Lake Erie, Michigan – Professional walleye angler Dylan Nussbaum delivered the most important comeback of the 2026 Nationwide Walleye Tour season opener, climbing from fortieth place to a runner‑up end on the energy of an enormous Day 2 rally powered by Z‑Man® ElaZtech® baits.
Nussbaum entered the occasion with confidence after a productive follow interval constructed across the Fuzzy BugZ™ on 1/4‑ and three/8‑ounce jigheads. The bait excelled in extraordinarily soiled “chocolate milk” water, with solely 3 to six inches of visibility, the place its buoyancy and profile helped set off response bites. When event situations shifted dramatically, Nussbaum was compelled to regulate.
Day 1: Brutal Circumstances Drive a Change
South winds exceeding 35 mph and heavy waves made offshore areas unsafe, pushing Nussbaum into nearshore water and away from his follow sample. With the Fuzzy BugZ program not viable, he turned to a confirmed confidence bait, the Scented Jerk ShadZ™ in Professional Yellow Perch.
“Committing to the world and grinding it out was actually the one possibility,” Nussbaum stated. “The Scented Jerk ShadZ gave me confidence when all the things else went sideways.”Regardless of the situations, he secured a 30‑pound, 7‑ounce restrict, inserting him in fortieth heading into Day 2.
Day 2: Cleaner Water, Clear Alternative
Improved climate opened the door for a daring transfer. Nussbaum and his co‑angler, Remington, made a 20‑mile run and scanned a further 15 miles of open water earlier than discovering a stretch with roughly 18 inches of visibility, simply sufficient for the 4‑inch Scented Jerk ShadZ to shine.
Fishing in 20 to 23 ft of water and concentrating on suspended fish 10 to fifteen ft down, Nussbaum slowed his retrieve to match the 45‑diploma water. “The Scented Jerk ShadZ is a bait I can use yr‑spherical,” he stated. “All I needed to do was regulate my cadence. As soon as they reacted, it was recreation on.”
What adopted was some of the explosive massive‑fish flurries of Nussbaum’s profession. He opened the morning with an 8.5‑pound walleye, adopted shortly by a 9.5‑pounder from his co‑angler. Because the chew continued, they added a number of trophy‑class fish, together with three that topped the ten‑pound mark. By early afternoon, the pair had boated ten fish over eight kilos and assembled a staggering 48‑pound, 3‑ounce restrict, the heaviest event bag of Nussbaum’s profession by a large margin. Assured of their weight and aware of the long term again, they left the productive space early to make sure a well timed return.
All through the day, the sturdiness and lifelike motion of the Scented Jerk ShadZ proved important to sustaining effectivity and triggering massive bites. That efficiency didn’t go unnoticed.
“Dylan’s run actually highlights what makes our baits so reliable. They’re sturdy, they appear pure, they usually preserve anglers within the recreation when situations get robust,” stated Director of Model Technique, Ryan More durable. “The Scented Jerk ShadZ has turn into a favourite throughout each bass and walleye tournaments, and Dylan’s end is an ideal instance of how efficient it may be.”
A Assertion Begin to the Season
Nussbaum’s monster Day 2 vaulted him from fortieth to second place and showcased each his adaptability and the reliability of Z‑Man’s ElaZtech lineup underneath strain. With momentum from Lake Erie, he now turns his consideration to the subsequent Nationwide Walleye Tour cease at Lake Oahe in Could.
About Z-Man Fishing Merchandise: A dynamic Charleston, South Carolina primarily based firm, Z-Man Fishing Merchandise has melded forefront fishing sort out with expertise for over three many years. The corporate’s roots hint again to producing silicone skirts for lots of the trade’s prime lure makers, a basis that set the stage for its evolution right into a full-fledged lure model. With the addition of the Unique ChatterBait® bladed jig and the event of its proprietary 10X Powerful ElaZtech® superplastic materials driving its transformation, Z-Man broadened its choices right into a complete lineup of modern freshwater and saltwater lures. Right now, Z-Man stays household owned and is among the many quickest rising lure corporations within the fishing trade, with its merchandise distributed throughout North America and in additional than 40 nations worldwide.
