Lure of the Month: Z-Man Guppy GrubZ
by Terry Madewell
Innovation and progress are partners in the incremental development of new ideas, concepts, and crappie fishing lures. Lure designers continually seek ways to improve existing products.
While progress is often a process of trial and error, sometimes blending proven concepts to create a new profile works as well as planned.
Z-Man Lures has done just that with their new product, the Guppy GrubZ. It is a highly productive lure in all testing phases, tough yet maintaining a lively, active profile. It fits perfectly in the Z-Man Micro Finesse Series of lures, and the 2-inch Z-Man Guppy GrubZ is the June 2025 CrappieNOW Lure of the Month.
Ryan Harder, Brand Manager for Z-Man Lures, is the primary designer of the Guppy GrubZ in his roles, including product development, marketing, and sales. He’s excited about the Guppy Grub’s year-round productivity.
“We’ve tweaked the lure with some unique innovations, including a ribbed tail, but a couple of important core components are the basic tail of the Grub-Z in the 2-inch profile, coupled with the body of the Shad FryZ,” he said. “Work and testing began in the summer of 2023, and it’s proven to be as productive as we’d hoped.”
Harder said the Guppy GrubZ is anything but just another curly tail bait.
“This bait will withstand numerous bites from toothy critters and the machine gun bites from smaller panfish,” he said. “Yet the swim action and tail-spiral perform exceptionally well at the widest range of speeds.”
Harder said the ribbed tail is a key component in many of the lure’s fishing methods because the ElaZtech component makes the lure, especially the ribbed tail, extremely durable.
Fishing with Harder on Lake Marion, the upper lake of the Santee Cooper complex in South Carolina, the specific Guppy GrubZ lure we used on the day we fished had already caught more than 100 crappie and appeared to be in near-mint condition. It tallied multiple crappies that day and still looked as fit as a young Chuck Norris.
Harder said it’s proven effective in almost every style of crappie fishing but excels in several. Watch this Guppy GrubZ video for more details.
“The Guppy GrubZ is a crappie-killer when shooting docks,” Harder said. “The curly-tail is a key, partly because it’s so durable it’ll last for hundreds of dock shots. Plus, the back of the tail is extremely thin, providing incredible action, even with a very slow retrieve, essential for dock shooting lures.”
Harder said the cast-and-retrieve method is ideal and was a primary tactic we used the day we fished. We also tight-lined the jig vertically within the cover of the fish attractor with success that day.
“Because of the profile and action, anglers have a significant range of speed control while maintaining good lure action,” he said. “Versatility in depth and speed control, while maintaining action, is essential for many fishing styles. One of my favorite tactics is using it as a trailer on the back of a Mepps spinner, and that combination will catch crappie and most any gamefish that swims.”
Harder said the Guppy GrubZ pairs perfectly with Micro Finesse ShroomZ™ and Micro Shad HeadZ™ jigheads, combining lifelike buoyancy, softness, and durability with the Z-man Micro-shad head. The ‘keeper’ holds the grub in place, fish after fish.
“I prefer the 1/32-ounce head with this lure for most presentations, but using the 1/16-and-1/8-ounce-heads provides excellent options for deepwater presentations, such as vertical jigging on brush,” he said.
I fished this lure with Harder on what I consider a tough challenge: a popular public fish attractor on Lake Marion. It performed exceptionally well, especially since we followed another boat fishing our targeted spot just prior to our effort. I’m excited about this lure as a year-round, highly versatile crappie-catcher.
Terry Madewell of Ridgeway, S.C. has been an outdoor communicator for nearly 50 years. He holds a degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Management and has a long career as a professional wildlife biologist/natural resources manager. He’s passionate about sharing outdoor adventures with others.
