Ladson, SC (November 28, 2023) – When the mullet run is on, all bets are off. Work can wait. Zooms and meetings go bye-bye. Birthdays and weddings may need to proceed without your presence. Simply put, when waves of migrating mullet inundate inshore structure—jetties, bridges, inlets and all kinds of funnel areas and ambush points—you best be there. Time to sling the one lure that might just outswim, outlast and even “out-mullet” a live finger mullet.
Voted Best Saltwater Soft Lure at ICAST 2023, the new Z-Man® Mulletron™ LT line-through swimbait is now locked, loaded and armed for battle, available at your favorite tackle retailer.
The first true-to-life mullet-pattern swimbait crafted from 10X Tough ElaZtech®, the 4.5- and 6-inch Mulletron LT swimbait dances with a lazy, tail-kicking cadence that screams fresh mullet on the menu. Meanwhile, concealed within its extra-tough anatomy, several strategic tricks give the bait an extra boost of attraction, with hooking and holding power like you’ve never experienced before.
“In crafting a soft ElaZtech swimbait to match a living preyfish, we obviously emphasized visual realism and true-to-life swimming action,” notes Z-Man Director of Product Development Jose Chavez, a confirmed saltwater savant. “But what makes this bait different are some of its unseen internal mechanics.”
The Mulletron LT’s line-through hook system pins fish, holds tight and aids safe, healthy releases.
Equipped with a reinforced line-through harness and smart rigging system, the Mulletron LT presents a fluid, natural swim motion with minimalist terminal connections. The outcome, says Chavez, equals superior hook penetration and retention, even among wild, headshaking, gill-rattling tarpon and other supercharged gamefish.
“This bait design has really been inspired by the hunt for alpha dog predators and their propensity to eject hooks in battle,” Chavez explains. Unlike most line-through swimbaits that employ a treble hook positioned on the belly—which decreases hook-up rates and increases snags—the Mulletron LT features a specialized hook pocket and harness that stations the hook topside. With hook implanted neatly in the jaw, the bait itself slides magically up the line and out of harm’s way, ensuring no gamefish can leverage lure weight or go airborne and come unbuttoned.
Z-Man Mulletron LT specs:
4.5” and 6” ultrarealistic finger mullet profile and anatomy in 6 hand-painted and photo-printed patterns
Rounded wedge-shaped tail empowers a wide range of swimming speeds.
Reinforced dorsal line-through harness protects knot; in battle, bait slides up and away from jaws for superior hook retention
Heavy-duty, black nickel, sickle style 3/0 (4.5”) and 5/0 (6”) hook affords optimal strength, sharpness and penetration.
Perfect balance between weighted internal harness and buoyant superplastic material maintains natural upright posture during retrieves, on the fall and at rest on the bottom.
Moderate rate-of-fall (sinks 8 feet every 10 seconds)
BONUS Features – Internal harness sports a subtle rattle for sound stimulation / Injector hole in bait’s tail accepts scent, such as Pro-Cure Super Gel
How to Rig the Mulletron LT:
Ideal for redfish, seatrout and other mid-size predators, Chavez suggests pairing the 4.5” Mulletron LT with 20- or 30-pound test braid (mainline) and a 30- to 40-pound test fluorocarbon leader. When casting the larger 6-inch version for bruiser snook or tarpon, he spools with 30 to 50-pound braid and a 60- to 100-pound test fluorocarbon leader, depending on fish size and the presence of abrasive cover.
“To guide the line easily through the harness and cleanly out the dorsal hook slot, try pinching a little bend in the line so it points upward as it enters and exits the bait,” suggests Chavez. “Any reliable knot will work, though I tend to avoid loop knots for line-through presentations.”
How to Fish the Mulletron LT:
Up and down the coast, Mulletron LT swimbaits shine for covering large areas of open water within inshore saltwater environments. With rod tip up, Chavez typically executes a slow steady retrieve. “Around ambush points, I also like to give the bait little speed bumps to draw fish out of hiding,” he explains. “Give the bait a little pop, both to make it juke and go off the rails and to activate its internal knocker rattle.”
In super shallow water, try a slow-rolling retrieve, mimicking a mullet’s familiar V-waking, tail pulsing action. Go slow, then amp up the speed to bulge the tail on the surface.
The bait’s ElaZtech material is already the toughest soft plastic available. But to preserve and keep the Mulletron LT swimbait in tiptop shape between trips, Chavez designed the lure’s clam package to double as lure storage, attaching directly to the fishing rod.
For low-light excursions, Z-Man designed a special Glow Mullet pattern, accenting the bait in dirtier water. For a lively baitfish silhouette, Midnight Express and Goldrush offer proven nighttime patterns. In gin-clear water and for super selective predators, try natural Silver Mullet or Mossback configurations.
Beyond all available saltwater scenarios, Chavez says select anglers have also discovered the lure’s incredible appeal among trophy largemouth bass. “Mullet can live in brackish and freshwater too, and we’ve recently met anglers who’ve discovered that some of the biggest bass will selectively target finger mullet over any other prey species.”
For more information on the new Z-Man Mulletron LT, visit www.zmanfishing.com.
How to Fish the Mulletron LT:
