Jackall I-Shad Review

I have fished the I-Shad for a few weeks but just recieved the US version this week. There is really no change from the Japan to US version other than some colors and the bait is the same. Once getting the box I was like a kid on Christmas with a new toy.

I first used the bait the way it was made to be fished in Japan. This is using light tackle and line. I rigged the bait on the 1/16 I-Motion Jighead the tied it to Lake Fork Flourohybrid 8 lb. line. I also used the Jackalll Power Inch Wacky rod with a Daiwa Steez spinning reel. The one thing I think alot of anglers will have to get used to is the feeling of no action. This bait is meant to be VERY subtle and trigger strikes and it does just that. I started off fishing the bait on shallow grass lines working the bait along the edges. It took about 30 mins before my first bite but it was worth the wait. The strike was strong and the fish crushed the bait. After boating the first fish I was "hooked" on it. One thing anglers need to remember when fishing it with this set up is don't rush the fish or the bait and let your equiptment do the work for you.

After fishing the bait several hours the way it is intended I just had to start playing with it. I rigged it on a baitcaster with 14 lb Lake Fork Flourohybrid on a Jackall Master Stroke rod and Daiwa Steez 7.1 reel. I like the faster reel to get alot of slack line back fast when working the bait. I tossed the bait onto wood cover and worked it weightless(nose hooked on a Owner Widegap Dropshot hook). After the cast I let the bait sink a few seconds and work it with a "twitching action" I then let the bait fall at the end of the laydown and got hammered. I decided to try that on the grass lines with the same results. I began to work it on top of the grass then every 10 feet or so I would just stop the bait and let it fall. Almost every fish hit the bait on the fall.

After working the bait and seeing how well it caught fish on bigger line I moved out to some deeper water and worked it on a few other rigs. I found the Dropshot rig worked awesome and the less you made the bait move the better it worked I used the 4.8 and 3.8 sizes for that. I then hit some super deep water and worked it on a C-Rig using the 4.8 and 5.8 size. The bait still caught fish and preformed well on the bigger line.

Although this bait can be fished a number of ways and catches fish everyway you can fish it I did find my biggest number of fish were caught fishing the bait the way it was intended. I know this bait will help alot of people boat more fish and will be a great addition to anyones tackle box. The number one thing to remember is fish the bait and give it a chance to catch fish. I see alot of anglers try a new bait and after about 15 mins they put it down. I tell my clients all the time when fishing a new tactic, work the bait and it will work for you. This bait is one of the best finesse tactics I have seen since the Jackall Flick Shake.