Product Test Fishing in Japan – Valleyhill (Ja-Do)

Hi there.
I am the one went back to Japan for business trip at early May and here I post the next scene of my Vallyhill trip.
Yes, the product test of their new prototype seabass rod and Ja-Do lures!

New Seabass Rod – First Impression

When I saw the proto rod firstly, thought the look is similar to Flatsaber. The length I have is 10”6’ but the new one is similar length. 9’ – 9’6 I think?
Looks a bit thinner than Flatsaber 106MH. The grip is thinner too.
And as it looks, I felt it was a bit lighter than Flatsaber.

Now let’s go to fishing!

The Cast Feel – Light and Smooth, Fast Tapered Rod

Flatsaber I use is designed as medium – slow tapered, so butt bends over well and a bit softer feeling. Therefore when you twitch lures / jigs the action can be a bit slower, but wider than the other rods I feel. But the rod itself is very strong, it can even fight against 50-60cm trevally as well.

Against that, the new rod is designed as faster tapered, so the cast direction accuracy can be higher I feel, and you can make more sensitive control of lure actions. Flatsaber can be better for slow jigging, but this rod can be better for luring if you compare.
The length and thickness of the grip also fits nicely all the time when you hold, grips well. Feels light, and smooth. Yes, feels very nice for casting!

About luring – this day I firstly used Ja-Do Envy 95 for the test. This is 9g of weight sinking model, not really heavy, but the rod casts very well.
And when the lure hits something under water, you can clearly feel it.
Ja-Do Envy is not the hard action swim lure, so it might be hard to feel of wobbling, but sensitive enough to feel under the water.

About fighting… Unfortunately, I couldn’t really fish well this day.

Overall, I actually loved this rod very well. Especially for luring the length is nice against almost everywhere in Australia, at least not too short especially for rockwalls. Hard enough to make action to lures, but light. If I see this on the shop I would think to buy this already.
I can’t wait to get one in store.

Lure Testing: Envy 95 / 105

The lure I tested first was Ja-Do envy 95 / 105. Actually we have some of Ja-Do lures already and keep using in Australia, but this envy is the one we don’t have yet.
In this season seabass’s baits are baby mullet and palolo worm. In this pattern seabass is very sensitive against lures, so usual fish-imitated lures often not really work well.

But this Ja-Do Envy is designed for this sensitive seasons. This lure does not really make big actions, but small wobbling with slow reeling just under the surface. Which can imitate palolo worm.
Also as the staff told me, this lure swim with head-up diagonally, so if fish look it up from underneath the shape looks much smaller than actual length, so it can also work against small bait season.

And even though this is the sinking model, this wouldn’t sink too much against dead-slow reeling. This always keep just under the surface, but not sink too much, that’s why it can also look like worms. In fact, the dead-slow reeling could make them bite the lure some times then.

But actually, I have one question – would it work in Australia as well?
I haven’t seen the worm swims under the surface yet. Then, when you might be able to use this… Maybe the small bait pattern in the night time, under the bridge or around the gate, not in the strong swells? Well this would be our homework then.

Lure Testing: Rain 62

Secondly I used this Ja-Do Rain 62mm.
This is the metal vibration lure from Ja-Do. It has 2 holes, one for fast retrieve, another for technical action.

This metal vibration lure actually swims very well. You can clearly feel its vibrating all the time when reeling.
I think this can be nice option of mid – bottom depth fishing as it swims well in slow reeling as well, but sinks faster as well.

In fact, I could not fish at all with Rain however the staff hooked nice size bream on the bottom by this. And you know, bream often sits near the bottom waiting for baits.

Overall, although I couldn’t really catch fish this day, however felt lots of bites, and some hooking happened, and I don’t even know about those fields! Moreover, I am just a beginner of seabass fishing. I do luring with seabass tackle in Australia, but there is no seabass in Australia.
To me this fact tells me their lures work very well.

Thanks again for Valleyhill staffs, it was the best day ever!
And I will keep reviewing Valleyhill (Ja-Do) products in Australia, and one day will post them for you.