Long-Life M.T.O. Plastic Baits are NEW for Saltwater Fishing  

  • Here is a long-lasting, cost-effective, highly robust soft plastic bait to endure the razor-sharp teeth of saltwater fish.
  • Save money, increase effective fishing time, and enjoy more moments reeling in fish.
  • Imagine catching 54 toothy saltwater fish on ONE plastic tail bait! I did this myself. It’s true.
M.T.O. lure inventor Bill Alexander with a new plastic tail bait that is more durable than anyone could have imagined.  Alexander developed the robust new product in conjunction with partner Paul Williams.  

By Forrest Fisher

Saltwater fish are fun to catch but are brutal on fishing lines, reels, fishermen, and fishing lures. Sharp fins, sharp teeth, big fish, sharks – you name it. There are many opportunities for broken lines, fractured leaders, seized reel drags, and the endless need to replace fishing lures.

This is especially true for soft plastic baits fished on the inland fisheries across the southeast. Florida is a favorite wintertime stopping area for tourists, where thousands of miles of inland fishery habitat are dominated by multiple species of saltwater fish. They eat often, adding value to anglers’ interest in fishing here.

Speckled trout, pompano, flounder, Spanish mackerel, Snook, redfish, tarpon, and many other species are common. The one thing that many of these fish have in common is razor-sharp teeth, which are found inside the jagged jaw edges of these fish. These teeth will cut up braided lines and soft plastic jig tails in a microsecond.

My fishing partner and I have often run through a dozen plastic tail jig baits in 30 minutes or less when fish are on the feed. Soft plastic baits are highly effective in the inland fishery, and sales skyrocket at local fishing bait stores, especially during the post-winter (snowbird) season. The problem for many of us is that we need to have $50 or more to buy soft plastics with little durability that can get torn up in one cast by a single fish, often making these baits a single-use item.

As manufactured, the baits are supplied in 4-pack units that need to be trimmed and fit onto a jig head. We used NED-style jig heads.

After five years of fishing in Charlotte Harbor, Florida, with plastic tails or live bait (shrimp), I switched to hard baits. They last longer, and they work, too, but I caught fewer fish, and their per-piece cost ($10-$15) was much higher than a bag of 10 plastic tails ($7-$8). A bit frustrated, I called a friend – Bill Alexander, who manufactures plastic tail baits at his MTO Fishing Lure Company in Sylvan Beach, NY (MTO stands for Made-To-Order). I asked if they could produce a small but very durable shrimp-sized plastic bait that could be used with a NED-rig style jig head. The standard MTO baits are known to be super durable, and using just one of their plastic worms last year, I caught 11 black bass at a Florida lake to verify their durability. But these were freshwater bass with no razor-sharp teeth like saltwater fish have. So, I explained the big bad tooth fairy detail to Alexander, who is an ex-pro bass tournament trail angler. He said, “Let me see what we can do. Three weeks later, I met with Alexander – he came to Florida and handed me a package of specially made NED-rig-style plastic baits. He made them only about 3 inches long in off-white and solid pink colors. They looked real good.

The lures were made of specially formulated rubber-like plastic with impregnated mesh. The baits are semi-soft and medium-pliable, with a double layer of the patent-pending MTO mesh product process buried inside their shape.

They resemble shrimp-sized lengths and appeared to be a reasonable lure that could work, especially in the off-white color.

Bob Hookham’s fishing boat is safely stored at Burnt Store Marina in Charlotte Harbor, Florida, near Pine Island.

Bob Hookham (pronounced Hook-Em), invited Bill Alexander to join us on a fishing trip aboard his 24-foot sea-worthy fishing boat. It’s a deep “V” hull but allowed us to float over 2-foot-deep sand bars. A “flats boat” is not necessary to fish the open waters of Turtle Bay. Bob’s boat is spacious and comfortable, with an open bow and live well, offering adequate storage and built-in cooler-like spaces for our gear.

We motored West from Burnt Store Marina to a small embayment called Turtle Bay, near the Cape Haze Aquatic Preserve and Island Bay Wildlife Refuge. This unspoiled bay is surrounded by mangroves, and there are no houses on the protected shoreline.

The boat trip to Turtle Bay, a small embayment off Charlotte Harbor near Boca Grande and the Gulf of Mexico, was smooth. Charlotte Harbor offers more than 200 square miles of waterway for fishing.

The water level and current flow in Turtle Bay are subject to tidal changes and can rise or fall about two feet in 24 hours, depending on wind direction changes, moon-sun phase relationships and time of year. Today, the tide was low, with a slow rise of about 6 inches over our fishing period. The winds were from the East, which meant the water levels were even lower than usual as the water in the Gulf of Mexico was pushed toward Texas a bit by the wind. That meant we would be fishing the sand flats and not the mangroves. The boat draft was too deep to head into the shallow water mangroves. Fishing the flats meant we could concentrate on trout but would likely not find any redfish or Snook. We would save fishing for those species for another day.

Bill Alexander (L) and Bob Hookham (R) prepare their rigs for casting from a slow-wind drift over the sand flats in Turtle Bay. Many fish species in the bay seek feeding areas near the sea grass and oyster beds found here.
We caught all sizes of Speckled Sea Trout from 12 to 20 inches.

The new and untested lures came right off the MTO prototype manufacturing line, and we were all excited to test them out. Using a 1/8-ounce NED-rig style jig head with an oversized 1/0 hook shank, I carefully threaded on the new plastic bait. I chose the off-white color to start, while Bob and Bill chose pink. Little did I realize how effective this bait was, not to mention how tough and robust these new baits would prove themselves to be.

Fishing from 10:30 AM through 1:30 PM that day in March, we each caught limits of speckled sea trout. I was in the front of the boat in the foredeck area, so I often had the advantage of first cast to new water. There was no electric bow motor, so we used the wind to drift over the sandy flats and sand bars typical of Turtle Bay. When we would find a likable edge area of seagrass and sand or an isolated oyster bar, I would drop the anchor, and we would all enjoy a few casts before moving on with the wind-driven drift.

Over the fishing time noted earlier, I caught an unbelievable 54 speckled trout using just one MTO NED-rig style plastic tail. Bob suggested to Bill in jest that he might name this lure the MTO-NED-SW54X (SW for saltwater and X for who knows how many you might catch on this lure?). It caught 54 fish before we decided to head back! Bill was getting tired of reeling in fish. The more surprising conclusion is that I could probably catch another 20 fish on that same bait before replacing it. We decided to keep one daily bag limit of these tasty trout for the dinner table, but we carefully released every other fish brought to the boat. We caught several different species of fish, as well.

This is my NED-rigged plastic tail bait, which had brought 54 fish to the boat at this point. The tail offers incredible durability. The NED[style jig head with it’s built-in bait-keeper is helpful to keeping the tail in place on the hook. 
The fish would inhale the bait, which had a slow finesse action imparted by the combination of the jig head and prototype tail in the moving tide.

Next to the flawless durability, We all liked the simple retrieve and action required to hook a fish. I have previously done very well fishing with spoons and hard baits in Turtle Bay, but these lures require frequent casting and rip-rip style of a retrieve. I’m getting a bit older these days, and that style of fishing is an excellent workout for many of us. With the MTO-NED-SW54X, you embrace the finesse of fishing with patience after the cast. Using a 10-pound Yozuri braided main line with a 30-inch, 20-pound fluorocarbon leader tied to a 1/8 ounce NED-rig style jig head, I was casting with a St. Croix Avid class 7-foot saltwater rod (VIS70MXF; medium power-extra fast tip). We let the lure rest at the bottom after the cast. Sitting motionless, it imparts a gentle rocking action from the rounded style head that can entice the most hesitant fish to hammer the bait. If no hit or no pick-up after 5-6 seconds, we lifted the jig straight up with a quick snap of the rod tip, reeled in two cranks with our 30-series open-face spinning reels, and let the jig and tail settle again. Wham! It was a fantastic day of fishing to prove the toughness of this unique prototype lure.

Alexander says, “We can make these up in several colors to match what folks in any part of the saltwater world might ask for.” With a grin, I shared with Bill that I like simple off-color white! The proof is in the unending rod bend, Bill! My rod (and I) needed a rest, too! Bob and I agreed that this bait-jig head combination was robust and effective, and we ordered additional numbers and colors of these incredibly durable baits.

These tough lures will be very effective for kids fishing with mentors—you never need to change the bait. They are suitable for the entire trip. I can’t wait until the tide is higher to test these on Snook and redfish in the mangroves. This was a memorable and exciting fishing day.

Alexander said anyone who would like to try these baits can contact him at MTO Lures, PO Box 286, Sylvan Beach, NY, 13157, call him directly at 315-520-9820, or email him at walexander2@twcny.rr.com.  Alexander said the price for a pack of eight would be fair. Call for multiple-pack deals.

Tight lines, everyone!

The NED Rig: One of the Most Effective Fishing Baits Ever…here is the story

  • Z-Man Project Z ProFileZ: Drew Reese
  • Finesse fishing godfather narrates rich history of the Ned Rig

Not a non-sense story tale. Not a fairy tale. This is the story of something you need to know as a fisherman that wants to catch more fish every day. After learning more about this, I went to Cabela’s in Cheektowaga, NY, and bought one pack of every Z-Man ElaZtech bait they had in stock. I also bought every size of Ned jig head that they had for good reason. Hook up the Z-Man tail and they never come off. They last forever. They are unbreakable in my experience. Lastly, they catch fish like nothing else I have ever used before. Not a tale, a fact, and I’m a simple fisherman.

The fishing world is awash with unsung heroes. From Ladson, South Carolina, last week, we learned so much more.

If you’re a fan of finesse fishing—or just an angling history buff—you owe it to yourself to learn about folks like Chuck Woods, Ned Kehde and Drew Reese.

Reese, who finished 7th at the very first Bassmaster Classic, worked for Bass Buster Lures, the company that developed classic finesse baits such as the Beetle and Beetle Spin. Years later, a fortuitous meeting of minds spawned a modern fishing revolution known today as the Ned Rig.

Drew Reese explains the story of fish-catching science and art that led to the NED Rig. Nearly 9 minutes of a great story-telling tale you need to hear. Youll catch more fish after this! 

A Z-Man Fishing TV exclusive, Project Z: ProFileZ takes you on the water with the folks who count on Z-Man Fishing Products daily as tournament anglers, guides, and industry professionals. Take a trip with us to our ProZ’ home waters to learn their stories and how they’ve ended up where they are today—as well as why they rely on Z-Man baits day-in and day-out.

In this episode, Drew Reese recounts the fascinating history behind the baits and the ElaZtech material that drive the Midwest finesse technique. “ElaZtech gives lures the angle that all lure companies have been trying to find since the early 1900s. To get a bait that didn’t lay flat on the bottom, but to rise up and to move like something truly alive.”

The Classic Z-Man Ned Rig: Finesse TRD and Finesse ShroomZ jighead

About Z-Man Fishing Products: A dynamic Charleston, South Carolina based company, Z-Man Fishing Products has melded leading edge fishing tackle with technology for nearly three decades. Z-Man has long been among the industry’s largest suppliers of silicone skirt material used in jigs, spinnerbaits and other lures. Creator of the Original ChatterBait®, Z-Man is also the renowned innovators of 10X Tough ElaZtech softbaits, fast becoming the most coveted baits in fresh- and saltwater. Z-Man is one of the fastest-growing lure brands worldwide.

About ElaZtech®: Z-Man’s proprietary ElaZtech material is remarkably soft, pliable, and 10X tougher than traditional soft plastics. ElaZtech resists nicks, cuts, and tears better than other softbaits and boasts one of the highest fish-per-bait ratings in the industry, resulting in anglers not having to waste time searching for a new bait when the fish are biting. This unique material is naturally buoyant, creating a more visible, lifelike, and attractive target to gamefish. Unlike most other soft plastic baits, ElaZtech contains no PVC, plastisol or phthalates, and is non-toxic.