Japanese rigs like the drop-shot and wacky rig began winning tournaments . If the rigs were so innovative and effective , the lures must be , too .
That mindset persists even as Japanese baits have become more commonplace . Some of that is stereotype , but some of it is truly rooted in the way Japanese companies design lures .
A prime example is Jackall ’ s Aska crankbait . Legendary designer Seiki Kato spent four years working through more than 80 prototypes , adjusting it little by little to get what he wanted . That ’ s not to say U . S . companies don ’ t put in their time when it comes to product development — there are numerous examples of multi-year lure development processes — but having worked with a number of companies in the industry designing lures , I ' ve never experienced anything like Kato ' s dedication to that one bait .
“ The design process is crazy ,” says Ariel Biley , product manager for Jackall . “ The research that goes into it and the focus on the smallest intricacies outdoes everything in U . S .”
Then there ’ s all the creativity and innovation .
Lucky Craft pioneered a new wave of jerkbaits and squarebills in the early 2000s . Paddle-tail swimbaits were lost in your great grandpa ’ s tacklebox until Keitech found a way to make them staples . Duo Realis shone a light on the spybait , while Deps did the same with bulky stickbaits ( such as the Cover Scat ). And then there ’ s Megabass , whose Vision 110 jerkbait has become the go-to for almost everyone , as is their Magdraft among larger swimbaits .
And we haven ’ t even gotten into the truly weird lures like the O . S . P . Saikoro Dice , which Biley says comes from Japan ’ s “ crazy style ” concept . A cadre of
ART BY BRANDON ROWAN
Japanese anglers intentionally try to catch bass on baits that look nothing like something they should eat , which has resulted in some wild , off-the-wall creations .
While Biley says Jackall tends to steer clear of that “ crazy style ,” there can still be a stigma of Japanese lures being “ too weird ” for American markets . A prime example is the Riser Bait , which he says Jackall nearly discontinued in the U . S . because of poor sales . Turns out , just like in the 1990s , anglers in the know were keeping the lure secret . But now that the cat is out of the bag , Jackall has barely been able to keep them in stock .
So , yes , there ’ s definitely something special and “ different ” with Japanese lures . There ’ s also downside to that — cost .
More often than not , Japanese lures cost more than U . S . lures , which is going to steer many anglers away . And Rosell and Biley understand . Why spend $ 20 on a crankbait when the $ 10 one you ’ ve always used seems to catch fish just as well — especially when many top pros also hold up the same $ 10 crankbait in Top-10 lure galleries after tournaments ?
To that second point , we could spend an entire article shooting the Easter Bunny and talking about pros not holding up the lures they actually used in tournaments . ( Anglers lie ? No way !) But the first point is incredibly valid , especially when you consider many American companies create their own versions of popular Japanese lures that often work close to or as well as the originals at a fraction of the cost .
Does that make U . S . companies ’ products better ? If cost is your primary concern , then probably . If you feel the added attention to detail ( and cost associated with it ) is worth it , perhaps not . Ultimately , there ’ s no right or wrong answer .
What history tells us , though , is if you ’ re looking for the next innovative , “ secret ” lure , it ’ s probably going to come from Japan . That said , once the secret is out , U . S . companies have proven quite talented at recreating them ( along with developing plenty of unique products of their own ).
Just know that , even as they continue to permeate the American market , the aura around Japanese lures is not going anywhere , and rightfully so .
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