The Jackall Dunkle
in retail packaging.
Only the 7" is
available in the
U.S.
Impressions: Jackall
has a much larger
portfolio of product
than many anglers
stateside may realize,
and the company
works with Shimano
America to decide which
baits are best
suited for anglers
here in the U.S.
market. The Dunkle is a lure
that existed in
Japan for a few
seasons before being
officially
introduced here in North
America, and is
popular in multiple
global markets for
fishing for bass and
other predatory
species. For
example, in
Australia the Dunkle
is a popular bait
for targeting both
Murray Cod and
Barramundi.
The origins of the
Dunkle go back Japan
where Jackall worked
with pro Angler
Takuma Hata to
create a bait that
could adapt to
target big fish
wherever they are in
the water. This
effort led to the
pre-rigged double
hook system.
The Dunkle comes
pre-rigged with a
harness and dual
style frog hook
Here in the U.S. the Dunkle is only
available in one
size that measures
7" inches in length
and weighs in a 2.5
ounces. The bait is
available in over 12
different patterns
in Japan and about
half that many here
in the Americas. In
Japan there are two
other sizes
available including
the Dunkle 5" and
Megalo Dunkle 9",
and there are also
many more patterns
to select from,
including a
whimsical Shark.
The hook system
makes use of a
protruding fin which
hold the hook in
place using tension
between the hook
wire. This allows
the hook to be
rigged either on the
bottom or on top to
fish right off the
bottom
Real World Tests:
Jackall send a
Purple Chartreuse
Dunkle for us to
check out and after
fishing it for a
week I decided to
purchase three more
patterns from
Tackle Warehouse.
To test the Dunkle
swimbaits I fished
the baits for just
over a season
targeting
largemouth,
smallmouth, and
spotted bass here in
our home Northern
California waters. I
fished the swimbait
using mono, braid,
and braid with
fluorocarbon leader
setups.
The Dunkle is best
fished with a
dedicated swimbait
rod that is capable
of 1-4ounces or
more. Here I am
fishing a custom rod
built on a "Point
Blank" rod blank
Dunk it: The
first thing I
noticed about the
Dunkle was how large
the bait was. In
pictures online the
Dunkle looks smaller
than the actual bait
which not only has a longer
mid section than I
expected, but also a
thicker head than I
originally envisioned. This
really is a pretty
decent sized
soft-bodied swimbait,
and weighing 2.5
ounces it is best
fished with a
dedicated swimbait
rod that is rated
1-4 ounces, or even
a heavier rod rated
2-6 ounces.
The Dunkle is Jackall's
offering to combat
the popular Megabass
Magdraft, and
features a
pre-rigged free
swinging hook design
that makes use of
friction to stay in
place instead of a
slot and magnet.
Rigged in standard
configuration and
ready for battle
Besides the rigging
mechanism the two
baits do differ
quite a bit in
profile. While both
lures are molded
around an internal harness
system and have a
flat paddle tail
design they look
like completely
different baitfish
styles.
The Magdraft
features a much more
streamlined profile
that mimics trout or shad
while the Dunkle has
a much larger head
that more resembles
a large minnow or
juvenile sunfish.
Notice how wide the
head and body of the
Dunkle are
