How Do I Remove Salt from a ZinkerZ? 2024
BASS302 reply :
I bought some ZinkerZs to try the "Ned rig". The January/February Bassmaster stated that Ned stretches the lures and soaks in hot water to remove the salt. So I did that to one and this is what happened (See attached).
Did I stretch it too much? Should I have cut it in half first? The other half is still OK.
Maybe I was overenthusiastic doing the stretching?
What's the best method to remove the salt?
A-Jay reply :
Those baits have a salt impregnated ElaZtech body ~ so removing all the salt might be a little tricky.
Although it does look like you did manage to get most of it.
Nice job.
A-Jay
Team9nine reply :
Some guys stretch and some don't, mainly because it will change the color of some of the baits. The rest usually soak, though the water doesn't have to be hot, or even very warm, and you don't have to soak them too long. I'd cut the baits in half first before doing either, myself, and no need to overstretch (just a couple inches over various parts usually works). I also like to just let the salt disappear naturally while fishing. Usually an hour of fishing will have the majority of it gone. The more fish you catch, the faster it will happen 
-T9
WRB reply :
Soaking in hot water should remove any surface salt, streching doesn't do anything to open the core to moisture, it may help to elongate the worm.
Tom
RoLo reply :
On 2/13/2017 at 9:07 AM, Team9nine said:The more fish you catch, the faster it will happen
-T9
Thank you, now I know why it takes so long! 
CenCal fisher reply :
Stretch them a bit and run them under the sink or fish them like a senko and they will loose their salt
IndianaFinesse reply :
"What's the best method to remove the salt?"
The way I do it is to stretch it out a little while underneath warm water, that way the water gets farther into the bait and dissolves more salt. No need to stretch it to much or to many times, only stretch it out a few inches and only a few times. The other way to do it if you're more patient, is simply let them soak for a day or so. Or just fish the salt out of them, but I like to start the day off with a softer bait that already has the salt removed. I will say that the more beat up half a zinkerz gets, the more effective it becomes. I have an old worn out zinker that has caught 108 fish, that thing is tattered and full of tears and holes, but its so soft it still catches fish.
"Did i stretch it to much?" It appears that you did indeed stretch it to much, given that it is broken into four pieces right now.
Yeajray231 reply :
I started a thread awhile back. About salt in zoom finesse worms... And @Team9nine chimed in saying "what's salt have to do with anything " ? In which I replied... Dont the finesse worms without salt float better ? In which I was informed that "the only reason zoom makes salted and unsalted trick worms is so that I (and everyone else) thinks they need 2, 1 of each in same color" , and that "I should go tell all my friends I need both kinds so that I can catch fish" this is exactly what was said to me
.
So in the word of team9nine. . What's salt have to do with anything ?
OCdockskipper reply :
I understand that TRD's are made differently than ZinkerZ's, but on the TRD's when I stretch them, the salt literally pops out. I will give them 4 or 5 quick stretches before putting them on the jighead and I end up with a dozen or so "grains" of salt in my lap or on the outside of the worm.
Team9nine reply :
On 2/13/2017 at 9:40 AM, Yeajray231 said:I started a thread awhile back. About salt in trick worms... And @Team9nine chimed in saying "what's salt have to do with anything " ? In which I replied... Dont the trick worms without salt float better ? In which I was informed that "the only reason zoom makes salted and unsalted trick worms is so that I (and everyone else) thinks they need 2, 1 of each in same color" , and that "I should go tell all my friends I need both kinds so that I can catch fish" this is exactly what was said to me.
So in the word of team9nine. . What's salt have to do with anything ?
Thanks for reminding me to never use sarcasm again in any response I give to one of your posts. It was a situational response at the time that obviously went right over your head - my bad 
-T9
IndianaFinesse reply :
On 2/13/2017 at 9:40 AM, Yeajray231 said:I started a thread awhile back. About salt in trick worms... And @Team9nine chimed in saying "what's salt have to do with anything " ? In which I replied... Dont the trick worms without salt float better ? In which I was informed that "the only reason zoom makes salted and unsalted trick worms is so that I (and everyone else) thinks they need 2, 1 of each in same color" , and that "I should go tell all my friends I need both kinds so that I can catch fish" this is exactly what was said to me
.
So in the word of team9nine. . What's salt have to do with anything ?
In this case removing the salt makes the zinkerz more pliable and boyant because of their high salt content, trick worms do not have noticeable behavior differences with salt or without, somit makes no difference.
On 2/13/2017 at 9:40 AM, OCdockskipper said:I understand that TRD's are made differently than ZinkerZ's, but on the TRD's when I stretch them, the salt literally pops out. I will give them 4 or 5 quick stretches before putting them on the jighead and I end up with a dozen or so "grains" of salt in my lap or on the outside of the worm.
Trd's are made similarly to the zinkerz, I believe the only difference is the pointless tiny bumps on one end, and the TRDs have a lower salt content (and they are 1/4 inch longer than an exact half of a zinkerz) making them not as soft as the zinkerz once the salt has been removed. The salt does spray out from the zinkerz when you stretch them and allow the plastic to pop back into shape, but that only removes surface salt. It takes a little more to remove the salt impregnated deeper in the plastic. It is not all that important to remove the salt as it will fall out when you're fishing with it, I simply prefer to remove the majority of the salt beforehand.
Team9nine reply :
On 2/13/2017 at 9:40 AM, OCdockskipper said:I understand that TRD's are made differently than ZinkerZ's, but on the TRD's when I stretch them, the salt literally pops out. I will give them 4 or 5 quick stretches before putting them on the jighead and I end up with a dozen or so "grains" of salt in my lap or on the outside of the worm.
Good observation. This is due to the difference in formulation hardness between baits. From Zman:
"When salt is added to our material, it makes it feel harder, or stiffer (salt obviously is not as flexible as ElaZtech). To compensate for this and make our ZinkerZ feel very soft like our other ElaZtech baits, we use a softer material for the ZinkerZ. Unlike other manufacturers, we can easily vary the hardness or softness of our material from one bait to another because we compound our own material. After a ZinkerZ has been used for a while and some of the salt is expelled from it, anglers are left with a very soft bait, and that is another quality that we have been told Midwest finesse anglers desire."
WRB reply :
Just to clarify salt in crystal form is heavy, like a rock. Salt is solution form is still heavier than fresh water. When you mold hot plastic the salt mixed in the plastic tends to move towards the surface depending on how fast the cooling process is, slow cooling tends to isotropic or evenly distribute the filler or salt. If stretching is popping out surface salt granules, then rubbing should do the same. It takes hours if not days to dissolve salt crystals in water under boiling temperatures.
Tom
Yeajray231 reply :
On 2/13/2017 at 9:49 AM, Team9nine said:
Thanks for reminding me to never use sarcasm again in any response I give to one of your posts. It was a situational response at the time that obviously went right over your head - my bad
-T9
I really wasn't offended... Lol it just stuck in my mind for some reason and when this post was made about salt it kind of made me think... What's salt have to do with anything ? There really isn't any 'obviously " about it bud. You said that it makes absolutely no difference.. and you meant it.. the reason you gave me was so that the consumer would buy 2.. there was no sarcasm in that.. and clearly I'm not going to go tell "all my friends " anything.. lol. What friends anyway I'm basically married with a child... it's all good i just took your word for it and assumed the salt made.no difference other than some taste...But apparently this only has to do with zoom finesse worms .. and their like? ..
@IndianaFinesse how'd I know you were going to quote me when I mentioned team9nine..
I suppose that makes sense. But to say that the salt in "super salt plus" and unsalted zoom plastics makes no difference is more than a little odd to me... Is what it is... The answer doesn't change my life at all.
IndianaFinesse reply :
On 2/13/2017 at 10:36 AM, Yeajray231 said:
@IndianaFinesse how'd I know you were going to quote me when I mentioned team9nine..
You asked a question, I answered it. You could have mentioned Joe Bob in that post and I would have answered your question, makes no difference to me.
RoLo reply :
On 2/13/2017 at 10:36 AM, Yeajray231 said:The answer doesn't change my life at all.
Hmph...Not Yet! 
Yeajray231 reply :
On 2/13/2017 at 10:50 AM, IndianaFinesse said:You asked a question, I answered it. You could have mentioned Joe Bob in that post and I would have answered your question, makes no difference to me.
Lol I swear though I knew as soon as I posted I was getting quoted from you... I'm just confused on how it makes such a difference with zinkerz and makes absolutely no difference if I use super salt plus or unsalted trick worm..
On 2/13/2017 at 10:51 AM, RoLo said:
Hmph...Not Yet!
Is this a hint to watch my blood pressure ?
RoLo reply :
On 2/13/2017 at 10:51 AM, RoLo said:Hmph...Not Yet!
Is this a hint to watch my blood pressure ?
Nah, just skin-deep humor 
OCdockskipper reply :
On 2/13/2017 at 10:57 AM, Yeajray231 said:Is this a hint to watch my blood pressure ?
Well, if you stretch your arm & salt pops out of the pores, then maybe you should keep an eye on it...
BASS302 reply :
Thanks for the answers. I will try again next weekend with your suggestions (the serious suggestions). I was just trying to follow directions since I've never used a Ned rig.
Bluebasser86 reply :
I don't worry about stretching them. They catch fish just fine with or without salt in them. It's a simple technique, not going to go overcomplicating it with trying to remember whether or not I stretched my baits before I used them.
Team9nine reply :
On 2/13/2017 at 10:57 AM, Yeajray231 said:I'm just confused on how it makes such a difference with zinkerz and makes absolutely no difference if I use super salt plus or unsalted trick worm..
Here's the difference. In the original Zoom post you keep bringing up, the OP wanted to use them on a shakeyhead. When you start attaching normal plastics on 1/8 or 3/16 oz. heads, whether that plastic has any salt in it is irrelevant because it is basically going to fish the same regardless. And yes, in that case, if you buy two packs of Zoom baits in a bunch of colors, some salted and another set unsalted, the manufacturer won and you wasted your money.
In the case of a Ned rig where you have a highly buoyant piece of specialized plastic (Elaztech), and where the manufacturer adds salt to try and make it sink, and you are only fishing a 1/32 or 1/16 oz. jig head, the bait will fish completely different with the salt compared to without. An unsalted ZinkerZ won't even sink with a 1/32 oz head - it floats.
That's about as good as I can try and explain it.
-T9
Bass_Fishing_Socal reply :
Today I use brand new zinkerz for about an hour finally caught one fish then the zinkerz start not to sink(or very slow sink). I guess that how I remove salt from zinkerz. I will use that zinker either on shaky head or 1/10 oz shroom jig.
everythingthatswims reply :
The night before a tournament that I think I will use a ned rig in (which is very rare) I will fill up my sink with water, take my zinkerz that are chopped in half, stretch them a bunch and then let them soak until they float.
fishwizzard reply :
After I get the zlinker guled up on the jighead I give a stretch to the part behind the hook. I figure I want action there but I want the plastic to be solid and firm where the hook is in it.
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