When I saw the Shimano World Diver Jerkbait for the first time, I knew it would bolster my confidence during the fall and winter months.
I try to focus on a technique that is a little out of my comfort zone each season. This year, I decided jerkbaits deserved more attention. I tend to fish fast, but I have seen huge limits caught on jerkbaits and wanted to focus on a few new ones for this season.
The jerkbait can produce bites year-round, but most categorize it as a fall or wintertime technique. When fisheries across the country cool down, most anglers reach for a jerkbait to fill their livewells. To have productive days when bass are lethargic, you have to incorporate longer pauses, which has always deterred me from throwing a jerkbait.
But the Shimano World Diver has been a winner for getting me into jerkbait fishing this season.
Some jerkbaits are a pain to throw. Traditionally, jerkbaits are light weight and awkwardly shaped which can cause casts to be inaccurate. I didn’t, however, find this to be the case with the Shimano World Diver. There is a spring-loaded weight transfer system in the Shimano World Diver that Shimano refers to as their Jet Boost Technology. Jet Boost transfers the weight to the tail section on a hard cast, which makes it very aerodynamic.
At the end of your cast, the spring weight returns to the belly allowing it to suspend perfectly during your retrieve. I consider jerkbait fishing a finesse technique. So, the farther I can distance myself from a spot the more confidence I have to get a bite.
The two treble hooks are strong and sticky sharp. I had some fish that found themselves inside of the boat from just slapping at the bait. The hooks stick them even on the pause attack.
There are 10 attractive colors in Shimano World Diver line up but the detail of the holographic body scales really add to the Shimano World Diver’s fishy appeal.
My recent success with the Shimano World Diver has been on suspending summertime fish with minimal pauses between rod twitches. Rated for 6-8 feet deep, I plan to add a little more depth by downsizing my line. I cannot wait to throw the Shimano Word Diver this Fall and Winter. I will have much more confidence knowing that the bait is working for me even when I’m not working it myself.
The Flash Boost shimmering inside of the bait on a pause will give me the extra patience I’m looking for this winter when the fish are traveling a little slower to come and check a jerkbait out.
Keep an eye out for some newer products from Shimano’s hard bait lineup. The intricate systems that Shimano incorporates into their baits seems to take age-old staples to a new level with an automatic flash and movement system that keeps your bait working even when you aren’t.
Shimano World Diver 99SP Specifications
- Length: 3-7/8 inches
- Weight: 5/8 ounces
- Depth: 6 to 8-foot range
- Colors: 10 options
- Price: $19.99
Find the Shimano World Diver at these online retailers.
