Very effective for everything from bluefish to flounder and rockfish! Tail Walk BLINK MAN

Summer flounder and rockfish off the coast of Hitachi
Fall action is the key for jigs

This summer, I was invited by Mr. Hideyuki Kitamura, a super expert on jigging, to accompany him on a test fishing trip for summer flounder and large rockfish off the coast of Hitachi, Ibaraki Prefecture. The main target, flounder, is known to be caught in the winter off the coast of Hitachi using sardine bait. Because of the size of the flounder that can be caught, flounder fishing off the coast of Hitachi has many fans. This is an attempt to try jigging in such an area in the summer. The captain also informed us that there was a possibility of catching a 10 kg-class striped jewfish in the same area, so we headed out to the waters off Hitachi with high hopes, although we had some trouble choosing the right tackle.

If we were only targeting flounder, we could probably handle a large flounder with a PE of 1.5 or 2 at the thickest. However, when there is a possibility of catching rock cod, a PE of 1.5 is not enough. Therefore, the reporter prepared bait tackle of No. 1.5 and No. 2. Mr. Kitamura brought No. 3 spinning tackle as his main tackle.

In his experience, he believes that the best model for catching flounder and rockfish with jigs is one that appeals to anglers with a falling action. It is good to explore the bottom area with jerk and fall action. Flatfish may follow the jig not only to the bottom but also to the top, but that is because they are in a situation where they have not lost sight of the jig. If you jerk too fast and reel it up to the upper layer, the flounder, which has a narrow field of vision, will quickly lose sight of it. Therefore, it is necessary to repeatedly jerk and fall to entice the flounder while marking the range. The main jig Kitamura used on this fishing trip was the “BLINK MAN,” a jig just released by Tail Walk.

Jigging legend Hideyuki Kitamura visited the waters off Hitachi with the newly released BLINK MAN. As he had hoped, he caught a series of flounder and bluefish!

BLINK MAN reacts to the target with various falls.

The BLINK MAN jig is a jig that can be used in a wide variety of situations and can easily fool a wide variety of fish species, and was developed with the young staff of Tail Walk based on the concept of “being the centerpiece of Tail Walk’s jig lineup. The jig has an original shape, but it has reasonable performance scattered all over the place,
The development was completed through repeated sample creation and actual fishing tests.

So how does it perform?　First of all, when in tension fall, the lure glides through the water with a violent flickering “blink” as it slides. On the free fall, the lure falls with a shimmering motion to induce bites. The weight balance of the surface that receives water during the fall is exquisitely asymmetrical, allowing the angler to control the action as desired by the strength of the line tension.

The overall shape of the lure has been made to have an exquisite silhouette, somewhere between a semi-long type and a reef type, to achieve moderate pulling resistance and fall width. The back side of the lure, which is the opposite of the surface that receives water, has been designed in an original and innovative manner, with a keel in the front that transmits the angler’s action input to the jig without loss, leading to a stable flight. In addition, the distinctive ribs at the rear of the lure regulate the water flow when jerking and suppress excessive pulling resistance. This model was developed to be a versatile jig that can be used as the main jig for a variety of fish species.

It was easy to imagine that such performance would be effective in targeting flounder and rockfish off the coast of Hitachi this time. All that remains to be seen is the result.

BLINK MAN lineup
Size: 120g, 150g, 180g, 210g, 250g, 300g
Color: 6 colors in total

The front of the back side is designed in a keel shape like the bottom of a ship (photo on the left) in order to increase the straightness of the jerk. The action input from the angler is transmitted to the jig without loss, producing a stable flight. The back of the lure is ribbed. These ribs regulate the water flow during the jerk and reduce excessive pulling resistance. Combined with the keel shape in the front, it produces a “fishable” action no matter who is casting it.

Exquisite body silhouette with both a semi-long jerk and a reef-type fall. It has a moderate pulling resistance and fall width, and is effective for a variety of fish species.

BLINK MAN detail page
https://www.tailwalk.jp/product/blinkman/

BLINK MAN instructional video

Responding to the conditions of the day and large fish
Newly released STEALZ reel

The Hitachi Maru signaled the start of the day at a depth of about 40 meters offshore. Anglers lined up on one side of the boat and began to dutifully drift. The captain informed us in advance that he wanted us to prepare heavier jigs, as the tide could be fast. So we prepared jigs ranging from 120g to 250g. As a result, the weight from 150g to 210g was the best weight to use at some points where the water depth exceeded 100m.

As for the catch of the day, although there were no oversized flounders, the top three flounders weighed from 2 to 4 kg. Mr. Kitamura caught many Japanese yellowtail as well as flounder weighing 2 and 3 kg. He used the fall action of the BLINK MAN to fish the bottom area, and if he did not get a hit, he would jerk and fall a little higher to the middle of the water to attract bluefish. We hope you will give it a try at a field near you.

Gold bass works well for flounder. Caught it with a nice red kin.

Another angler on the same boat also got a hit!

Mr. Kitamura, by the way, is using a newly released STEALZ reel in the 6000 size on his spinning tackle. This model was developed as a powerful and tough reel, with aluminum material used for the body and rotor for superior strength, and a carbon washer drag for high durability and heat resistance. The main drive gear and pinion gear, which are the heart of the reel, and the drive shaft are made of highly rigid stainless steel material. With this reel, the angler was able to produce quick jig movements in the middle layer and responded by pulling in the gun when a walleye hit.

Mr. Kitamura brought in the newly released STEALZ reel, a model with rigidity and excellent drag performance that can handle large fish. This reel has a firm drag that can handle the pull of bluefish, and when reeling it in, the angler can pull the fish in with a bang.

STEALZ detail page
https://www.tailwalk.jp/product/stealz/

Hitachi Maru currently operates a fishing boat for skipjack, tuna, and nighttime squid fishing, and does not sail for flounder or rockfish like this one, but will sail if customers request it. If you are interested, please inquire.

Hitachi Maru (Hitachi, Ibaraki Prefecture)
https://hitachimaru.com/

Summary: Angler’s Time editorial staff