Ladson, SC – From a Bassmaster Traditional champion to a Kayak Collection Angler of the 12 months to a 200‑days‑a‑yr river hammer, three very totally different anglers discovered themselves leaning on the identical bait. Whether or not it was Luke Clausen skipping docks with a shaky head, Abby Abbondanza coaxing pressured fish when his ChatterBait® chew pale, or Jody Queen dragging a Texas rig via river rock, all three trusted the brand new Z-Man® FattyZ™ Thick StickZ™ to get bites in wildly totally different eventualities.
Engineered to raise and upsize one in every of bass fishing’s most trusted bait kinds, the brand new FattyZ Thick StickZ delivers a cumbersome, buoyant magnum finesse worm profile constructed to shine on a shaky head or Texas rig. Its stout physique tapers to a skinny waist and a bulbous tail that swings with minimal enter, pushed by the pure carry of ElaZtech®. At 6 inches, it brings the freshest and fattest silhouette to the FattyZ household, becoming a member of the confirmed 5” FattyZ™, 3.25” TRD FattyZ™, and 7.25” Magazine FattyZ™.
Evolution of a Confidence Bait
Designed fifteen years in the past by Bassmaster Traditional and Forrest Wooden Cup champion Luke Clausen, the unique 5” FattyZ™ shortly turned a staple nationwide. Clausen sees the brand new Thick StickZ™ as a pure development of his go‑to power-finesse worm.
“The Thick StickZ is a extremely versatile bait,” he mentioned. “There are a lot of methods to fish it, however my favorites are on a giant shaky head, a Neko rig, and a Texas rig.”
Clausen notes that the added bulk boosts drawing energy with out dulling the bait’s responsiveness. “It has the identical nice motion because the smaller one I’ve used for thus a few years,” he mentioned. “There are occasions when a much bigger bait attracts a much bigger chew, and there are additionally conditions the place it merely will get extra bites.”
He additionally factors to its standout visibility on ahead‑dealing with sonar, giving it an edge in at this time’s electronics‑pushed recreation.
Cumbersome Profile, Refined Attraction
The FattyZ Thick StickZ is designed to quiver naturally at relaxation, creating lifelike motion with out fixed rod work. Its bulkier profile provides bass a transparent goal whereas nonetheless sustaining the delicate motion wanted in pressured circumstances. The bait skips cleanly and fishes confidently round docks, rock, and vertical cowl, and its meaty physique holds a 5/0 or 6/0 hook wanted for pulling large bass from heavy cowl.
2025 Bassmaster Kayak Collection Angler of the 12 months Abby Abbondonza credit the bait’s design for its effectiveness in robust eventualities. “The thicker 6-inch profile and the way in which the tapered tail quivers actually set it aside,” he mentioned. “On a shaky head, the floating ElaZtech materials lets it stand straight up. You may let it sit there and do the work—that delicate motion is what triggers bites.”
A New Go-To Worm
Lengthy earlier than its full public launch, Z-Man professional Jody Queen leaned closely on the Thick StickZ all through the 2025 season, citing its versatility throughout fisheries and canopy sorts. Paired with Abbondanza, the duo received back-to-back Crew Kayak Collection tournaments on Lake Guntersville and Kentucky Lake utilizing the bait.
“I fish nicely over 200 days a yr, and the Thick StickZ by no means leaves my favourite worm rod,” Queen mentioned. “Whether or not I’m fishing docks, rocks, or heavier cowl, it’s been a constant producer.”
Regardless of its thicker profile, Queen discovered it equally efficient for each largemouth and smallmouth. “I used to be initially involved the meaty profile could be an excessive amount of for smallmouth,” Queen added. “That concern didn’t final lengthy. This bait flat-out produces in all places.”
Sturdy, Buoyant, Out there Now
Made within the USA from Z-Man’s proprietary 10X Robust ElaZtech superplastic, the FattyZ Thick StickZ is of course buoyant and exceptionally sturdy—able to catching a number of fish per bait. On a shaky head, it stands upright on the underside, and its buoyancy enhances posture and motion when Texas‑rigged round cowl.
The 6” FattyZ Thick StickZ is accessible in eight confirmed bass-catching colour choices, providing anglers a reliable new instrument for power-finesse shows.
About Z-Man Fishing Merchandise: A dynamic Charleston, South Carolina based mostly firm, Z-Man Fishing Merchandise has melded vanguard fishing sort out with expertise for practically three a long time. Z-Man has lengthy been among the many trade’s largest suppliers of silicone skirt materials utilized in jigs, spinnerbaits and different lures. Creator of the Unique ChatterBait®, Z-Man can be the famend innovators of 10X Robust ElaZtech® softbaits, among the many most coveted baits in fresh- and saltwater. Z-Man is likely one of the fastest-growing lure manufacturers worldwide.
