Advantages of fishing with TPE plastics

Thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) fishing soft baits have been around for a while, but in recent years more brands have started producing TPE plastics for bass, walleye, and other predator fish. Traditional plastisol (PVC) baits remain popular, of course, but baits made of TPE have some unique advantages, which is our focus here. First impressions My introduction to TPE baits was June 2005 when friend Big Jim McLaughlin gave me a few packs of Strike King’s 3X Baby Z-Too Soft jerkbaits. It felt different from baits I’d been using for years. “Try and pull it apart,” McLaughlin said smiling. I did and the fluke stretched like some kind of Looney Toon character. What I had in my hand was ElaZtech, a pioneering TPE formula by Z-Man. They used it to make baits for Strike King and other brands before producing their own. Battle-ready durability What blew my mind when I fished the Z-Too was its durability. My fishing buddy and I had a banner morning for smallmouth. I used the same bait the entire time, and again the next day. He, in contrast, went through several packs of PVC flukes, getting sidelined from the action every time he had to rig a new plastic. Recent TPE arrivals also boast impressive resiliency. For the past two seasons, my kids and I have put Rapala’s CrushCity Super TPE baits through the wringer. The thin curly tail of the Creeper grub and the finesse paddletail of The Suspect have each stayed intact after taking abuse from toothy walleye, hard-hitting bass, and pecking panfish (I’m looking at you, rock bass and perch). TPE baits have kept my family enjoying non-stop action when fish have been chewin’. I haven’t fished Northland’s Eye-Candy collection, but friends tell me they’re durable. Pliable perks TPE is very flexible and stretchy. I recall being stunned at how the Z-Too’s tail would quiver as the bait shimmied down on slack line yet had the resiliency to not be torn off by short-striking fish. The lifelike kicking action of the new CrushCity Mooch Minnow prompts bites from ultra-fussy bass and walleye. Its thin, tapered design has proven to be exceptionally tough. Wait, there’s more TPE is buoyant. This is advantageous on many fronts. Take a CrushCity Ned BLT or Z-Man TRD rigged on a jig. It will rest in a tail-up position on bottom. This doesn’t mean motionless, though. Water current and