Versatile Jackall Giron
Recognizing The Next Generations

One of the coolest parts of working with sponsors from a tournament anglers prospective is getting to field test new products. For some anglers I know this can be difficult as we all have our favorite baits and techniques. But the real deal is if you are going to work for a company you are expected to cut off those confidence baits get down and dirty, and do some hard work putting potential products through the paces. For me personally this is a real kick as every once in a while you really stumble on something special. A couple of years ago the first guy’s out throwing the chatterbait probably had a sly smirk on their faces as they were slaying the fish, while knowing that they had stumbled onto something pretty darn special. In the late nineties I can only imagine that Yamamoto Pro Staffers had this same type of experience. I am sure when they saw the memo that they were supposed to go out and throw this ball point pen looking worm with no weight, many had to pry themselves to do so. Of course that bait was eventually named the Senko, and for the Yamamoto Baits became one of the hottest baits to ever come along. In fact to some extent those baits were industry changing.

Recently, Curt Arakawa of Jackall Lures sent me a new concept bait to add to my arsenal. The bait was the Jackall Giron. As I started to test the bait I was amazed at its life like action, the bait really looks alive in the water. As I used it more I found the bait could be ripped and twitched to give an erratic action that seemed to really set off pre spawn and feeding fish. The fact that you can stop this bait and it sits level on its hooks with a very slow rate of decent made it lethal on bedding bass. I was convinced that this was going to be an awesome spring time bait that could be used to target larger 3lb plus fish.

As summer came I started to test the bait around areas in Northern California and found the bait equally as good at catching fish in multitudes of different lakes and situations. Its really one of those versatile baits, that can be used anytime fish are shallow. Its slow moving presentation makes it an easy mark for hungry bass, and fish really just destroy it! Over the last year the Giron has really become a key factor in my success on the west coast. It doesn’t matter the body of water or the time of year this baits catches fish and they are usually the better quality ones I need to say at the top of the standings.

To some extent the Jackall Lures Giron has given me the best of both worlds. It really can be thought of as a ¾ oz swimbait, and or jerkbait all in one. I use the Giron under numerous conditions, around abundant cover, and it has even become one of my favorite dock baits. One trick that that has produced very well for me is using the Giron as a skipping bait. Because of its flat sided design I can skip it into places other baits simply can’t get to. This has become deadly for me on lakes like Clear Lake where big bass like to shade under docks. By accurately skipping the bait deep under the dock and then allowing it to slowly fall bass will many times eat the bait before I even engage my reel. If I don’t get hit on the initial fall I can then slowly swim the bait out which usually is just too much for big bass to resist. Other presentations that work well are to rip the bait much like a jerkbait or just twitch it leaving the bait in the strike zone almost appearing barely alive.

The Jackall Lures Giron’s versatility is amazing and right now it seems to catch fish on any body of water that has pesky sunfish, which is about all of them! I have implemented a few other tricks to the Giron. When I am not fishing shallow cover and I want to sink the bait slightly faster I have been using suspend dots. If I really want to get the bait down and or use a faster retrieve clamping a core shot sinker the shaft of the front treble really seems to do the trick. This is something that works with many of the higher end crankbaits and jerkbaits and the Giron is no different. Because its centrally balanced the fall rate and depth can be adjusted without compromising the action. By placing the weight on the shaft it doesn’t impede your hookup, and makes it even tougher for big fish to shake off.

With all the avenues the Jackall Lures Giron can be used its important to understand that strikes on the Giron are much like other swimbaits. As angler we really need to reel down on the fish and use a sweeping action to ensure solid hook sets. By implementing this type of hook set I think you will find more times than not the bait will be deep in the fishes mouth.

Which brings me to the equipment needed to really take advantage of this unique bait. For me personally I like a Powell 764, this seven foot plus rod really gives me the power I need to set the hook on large fish, it also allows me to take up slack quickly when setting on the fish of a life time. I match it with the new Revo STX from Abu Garcia, which if you haven’t tried is an amazing reel at a great price. For dirty water like the California Delta I use 50lb braid, but under most conditions I like Berkley Big Game in 15 to 17lb. test.

I hope that in reading this I have opened you eyes to an incredible new bait that many anglers are not quite aware of. It’s given me a great advantage this year on the western tours and I think it will give the same advantage are your home waters. Posted in this column are two of the new colors hitting the stores this fall, give them a try when the need arises to catch fish.
Good fishing -- Cody