Z-Man is known for its innovative elastic material and versatile line-up of baits. I’ve always been impressed by their ability to withstand a dozen (if not more) aggressive short strikes. The Z man gobius swimbait is worthy of their legendary status. My first impression after fishing it was that it feels like a hybrid swimbait / jig. On a medium heavy fast rod with fluorocarbon, you can swim it over gravel and small rocks and hop it along like a football jig and it feels smooth. You don’t get the feeling of being hung up every few minutes. The Gobius has a ton of features I like that make it even better than a jig in most scenarios especially when targeting small mouth. This bait is definitely comparable to the Megabus Dark Sleeper for its ability to work structure and imitate rock dwelling sculpin. But the Gobius has a few one-up features that make it a go-to, pre-rigged goby imitation.
Buy From FishUSABody Construction, Material, & Action
Out of the package, you’ll notice all the weight is in the body and head. This allows the bait to glide as it falls, rather than straight down like a jig. It imitates the natural gliding action of a sculpin or goby. The bait is designed like a structure jig where it can slide over small rocks. The small, rounded paddle tail action allows for maximum underwater movement as it flicks around and glides from rock to rock and really looks legit. It’s a cross between football jig and a swim bait to me. The 10x tough elaztech material is a lifesaver when the fish are shy and often make off with the tail of a swimbait. However, like all z man products, its best to store them in the original packaging and away from other baits. The chemicals in the material melt other soft plastics.
You can even swim it back and it looks fairly decent. But getting down in the rocks is where it shines. It works well when bass move up on points and rocky islands and feed. The buoyant superplastic material that z man is known for really excels here. Especially when pulling the bait through rocks and weeds. As always, it holds up well after dozens of short strikes.
Z man Gobius: Body Detail
The lifelike body detail on the Gobius sets it apart from the Mega Bass Dark Sleeper and other competitive products. The color patterns on the gill plate, tail, and head are natural and include colors such as “bubble gut,” Green Pumpkin,” and “natural Goby.” And I have to say, these colors are pretty impressive. Each color scheme has muted streaks of black with an infused shimmer through it. They match the environment you’re fishing in. For example, green pumpkin was a perfect match in the heavy allege blooms up near Shasta Lake recently. The color versatility creates a slight distortion when observed from above where fish may not immediately identify it. But the action imitates any bottom oriented bait fish with an almost universal body profile and sharp tail detail and action.
Size Options and Versatility
The Gobius comes in 3/8, ½, and ¾ oz. All sizes are three inches. In my opinion this is a perfect bite size meal for a range of different size fish. With its weight range, you can throw it on both spinning reels and casting reels. I like throwing the lighter options around chunk rock, and the heavier options around lighter pea gravel, mud and clay. Despite its excellent snag resistance, the lighter weight will avoid falling deep between cracks. The ¾ is good for imitating a feeding baitfish if you keep it to the bottom and slowly work it. And with those color options you can really imitate a bite size baitfish.
Final Thoughts
The z man Gobius is a versatile pre rigged goby imitation that comes in a variety of natural colors. The action is unrivaled – it glides on the fall rather than fall straight, giving it a life like action. It’s not uncommon to get several bites on the fall. This is the bait I would pick up when bass are strongly keyed in on bottom oriented bait fish. It acts a lot like a structure jig and a swim bait. The versatility is unmatched as you can swim it, hop it, of quiver it in place imitating a small baitfish feeding.
