Zoom Baits!

[Avid Angler FL]

I love Zoom products, but they do have an issue with quality control. I buy my stuff from the BPS store here in Fort Lauderdale and I will always check the bag I am buying to look for misshapen baits. I do think it can be an issue, especially with the horny toads. If one side of the bait has an abnormal amount of "sink" (a molding term, indicating a non-filled condition) the bait might not run true. The worms I am not so concerned with, but I will check them anyway. I realize this is no consolation to someone who might be buying online.

My favorites: Horny Toad, Ol Monster, Dead Ringer. I probably go through more packs of horny toads than I do any other soft plastic.

How to you work the Horny Toads?? And what kind of hook do you use to rig em? When I use frogs I usually use the Stanley Ribbit Frog, so Horny Toads aren't my strong point.

[roadwarrior]

Well, try a couple of Rage Tail products and see what you think.

I don't think you will be fishing Zoom anymore.

[Quillback]

I've tried other stuff, still like Zoom.

[LuckyHandsINC.]

While I can see where you are coming from,but the ones I buy from Walmart seems to be where I get most of my messed up baits.Since I use the fat albert grubs and I mean a lot of them,I want to say about 30% of them has been found messed up. But for $2 & some change I'm willing to let it go since they do catch fish.

wal mart is also the only place I've gotten a defective bag from zoom. Don't know if it means anything but I could see wal mart buying the defects so they could sell them cheaper.

[Stasher1]

wal mart is also the only place I've gotten a defective bag from zoom. Don't know if it means anything but I could see wal mart buying the defects so they could sell them cheaper.

Mine actually came from the local BPS.

[LuckyHandsINC.]

Mine actually came from the local BPS.

Well there goes that theory out the window.

I still like zoom though

[jeb2]

Also a zoom fan. By far, my most successful soft plastic baits overall. I have tried Rage Tail products, as well as many other brands. Some of the other brands catch fish well for me, but Rage Tail's have been very spotty producers, at best. But I just find no reason NOT to buy Zoom if they have the product I'm looking for. Great price, great quality and they catch fish. I can't think of more than one or two zoom baits I've used over the years that had any quality issues, so I'm very happy with the QC of them.

[bassin is addicting]

there will ALWAYS be a place for Zoom plastics in my tackle bag. i've tried (and use) other brands but will continue to use Zoom. the variety of different baits and colors are virtually unmatched. never had a quality issue..

i could almost name every one of their baits that i have caught fish on.

right now i've been doing real well with the speed craw and ultra-vibe craw.

[Avid Angler FL]

How are their craw baits? I've never fished em.

[Avid Angler FL]

The only plastic baits I use are flukes, have never really noticed any defects from Zoom or any other brand. Flukes are a big part of my arsenal, I use them a lot for bass, but I use them more for snook and tarpon. Just about any fish will hit them, great for toothy critters if you don't mind putting a fresh one after each strike. I use Zooms, but have no loyalty to any brand, my catch rate is fairly constant from brand to brand.

I swear, I don't know what it is about the simple design of a shad-shaped piece of soft plastic, but it works! And the effectiveness of the Fluke is immense!

[kikstand454]

yeah i use zoom plastics probably 80% of the time.

great baits... great colors...cheap price.

the only plastic i can think of that use instead of a zoom would be senko baits cause they dont have one.

i will say though...i really really like the strike king caffeen shad jerkbaits. theyre just too expensive. i like the way they fall though... horizontal like a senko. but 90% of the time i buy zoom flukes. i do GREAT with flukes on speckled trout and redfish. *shrug*

[mr.mallard]

Have you really seen your catch rate drop from a bag of plastics that had some air pockets on their sides?? If so, I'm telling you now, it's all in your head. I've had fish rip the tail off of a swimming fluke or mag 2 and as I'm reeling it in, it gets slammed. How about all the times you've glued appendages on a bait and the craftsmanship is crappy and then you chuck it out and start catching them?

ive had super flukes that have gotten ripped weird and catch fish way better.

[SirSnookalot]

I think it's the design rather than the brand that makes them effective. In freshwater I use nothing but zoom, I use them like a topwater and prefer it to a frog, hook sets better.

In salt I have used Zoom and they are excellent, but I like the DOA 5 1/2" for their castabilty, but catch rate is on a par with the Zoom brand.

[hatrix]

Zoom is probably my #1 soft plastic they flat out catch fish. What can you really say about flukes and baby brush hogs they just slay the fish. When I do buy flukes though I kinda dig through the packs and try to find a pack where most of the tails are as straight as possible. Sometimes they will get bent in weird angles and I don't like that. I don't know if just cause the tail is bent all weird if it will catch less fish but its just kinda mental thing where I try to find the most perfect pack.

[whitwolf]

I have used Zoom products for years. My personal favorites are the 4" dead ringer(watermelon/red and an old pack of red/silver fleck) and the 8" big dead ringer (red shad) mostly fished at night.

I have tried the horny toad and flukes also and have had moderate success.

Lately I have put the 4" dead ringer on a shakey head (megastrike) and It's been deadly on points and around cover.

Zoom baits are fine products and I would highly recommend them to anyone.

[Quillback]

Hmmm, Dead Ringer on a shakey head...I like that idea!

[jignfule]

Zooms Fat Albert grubs, Fat Albert twin tails for jig trailers, good old trick worms, brush hogs. All GREAT baits. I just bought some "swimmin super fluke houdini" to try out. Glad Zoom is around.

[Avid Angler FL]

What kind of hooks do ya'll use with the Flukes?? I like to use either a 3/0 or 4/0 Eagle Claw lazer sharp offset worm hook, or Gamakatsus or Owners. Just curious. Also, anyone add a small split shot about a foot above the bait??

[LWD]

I can attest also that a 3/0 red gamakatsu baby bass Zoom fluke works well. No Zoom product I bought I didn't have good luck on. Lemon shad 'better than salt' trick worm and what they mean by better than salt is that it doesn't have any salt and it makes the trick worm more sturdy less susceptible to breakage when it's on the hook. The 6" Zoom junebug lizard is my most used bait it can catch bass small they even make them in mini 4" inch sizes. I had Zoom's fluke jr's c-rigged works good if your looking for an even smaller sized fluke.

[Avid Angler FL]

I can attest also that a 3/0 red gamakatsu baby bass Zoom fluke works well. No Zoom product I bought I didn't have good luck on. Lemon shad 'better than salt' trick worm and what they mean by better than salt is that it doesn't have any salt and it makes the trick worm more sturdy less susceptible to breakage when it's on the hook. The 6" Zoom junebug lizard is my most used bait it can catch bass small they even make them in mini 4" inch sizes. I had Zoom's fluke jr's c-rigged works good if your looking for an even smaller sized fluke.

Wow thanks so much for answering a question I've always wondered about! So THAT'S what "Better than Salt" means!!! Their baits are quite durable. Like others have said, people who have had a Fluke get torn up seem to still do excellent on them.

[Avid Angler FL]

I have used Zoom products for years. My personal favorites are the 4" dead ringer(watermelon/red and an old pack of red/silver fleck) and the 8" big dead ringer (red shad) mostly fished at night.

I have tried the horny toad and flukes also and have had moderate success.

Lately I have put the 4" dead ringer on a shakey head (megastrike) and It's been deadly on points and around cover.

Zoom baits are fine products and I would highly recommend them to anyone.

Wow I should try that dead ringer on a shaky head around here. Bass love the rig, and I think by cutting down on length and adding to profile it might kick up a few lunkers.