Fishing Japanese Secret

  Keitech Salty Core Tube. The solid tube worm by Keitech.  Keitech Salty Core Tube  In Japan, this is well-known as an alternative to Yamamoto Fat Ika. Actually, many anglers say "could be better than Fat Ika to fish cover".  Wow!  This lure can be used for both normal rigging and reverse rigging. The normal rigging is for the Texas rig setting. The reverse rigging is, of course, for the weightless rig, Line ups   They have 3.5" and 4.25". 4.25" is popular for Bass fishing. I'm using 3.5" for Saltwater. 3.5"  7.8g 4.25" 14g Waki's recommendation. Weightless Reverse rigging.  I believe this is the most popular rig for Salty Core Tube in Japan. A kinda default. Set an offset hook from the skirt side.   By reverse rigging it, the lure would have BACKSLIDE action. Casting this in the edge of covers, the lure would backslide swimming down deep into the cover. Looks like a torpedo. This is a well-known technique for Yamamoto Fat Ika, Salty Co

 Keitech Liittle Spider. The worm with skirts and double tails. The founder of Keitech, Professor Kei Hayashi, made this epoch-making lure when finesse jigs with silicon skirts were not yet in the market.   I believe this lure once got discontinued, then Keitech revived this with some changes. The current version of Little Spider was made of a different material from the original one. A solid body made of non-salt material with Keitech squid scents. I have never used the original one. So, I can't tell you anything about the old model. but checking out the internet, the old model was made of silicon. And it had a hollow body. Wow. interesting. Line ups   They have mini, slim, original, and long. For saltwater, I'm using mini 3.5".   2” / 1.1g  3” / 1.7g  3.5" / 2.7g Waki's recommendation. Texas rig.  I think the most popular rig for this lure is a jig head tig. Many anglers use this on a light tackle, with 1/16 to 1/8oz jig head. But I'm using 3" or 3.5&qu

 Keitech Impact series. Swing Impact, Live Impact, Shad Impact, and Sexy Impact .  If my memory is correct, Sexy Impact is the most latest Impact series bait.   Yeah, this looks sexy. The straight shape with a pintail is designed to produce lifelike movements. Any actions given would be transmitted to the pintail through the perfectly engineered body making great tail action, which looks just like live bait. And yes, Keitech's strong squid scent is contained. Sexy Impact! Line ups   They have mini, slim, original, and long. For saltwater, I'm using mini 3.5".   2.8” / 1.5g  3.8” / 3.3g  4.8" / 6.3g  5.8" / 10.6g  The body has a 2 tone color. The back and belly have different a color that would make awesome contrasts in the water.  Waki's recommendation. Weightless rig.  Keitech official website recommends this rig. 4.8" and 5.8" models have enough weight to use for a weightless rig. 4.8" would be good for a spinning tackle. 5.8" can be goo

  Curly tail worm. It's one of the popular soft baits for Bass fishing. My favorite Japanese lure brand, Keitech, of course, has a curly tail. Keitech Mad Wag .     Keitech calls its curly tail "Thick Bone Tail", which produces great swimming action. The ribbed body has what we call PGS (Point Guard System) that allows us to hide the hook point under the rib making this weedless. And yes, the lure has a strong Squid scent as well as other Keitech bait. This smells! Line ups   They have mini, slim, original, and long. For saltwater, I'm using mini 3.5".   Mini 2.5”  Mini 3.5”  Slim 4.5"  Slim 6"  Original 7”  Long 8”  Long 11”  They also have many color choices. But Keitech USA does not have as many colors as we have in Japan. We can find many colors that would greatly work for Largemouth bass. But colors like pearl white and shad are missing from the U.S line ups. It's a bit bummer but not a big deal for me. Since I can find my favorites Green Pump

 I love using Craw and Creature-type bits for Texas rig. They're working amazing for both Freshwater Bass and Saltwater Bass.   My favorite Japanese Soft Baits brand, Keitech, has an awesome Craw bait.  Crazy Flapper . I've caught tons of fish using it with Texas rig, Jika-rig, and Rubber jig.  For Freshwater, 3.6" is my primary choice. For Saltwater, I use 2.8". 2.8" Crazy Flapper for Saltwater Calico and Spotted Bay Bass.  The arms catch the water well fluttering busily. Only the belly is made of a salty material. Other parts are enough durable to fish a cover. You MUST do this.  Make sure that you detach arm tops. When out of the package. it attaches together. They call it "Factory Lock". You have to make it detach otherwise! Waki's recommendation. Texas rig, Jika rig, and Free rig   The standard and the best option for Crazy Flapper would be a Texas rig. To make their arms fluttering crazy busily for sure, at least 3.5g (1/8oz) weight would be n

 O.S.P is a popular Japanese fishing brand led by a famous pro, Toshinari Namiki (並木敏成) a.k.a T.Namiki.   Toshinari Namiki is the first Japanese Bass Pro who qualified for Bass Master Classic in 1997. He used to work for Daiwa and now he's producing Daiwa's top bass brand line, the Steez series.  He's also famous for his amazing casting technique that's called "Machinegun Cast". His Machinegun Cast technique is insane. The casts made by his left hand are magic. If you have never checked out his casting technique, you should check it out now!  In June 2000, he came back from the U.S. Bass tournament tour and founded his lure brand, O.S.P. Since then, based in Hachioji, in the western portion of Tokyo Metropolis, O.S.P. has been producing so many great lures that are based on their concept "10 Years Standard". The products can be standard even after 10 years from the launch.   O.S.P DoLive Craw is their first soft bait produced in 2008. The lure was pr

 Keitech Easy Shiner. Keitech is famous for one of the epoch-making soft lures, Swing Impact. Easy Shiner is another great swimbait by them.  The swimming action is breathtaking. It looks like live bait. Could be more natural than live bait!!   The tail swings perfectly as well as Swing Impact. But this bait also has modest rolling actions and perfect balance. The upper body is made of a lighter material than its belly. Meaning the bait always automatically balances not to turn over.  2", 3", 3.5", 4", 5", and 8". I have never used 5" and 8" but I do love this bait. Could be the best of the best swimbait. Waki's recommendation. Jig head rig:  I'd say this bait is made for Jig head rig. Set this on any jig head you like, cast it, retrieve it. You'll catch fish. No rod action is needed. No jerk. No twitch. Let's just reeling. This is the best technique to fully utilize this lure's capability.  2" would be great for panfishi

 Keitech Swing Impact. Shadtail swimbait-type lures produced by Keitech, the Japanese fishing brand.   The action is marvelous. Swiming, falling, and slow dragging, with whatever actions, the tail widely swings appealing to the predators. No other lures can be like a Swing Impact.  Any rig can be used for this extraordinary soft bait. Jig head rig could be the most common and easy. But Texas rig, Free rig, JIka rig, Carolina rig, Drop shot rig, Neko rig, and rubber jig trailer. Any rigs we can use. My son caught a nice one on the Swing Impact jig head rig. Waki's recommendation. Jig head rig:  Probably the most popular rig for Swing Impact. Very versatile we can apply many techniques and can be used for any situation.  2" and 2.5" are the best match for 1/32 to 1/16 oz small jig head like a crappie jig. I prefer to couple them up with Keitech Super Round Tungsten Jig Head . When I fish grassy areas, a jig head with a brush guard,  Keitech Mono Guard Jig Head,  would be be

 I found that Gary Yamamoto Fat Ika has big followers in the Japanese Bass anglers' community. Many say it's the best Bass Fishing Lure that could be better than Senko.   I did not believe in it since I was a huge fan of Senko. Better than Senko? No way. But one day, I decided to give it a shot. At that time, I was into jigs (rubber Jigs). My main field was a rocky shallow area easy to get snagged. I lost many jigs and it was so frustrating. Then suddenly one idea came up in my mind. "Oh, Gary Yamamoto Fat Ika looks like a rubber jig! If I'm using it with a nail sinker and an offset hook, it would be way less snag than jigs!".  I opened the laptop and order it on TackleWarehouse. In a couple of days, it was delivered.   The result was... amazing . Waki's recommendation. Back-slide setting:  Fat Ika has a bulky body made of a salty Gary Material. It's enough heavy to cast using Baitcaster. And it has skirts with many tentacles.   I set an offset hook from t

 Do you know  Yamamoto Kut Tail Worm ? It's one of the most popular Gary Yamamoto soft baits in Japan. As popular as Yamamoto Senko is.  For any reason, this bait is not popular in the U.S. at all. But in Japan, this is well known among Bass anglers as a so-called live bait alternative . Some said this bait is a sort of cheat should be banned for the local competition! lol. Tons of Gary Yamamoto selections in the tackle shop in Japan. In Japan, Gary Yamoto worms are coming in the Yellow package. (It's green in the U.S.)  Yes. This is a great bait that never ever got me disappointed.  Waki's recommendation. Drop shot tig:  When I rig a drop shot for Bass Fishing, Kut tail is always my first choice. This setup has brought me tons of fish. I mainly use 3.5", 4", and 5" but sometimes I use 6.5" with a heavy tackle set. Kut Tail Worm / Drop shot rig. Neko rig:  This bait is also good for Neko rig. I know many anglers prefer floating worms for Neko since they

  Gary Yamamoto Custom Baits . One of my favorite brands for soft plastics. Senko, Kut Tail Worm, Fat Ika, and more.  In Japan, we can find many more Gary Yamamoto soft plastic lineups than in the U.S. It's a very popular brand in Japan. Gary International , Gary Yamamoto's Japanese agent company in Japan, has been producing lots of Japanese domestic products that we can't find in the U.S.  While Gary Yamamoto keeps introducing so many cool lures, yet Senko is the most popular lure. Senko is a real legendary bait that has changed Bass fishing history. Yamamoto Senko  My first Gary Yamamoto was back in 2008 in Ontario, Canada where I started into Bass Fishing. I ran my research on the Japanese anglers' web community and found this awesome lure, Gary Yamamoto Senko. I used to be a very saltwater fisherman. Spinning tackle with a seabass rod was what I had at that time. Senko's weightless rig looked a perfect match for my tackle.  The result was super impressive. Durin

 Have you ever heard of the " Winding Technique "? It is popular among Japanese cutlassfish anglers. Using a specialized darter jig head, fishing cutlassfish from both offshore and shore.   Jerking a darter jig head, the lure randomly up and down, sliding left and right, it's appealing to the fish instinct. I mean we expect a reaction bite.   Applying that technique for the bottom fish, Japanese anglers catch rockfish, Flathead, and Japanese large-tooth flounder. When we use a light tackle and small jig head, it would be called "light bottom wind".   I've been watching many Japanese Youtube videos introducing this technique and decided to try it by myself. And the result was... Great!  Spotted Bay Bass, Barred Sand Bass, Calico. They love this technique. Let's check out my Youtube video to learn how to do it.  In Japan, we can find a specialized darter jig head. Many brands produce such items. But in the U.S., unfortunately, we can't have many choice

 When I first time moved to North America, I was surprised that I could not find any telescopic landing pole.  In Japan, Tamo-ami タモ網 is very popular and we can find it at any fishing store. It has a telescopic pole and net. The telescopic could be from 2m to 6m. When we fish from the rock, cliff, jetty, pier, etc.. we need a landing net with a very long pole. The telescopic landing pole makes it.  I introduce a Japanese-style landing net/pole. Tamo Ami.  In the U.S. (and Canada), I could not find it. So I bought some in Japan and brought it back. When I was into Bass Fishing, it was not always necessary. Since in many cases, I was fish at the water edge and could easily hand-landing the fish. But when I used Jerkbait with 3 triple hooks, the landing net was very useful. Multi triple hooks can be very dangerous for hand landing.  Then I started saltwater fishing a couple of years ago here in Southern California. The landing net got to be very important for me. I often fish from the roc

 I have some fishing tools I always bring for fishing. They're very important and essential to me. Without them, I'll be super nervous and would not be able to focus on fishing.  BogaGrip is one of them.   When I fished 20 years ago, Fish Grip was not that popular. When I caught Japanese Seabass and Japanese Rockfish, I simply lipped them as I'm doing for a Bass. When I caught a toothy fish like cutlassfish, I removed a hook by using a plier.  But now, I believe almost all avid anglers in Japan bring a fish grip. I don't remember when it started getting popular, but it's now a common fishing tool.  I tried several types of fish grip. And I came to the conclusion. BogaGrip is great. BogaGrip could be the best.   It surprisingly holds tightly the big fish. Super stable. And looks cool! Checking out Japanese internet articles, many anglers also says so.    There are many fishing grips way cheaper than  BogaGrip , but how often do we buy a grip? I believe I've been

  Carolina Rig . A very classic rig. Popular for any type of bait fishing like live baits, dead baits, and lures.  The rig is very simple but compared to other simple rigs like the Texas rig, this rig requires a couple of extra steps and parts. So that many young anglers prefer other modern rigs like the Free rig over this classic rig. But... this rig is still great! Rigging     The rig requires these items. Weight . I think a classic Carolina rig is using an egg sinker or a slim barrel-shaped weight. I prefer using a Texas rig tungsten bullet weight.  We also can use a drop shot weight with an open-eye just like a Free rig.  Plastic Bead / Rubber (optional) This is totally optional but when using a weight slipping the fishing line through, I prefer using a plastic bead or a soft rubber bead as a shock absorber protecting the knot.  Swivel The rig requires a swivel to tie the main knot and leader. A simple swivel without clips would be fine. A swivel would make sure the weight won'

  Weightless rig . A simple but deadly rig for shallow water.  Hook and soft lure. That's it. No weight. In Japan, we call this rig "No Sinker rig ノーシンカーリグ".   Yamamoto Senko must be the most popular soft bait for this technique. This is a super productive rig when we fish shallow water and shallow covers. When there are fish, well be able to get bites right away. Rigging     There are 2 types of major riggings. Weightless Texas Weightless setup using an Offset hook. This looks just like a Texas rig without a bullet weight. Good to fish cover because of the snag-free capability. Weightless Wacky Wacky style rigging suing standard single hook. I prefer using a hook with weedguards. We can have great natural action with this setup.  How to fish?   I generally use a spinning tackle or BFS for this since in general, weightless means the rig is lightweight could be too light for Baitcaster with mid to heavy setup. Fall and Stay This is the most common. Using soft baits like Ya

  Drop shot rig . Super popular rig for Bass fishing.   In Japan, we call it "DOWN SHOT RIG ダウンショットリグ". The word "DROP SHOT RIG" is not common there. When we say "DOWN SHOT RIG", I believe the majority of people would imagine a lightweight drop shot sinker with a light spinning tackle set. But there is a heavy version of it. We call it "Heavy DOWN SHOT". Using a heavier weight with heavy baitcasting tackle.   My preference is a light finesse style Drop shot rig setup. G-Loomis IMX 6feet Ex-fast, Shimano #2000 spinning (Stradic Ci4+), Berkley Nanofil 6lb or 8lb, and Fluorocarbon 6 to 8 lb. The weight is 1/32 (0.9g) to 1/8 (3.5g). This is my main tackle set. What do you think? It's too light? Or too heavy? I believe this can be seen as a heavier setup in Japan. There, anglers are using 3lb, 4lb Fluorocarbon line to catch bass using a drop shot rig. Wow... 3lb!? 4lb!? For me, it sounds too extreme...   This rig is not just for Bass Fishing. Can