Japan New Tackle — Weekly New JDM Bass Lure Releases

Updated 2026-10-01

Week of Sept 28: Abu Garcia's Magnesium Zenon CX Spinning, and Megabass Reworks the Okashira Head

Abu Garcia released the Zenon CX Spinning on Sept 29: a magnesium-body spinning reel whose 1000S weighs 113 g, with all four sizes at 124 g or less. Megabass is reworking its Okashira Head jig head and adding a prop-equipped Screw Head version for late November.

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Abu Garcia

Abu Garcia Zenon CX Spinning

Spinning reel ¥82,500 Released Sept 29, 2026

Four sizes — 1000S, 2000SH, 2500SH and 3000SH — weighing 113 g to 124 g. The 1000S is 5.2:1; the others are 6.2:1. Magnesium body with Forged Compressed Carbon (FCC), a carbon-matrix drag and Salt Shield bearings; 10+1 bearings. Max drag is 2.3 kg on the 1000S and 2000SH and 5 kg on the 2500SH and 3000SH. The 2500SH holds 6 lb mono × 100 m or PE #0.8 × 150 m. ¥75,000 before tax (¥82,500 with tax). Abu lists bass, light saltwater and squid as targets.

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Megabass

Megabass Okashira Head (renewed) and Okashira Screw Head

Jig head Late November 2026

Megabass has reworked the Okashira Head: a delta-shaped head, a water-through lane, a revised worm keeper and a spiral fall that keeps the bait level, aimed at better shaking action, fall posture, snag resistance and hook-ups. Four weights from 1/16 to 1/4 oz, hooks #2/0 to #4/0, three per pack at ¥1,080–1,130 before tax. The Okashira Screw Head adds an ITO prop for irregular vibration and flash, at ¥1,360–1,400. A heavier HG version (3/8–3/4 oz) is still in development.

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Updated 2026-09-21

Week of Sept 21: Daiwa's Zillion TW Gets a 36mm Spool, and Three Shop-Exclusive Jointed Claws

Daiwa put a 36 mm spool in the Zillion TW. The 26 Zillion TW 150 runs a G1 duralumin MAG-Z BOOST spool for distance, weighs 215 g, and is positioned for bass through seabass, surf and rockfish — ¥58,400 including tax. The other story is Gan Craft: three shop-exclusive Jointed Claw colorways land at once.

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Daiwa

Daiwa 26 Zillion TW 150

Baitcasting reel ¥58,400 On sale now

215 g, with a 36 mm spool 24 mm wide. Three gear ratios — 6.3, 7.3 and 8.4 — retrieving 70, 82 and 94 cm per handle turn. Capacity is PE #3 × 150 m or 20 lb fluorocarbon × 100 m, with 5.5–6 kg of max drag depending on model. Eight ball bearings plus one roller. The spool is G1 duralumin running Daiwa's MAG-Z BOOST, and the reel uses HYPERDRIVE DESIGN. Six models including L, H, HL, XH and XHL, at ¥58,400 including tax. The 36 mm spool and the PE #3 rating put this at the heavier end of the Zillion line rather than the finesse end.

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Gan Craft

Gan Craft Jointed Claw — three shop-exclusive colorways

Swimbait September–October 2026

Three separate shop exclusives arriving together. Tsunemi takes the Jointed Claw Shift 263 at ¥15,000 before tax, due in October in YB Trout and Oiran — built on the standard Shift 263 but with the internal weighting changed, a custom hard ROM DAMPER fitted and Headshot hooks. Taniyama Shoji takes the Jointed Claw 168 at ¥6,000 before tax in September, in Steel Back and Kuishiburi Stripe Gill. Fuchuya takes the same 168 at ¥6,000 in October, in Mikkabi Mikan and Energy Chart II. A retailer commissioning its own run, selling it out and never repeating it is standard practice in Japan, and it is a large part of why these colors keep their price secondhand.

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Updated 2026-09-14

Week of Sept 14: Heddon's 1942 Colors Reissued, and a Megabass Rod Enters the Henry Ford Museum

A quiet week for new product, but two things worth knowing. Smith reissues the Heddon Lucky 13 in six colors taken from 1942 — the year Chuck Heddon was born — landing in October. And Megabass's Destroyer Evoluzion took an IDEA Silver Award, completing a sweep of the world's three major design prizes; it goes into the Henry Ford Museum's permanent collection alongside the first iPhone.

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Smith

Smith Chugg Heddon Vintage Collection Lucky 13

Topwater lure October 2026

The second run in Smith's Chugg Heddon Vintage Collection. 3-3/4 inches, 5/8 oz, in six colors chosen on one rule: each was in the Heddon catalogue in 1942, the year Chuck Heddon was born. The list reads 9A Yellow Perch, 9B Frog, 9D Green Scale, 9J Frog Scale, 9XRY Yellow Shore Minnow and RB Rainbow. Open pricing, October 2026. For US anglers this is an odd loop — an American bait, reissued in Japan, in its own 1942 colors.

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Megabass

Megabass Destroyer Evoluzion (IDEA Silver Award)

Rod Already on sale

Yuki Ito's Destroyer Evoluzion took a Silver at the 2026 IDEA awards, following iF Design 2025 and Red Dot 2025 — making it the first piece of fishing tackle to sweep all three of the world's major design prizes. It enters the permanent collection at the Henry Ford Museum in Michigan, shelved next to the original iPhone. Not a new release; this is a rod already on sale, now with a museum credential no other rod has.

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Updated 2026-09-07

Week of Sept 7: An Ambassadeur With Electronic Braking, and DUEL's New Flagship Hardbait Line

Abu Garcia drops an Ambassadeur running its VOLTIQ electronic brake in October and November — CNC-machined full metal body, ¥69,500 before tax, sitting at the top of the round-reel line. DUEL answers with LaTour, a 17-model hardbait series spanning cranks, shads, vibes and a 210mm pencil.

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Abu Garcia

Abu Garcia Ambassadeur 3700 / 1700 VOLTIQ

Baitcasting reel ¥69,500 3700 series October 2026, 1700 series November 2026

An Ambassadeur built around Abu's VOLTIQ electronic brake. The 1700H/1701H weighs 157g at 7.1:1 with 4kg of drag and a 30mm spool; the 3700/3701 runs 177g at 6.7:1 with 7kg and a 34mm spool, and the 3700H/3701H is the same body at 8.1:1. All sizes carry 12+1 bearings in a CNC-machined full metal frame, rated for fresh and salt. ¥69,500 before tax across the range — this is the top of the round-reel line, not a value model.

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DUEL

DUEL LaTour Series

Hardbait Autumn 2026 onward; several models still in prototype

DUEL's new flagship hardbait line, built around casting distance, flash and durability: tungsten weight-transfer, a patented holographic lip, and a Powercoat finish. Seventeen models at launch — cranks from 1+ to 7+ (65-100mm, 14-55.5g), 60/75mm and MR shads, a 110mm flat-side, rattling vibes at 40/55/65mm, a 70mm popper, a 65mm minnow, and a 210mm 31g glide called Long. The 5+ crank is rated past 50m of casting distance and 5.5m of depth.

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Updated 2026-08-31

September 2026: The Lightest Spinning Reel Ever Made & a Bottom-Crawling Swimbait

Abu Garcia claims the lightest spinning reel ever built — 118g in the 2500 size — landing late September. Jackall counters with a 2.8-inch swimbait designed to be dragged along the bottom.

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Abu Garcia

Abu Garcia Zenon CX Spinning

Spinning reel ¥75,000 Late September 2026

Four sizes: 1000S, 2000SH, 2500SH, 3000SH, at 113g / 114g / 118g / 124g. Abu calls the 2500 the lightest spinning reel ever made. Gearing is 5.2:1 on the 1000S and 6.2:1 from the 2000SH up; drag is 2.3kg on the two small sizes and 5kg on the larger pair. 10+1 bearings. Forged compressed carbon over a magnesium body, manual bail return, carbon matrix drag, Salt Shield bearings. Left-hand only. 75,000 yen before tax.

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Jackall

Jackall Goridoras 2.8

Swimbait ¥1,320 September 2026

A 2.8-inch sinking swimbait in two weights, 12.8g and 16.6g. It is built to be crawled along the bottom: multiple ribs to grab water, a triangular body to hold posture, and a soft elastomer that keeps the action responsive. The hook sits inside the body to reduce what a bass feels, and there are two tie points to change the attitude. Six colours. 1,320 yen including tax.

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Updated 2026-08-26

Late August 2026: A High-Speed Big-Bait Baitcaster & O.S.P's First Slash-Bill Jerkbait

Abu Garcia drops a big-bait baitcaster with a 110cm-per-turn gear in October, and O.S.P launches its first slash-bill jerkbait — a high-float design that shimmies back to the surface after each jerk.

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Abu Garcia

Abu Garcia Beast 300 Rocket / Beast 400 Rocket

Baitcasting reel ¥39,800 October 2026

A big-bait baitcaster on a 45mm spool. The 300 runs a 9.3:1 gear at 308g; the 400 is 7.8:1 at 476g. Both retrieve 110cm per turn, carry 9kg of drag and 7+1 bearings, and share the Infini brake system, a DuraMetal aluminium frame, gull-wing and cam-lock levers, and a drag clicker. 39,800 yen (300) and 44,000 yen (400), before tax.

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O.S.P

O.S.P Reise 110HF

Jerkbait ¥2,200 Early August 2026

A 110mm, 11.8g jerkbait built around O.S.P's first HP slash bill. The buoyancy is shifted forward so the bait shimmies and rises quickly after each jerk. A magnetic weight-transfer system handles casting; it also takes a straight retrieve, a twitch, or a waking presentation. Ten colours, 2,200 yen including tax.

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Updated 2026-08-03

Early August 2026: An Ayu-Pattern Jointed Big Bait & a Magnesium Spinning Reel

This week: Gan Craft adds seven photo-real ayu patterns to its 178mm jointed big bait, and Abu Garcia launches a magnesium-bodied spinning reel with a two-mode drag.

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Gan Craft

Gan Craft Ripple Claw 178 Realscale

Jointed big bait ¥6,600 August 2026

A 178mm / 47g jointed big bait gains seven photo-real ayu (sweetfish) patterns. It carries Gan Craft's articulated ROMTAIL and a removable lip, so you can change the wake, action and sound by adding or removing the lip. ¥5,500-6,000 before tax.

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Abu Garcia

Abu Garcia Revo MGX Gamma

Spinning reel ¥43,450 Late July - early August 2026

A magnesium body and C6 carbon rotor bring this down to 150-185g (165g for the 2500SH). 10+1 bearings, 3kg max drag on the 1000S/2000SH and 5kg from the 2500SH up. Five sizes: 1000S at 5.2:1 and the 2000/2500/3000/4000SH at 6.2:1. A two-way drag switches between LIGHT and TOUGH settings. ¥37,500-39,500 before tax.

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Updated 2026-07-27

Late July 2026: Ayu-Pattern Big Pencil & a Darting Jig Head

This week: Gan Craft adds seven photo-real ayu patterns to its big pencil, and Ryugi brings the saltwater darting technique to bass with a purpose-built jig head.

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Gan Craft

Gan Craft S-CAPER Realscale

Big pencil (topwater) ¥3,430 July 27, 2026

The 140mm, 1-1/16oz big pencil from the Jointed Claw family gets seven new photo-real finishes — all built on ayu (sweetfish) patterns, the baitfish Japanese big-bait anglers obsess over. Twitch it on slack line for a wide skating glide, or work stop-and-go for a hard side-to-side walk.

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RYUGI

RYUGI Darting Vespa

Darting jig head ¥825 July 2026

Ryugi imports the saltwater darting technique into bass fishing. A diamond-section head cuts water cleanly and the forward weight bias produces a controlled left-right dart instead of an over-wide slide. Nylon-coated adjustable weed guard, #1/#2 hooks, 3-7g, for 2.5-5" plastics.

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Updated 2026-07-20

Midsummer 2026: HideUp's Baitfish Cluster & Hata's New Worm

This week: HideUp's unusual 'three fish in one' elastomer bait, and a new hush-hush worm from tournament pro Takuma Hata that's reportedly wrecking reservoir bass.

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HideUp

HideUp School Fish 4"

Baitfish soft bait (elastomer) Coming soon (2026)

An unusual elastomer bait: one body carries a cluster of three baitfish of varying sizes. A belly slit takes an offset hook, and back-side nubs accept extra sinkers or hooks for endless rig experiments. Retrieved mid-water on a neko-football combo, it throws an Alabama-rig-like flashing roll.

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FISH MAGNET

FISH MAGNET ZXY

Soft plastic worm Coming soon (2026)

A new worm from Fish Magnet, produced by tournament star Takuma Hata. A deliberately simple shape built on what Hata calls a 'miracle golden ratio,' said to trigger absurd bite rates with the right tackle balance — details he's keeping under wraps. Already proven across multiple Japanese reservoirs.

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Updated 2026-07-13

Midsummer 2026: Murakami's I-Motion Plug & the Subsurface ONETEN

This week: the I-motion plug Haruhiko Murakami spent 3-4 years perfecting, and a super-shallow spin on the ONETEN — the JDM jerkbait US anglers already know by name.

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issei

issei G.C. Maji Iji 60F "Rareshi"

I-motion plug (floating) ¥1,870 Available now (July 2026)

Legendary designer Haruhiko Murakami spent 3-4 years on this 60mm floating i-motion plug. A micro lip and internal weight ball keep the dead-straight glide stable at any retrieve speed — the technique Japanese anglers use for ultra-pressured clear water. Semi-fixed tinsel tail, 8 colors.

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Megabass

Megabass VISION ONETEN SSR

Jerkbait (super shallow) New for 2026

The jerkbait every US angler knows — now tuned for the top 0.7m of the water column. 110.5mm, 1/2oz, slow floating, with a rise-up trajectory on short twitches for weedy super-shallow flats. Fluorine-coated Outbarb hooks. Japan's 2026 'subsurface' trend in one bait.

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Updated 2026-07-06

Midsummer 2026 New Releases: FFS-Ready Jig & Shad Crank

This week: Megabass answers the US forward-facing sonar boom with a purpose-built blade jig, and DUO shrinks the shad-crank hybrid to 40mm.

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Megabass

Megabass Makippa FFS

Finesse blade jig ¥1,210 August 2026 (pre-orders open)

A finesse blade jig designed specifically for forward-facing sonar — Japan's answer to the US FFS boom. High-density weight drops fast to the target depth, and the blade-hook system triggers reaction bites from inactive fish. 1/4oz (37mm) and 3/8oz (41mm), 8 colors.

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DUO

DUO Realis Cranking Shad 40MR

Shad crank (hybrid) July 2026

A 40mm, 4.5g fixed-weight floating hybrid that pairs a shad's bite appeal with a crankbait's search power. Dives to about 2m despite the tiny body, keeps rolling at slow retrieve speeds, and doubles as a surface shake bait. 9 colors.

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Updated 2026-06-15

2026 Tsuyu-to-Summer JDM Bass Lure Drop: Swimbait & Topwater

As the 2026 season moves from the rainy season into high summer, Japanese makers are leaning hard into finesse-presentation baits. We break down RAID JAPAN's dead-slow swimbait and the downsized pencil from Revonik (the boutique brand run by sight-fishing master Seiji Kato) — what's actually new about each, and where it earns a spot in your box. Sourced from manufacturer announcements and LureNewsR.

RAID JAPAN

RAID JAPAN Dead Boy

Swimbait (elastomer) ¥2,420 2026 (RAID JAPAN's first release of the year)

RAID JAPAN's first release of 2026, supervised by Yutaka Boy. A 150mm / 40g dead-slow-sinking shad-tail swimbait molded from soft elastomer, built around a single idea: retrieve it slower than any swimbait before it. The supple body keeps the tail kicking even at a crawl, making it deadly on pressured fish and post-spawn bass that refuse faster baits. If you've watched a big one follow and turn away, this is the bait that closes the deal.

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Revonik

Revonik Zenda 85 Loud

Pencil bait (topwater) Summer 2026

Revonik — the boutique brand led by sight-fishing master Seiji Kato — adds a downsized 85mm size to its Zenda pencil lineup. The semi-flat sides and bottom-weighted body let a light bait cast surprisingly far while delivering crisp walk-the-dog and diving actions. The LOUD version carries a rattle for extra calling power. A summer topwater built for pressured water, and exactly the kind of small-batch JDM bait that's hard to find outside Japan.

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Updated 2026-06-08

2026 Spring–Early Summer Japanese Bass Lure Roundup

A cross-category pick of the most notable Japanese bass lures launched for the 2026 season. We break down the latest from Megabass, Jackall and Evergreen — what's actually new about each one, and where it earns a spot in your box. All details are sourced from manufacturer announcements and LureNewsR.

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Jackall

Jackall Master Crank

Crankbait ¥1,870 February 2026 (SR model in March)

A compact 47mm crank built around the theme of "instant activation" — fast startup and sharp responsiveness off the rod tip. It comes in two models, SR (1.2m) and MR (1.8m), and pairs strong straight-line tracking with the obstacle-deflection you want when grinding hard bottom. A genuine workhorse for tough cranking conditions.

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Jackall

Jackall Rerange 95F

Jerkbait / Minnow ¥1,980 February 2026

A new 95mm size joins the popular Rerange jerkbait family. Its TG zero-friction slide-weight system makes it efficient at working the shallow zone on both the cast and the twitch. The floating design clears structure cleanly, making it a strong call for early-season suspended fish.

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Jackall

Jackall Vital Minnow 5 inch

Soft plastic minnow ¥1,320 February 2026

A soft minnow whose deliberately non-low-center-of-gravity body produces a sharp roll on the mid-strolling and hover presentations. The proprietary material reacts to the smallest input, so it shines in finesse, show-it-to-them situations. A natural fit for the mid-strolling and hover-strolling tactics that have taken over in recent years.

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Megabass

Megabass Karashi 80

I-style finesse plug ¥1,800 Releasing within 2026

A larger 80mm size joins the well-received KARASHI food-style finesse plug (previously 59mm). Its signature trick is doing it all on one bait — from a natural, slow I-shaped glide to a reaction-triggering dart — which makes it deadly on pressured, educated fish. The size bump also lets you match bigger forage when the situation calls for it.

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Megabass

Megabass iPX 12

Deep-diving crankbait ¥1,980 Releasing within 2026

A deep crank that reaches up to 4.5m. A two-lane weight-transfer system delivers both casting distance and a fast dig-down, while the honeycomb lip keeps the high-pitch action stable even on a fast retrieve. A summer-into-fall workhorse for grinding offshore structure and breaks efficiently.

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Megabass

Megabass Dog MAX

Big pencil (topwater) ¥2,200 Releasing within 2026

A 130mm big pencil. Its seesaw balancer system combines a strong walk-the-dog turn with long slides, and a water-through gill design adds appeal. A topwater built to call up big fish and search wide water at a quick tempo.

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Megabass

Megabass Yagott 3.5 inch

Creature bait (soft) ¥900 Releasing within 2026

A creature bait patterned on a dragonfly nymph (yago). Subtle leg vibration provides a natural appeal, and its unusual profile reads as bulky or slim depending on the viewing angle. A good match for bottom-oriented finesse — neko rig, light Texas and similar feed-them presentations.

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Evergreen

Evergreen Balam 200 Special Edition

Jointed swimbait Released April 24, 2026

An Evergreen Special Edition of the staple Balam 200 swimbait, released April 24, 2026. Its jointed body produces the smooth S-curve swim that defines big-bait fishing — floating up and feeding the biggest fish in the system. A limited-spec take on a proven model that drew plenty of attention.

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