Operation: The first thing that I'll say about the Jackall Rhythm Wave is that it immediately looks and feels familiar. It doesn't break the mold from many other existing solid paddletails in that the main body features an exaggerated profile, is ribbed to create additional vibration when retrieved, and is finished with a recognizable round boot-style tail.

One of the things that I like most about solid bodied paddletails, including the Rhythm Wave, is that they can be rigged so many different ways. The most standard rig utilizes a jighead with the hook exposed, but baits can also be rigged weedless, fished on standard un-weighted hooks, pinned on underspins, used as part of an a-rig, or paired with other baits as a trailer, like spinnerbaits and vibrating swim jigs.

Once in the water the Jackall Rhythm Wave's subtle design profile yields some very noticeable characteristics, including a rocking motion and understated tail kick that effectively displaces water, but is more subtle than the hard kicking action on many other paddletials. At first I wasn't sure about the consistency of the plastic but found that the tail taper is thin enough that the action is not only consistent but seems to match the cadence of the lure's rocking action. I'm not sure if this was intentional by Jackall but the overall combined action helps bring the bait to life in a very genuine way.

(Update 11/7/19 - Jackall confirmed that this combination of the kick and rock in cadence was the goal of the bait's original design and the key inspiration to why it was named the Rhythm Wave, as the lure moves in rhythm.)

The Rhythm Wave looks more natural in the water than many competing baits, and depending on what style of rigging, I found it really effective when fished throughout the water column, and even at different speeds. In general, the warmer the water the faster I could retrieve the bait and still draw followers and strikes. There were some days that the bait delivered non-stop action, and while many of the fish were dinks, I was able to catch quality fish once I was able to work my way through the aggressive males.

My favorite rigs with the Rhythm Wave ultimately turned out to be fishing it with a standard jighead, followed by pairing it with a Warbait underspin, and finally utilizing it as a trailer on swim jigs and chatterbaits. This is a great bait to add to just about any lure in an effort to better match the hatch. I found the most useful sizes to be the 2.8" and 3.8" sizes, but having the larger options helped extend the bait's effectiveness in deeper water, and when I knew there were larger sunfish or trout in the water.

The number one question I get about this bait is whether or not it is better than the Keitech Fat Impact? In clear water, and when the colors matched local forage closely, the Rhythm Wave delivered more strikes, but on most occasions the performance was extremely close. There are more color options in the Keitech arsenal, and in situations when fish want something more aggressive, like in stained water, the Keitech's more aggressive tail thump helped push it over the edge. Together these baits are a deadly subtle-to-aggressive one two punch.

Price and Applications: The Jackall Rhythm Wave is one of the best paddletails that I have ever fished, and by the end of our tests it had truly earned a spot as one of my confidence baits. The combination of that subtle tail kick and rocking action works at just about any speed, and when it comes to durability this bait lasts longer than just about any other paddletail, including the Keitech offerings. The only durability issue I had was when I encountered thick schools of big bluegill or shellcrackers that would chew the tails clean off. The $4.99-$5.99 price per pack is reasonable, especially when you consider the quality packaging, and quality of the baits themselves.

The Jackall Rhythm Wave is a must buy for paddletail fans, and is effective at targeting so many more species beyond just bass. The only thing that the series needs is more color and pattern options. Many of the existing patterns are effective bluegill and shad imitators, but where are the red, chartreuse, junebug, pink options?