. Try it and see for yourself. Avoid Fluorocarbon between the lure and the swivel.........the FC is denser and thus stiffer and you get less action, less swing of the bait. I think Mike uses 10b Trilene XL which seems about right for those big fat smallies ;-)

quote Birdknowsbest: "Can someone describe how you hook these/what retrieve method you use?


Were headed up next weekend and curious which colors work best and can I buy them."

Here is a short YouTube video that describes how to rig it as well as a 2nd method I was unaware of.

https://youtu.be/RqkgfzC8zhA

Traditional method is a 'walk the dog' or side to side action. The 2nd or new method is also described in the video.

@QM - just ordered some of the RaZor ShadZ, thanks for the recommendation.

Best Regards,

Basically what David Walker in the video is doing is just nose hooking the Zulu for more weight forward presentation pulling the lure downward. That is basically what the swivel does when used in my rigging presentation. Without the swivel the line tends to twist. Sometimes badly. Thanks for the video, it was interesting. Good luck with the RaZors!

quote johno: "Do you see what I mean? Even when his lure gets bit off, he gets it back! He is so frustrating! But he's a great buddy to canoe and fish with, and he's able to give as well as take when it comes to teasing about fishing prowess... or lack thereof. :-)


Mike and Mastertangler: thanks for the great suggestions. I'll spend less time trying to watch Adam's every fishing move and I'll definitely spend some quality time in shallow water experimenting with different twitching techniques while observing the lure's reaction. I suspect I'm retrieving the lure too quickly.


Thanks again for the help."

Mike,

Good news: during a solo trip early in June I spent some time one evening just playing with retrieving the lure in shallow water and watching its action. At one point a dark torpedo came screaming down the shoreline bearing down on the lure, and a few moments later I had landed a 20 inch northern. At least I'm getting better with the Z-man softbait.

Better news: Adam and I tripped together in the middle of June and this time he didn't outfish me 5:1, it was much closer.

Bad news: Adam still has all of the "luck". He hooked into both the biggest and smallest fish of the trip within an hour!





How the heck does he hook a fish smaller than the lure?!!? :-)

quote johno: "

quote johno: "Do you see what I mean? Even when his lure gets bit off, he gets it back! He is so frustrating! But he's a great buddy to canoe and fish with, and he's able to give as well as take when it comes to teasing about fishing prowess... or lack thereof. :-)



Mike and Mastertangler: thanks for the great suggestions. I'll spend less time trying to watch Adam's every fishing move and I'll definitely spend some quality time in shallow water experimenting with different twitching techniques while observing the lure's reaction. I suspect I'm retrieving the lure too quickly.



Thanks again for the help."

Mike,


Good news: during a solo trip early in June I spent some time one evening just playing with retrieving the lure in shallow water and watching its action. At one point a dark torpedo came screaming down the shoreline bearing down on the lure, and a few moments later I had landed a 20 inch northern. At least I'm getting better with the Z-man softbait.


Better news: Adam and I tripped together in the middle of June and this time he didn't outfish me 5:1, it was much closer.


Bad news: Adam still has all of the "luck". He hooked into both the biggest and smallest fish of the trip within an hour!








How the heck does he hook a fish smaller than the lure?!!? :-)
"

Just keep practicing. The more you fish the better you are going to get. Experience will pay dividends in the long run.

ANOTHER SHOUT OUT ! OMG ! just kidding mike your the best ;) best smallie guy in ohio , i've been told ;)

O.K. ,,,,, Quetico too ;)

actually i'm working to a bear paw ;)