Wild Lures Japan Wild Beat Glide Bait Product Review

Enthusiast Review

Give Me a Beat! ... and Make it Wild

Date:	9/2/19
Tackle Type:	Lure
Manufacturer:	Wild Lures Japan
Reviewer:	Cal

Total Score: 7.58 + ULTIMATE ENTHUSIAST AWARD

Introduction: A hungry tackle enthusiast is a dangerous thing. Wandering the virtual aisles of your favorite tackle store, searching for that next item to feed that enthusiast soul. Rods, reels, hand made lures, oh, what about swimbaits? What about a hand made swimbait? Yes. Something big, obscenely expensive, and from overseas - maybe Japan. At this point, you can almost relate to that hungry bass when it sees that exotic bait for the first time. Wait, Zander's coming. BUY IT!

Wild Lures Japan Wild Beat Specifications
Type	Slow Sink
Length	11"
Weight	6 3/4oz
Depth	Any
Material	Resin
Colors	2 Currently Available, but many more have been offered
Hooks	Unspecified brand
MSRP	$180.00

Introducing the Wild Beat by Wild Lures Japan

Impressions: Yeah, that's kind of how I ended up with Wild Lures Japan Wild Beat Glide Bait in my hands. I was growing a little tired of the same ole same ole and in need of some inspiration. Something to restart my passion for tackle and more importantly, writing about tackle. The Wild Beat Glide Bait provided that fix.

The Wild Beat is an eleven inch bait designed by Kenji Kaitani, founder of Wild Lures Japan

This is an eleven inch (11"), two piece bait made built and designed by Kenji Kaitani. The bait looks and feels like a hand made wooden sculpture, but when held in hand with hooks secured, you can shake it and hear the weights moving around in their chambers, so it's a hard plastic or resin bait. The most intriguing aspect of this bait, aside from its size, is the fact it has no external fins or even a tail. Nothing to foul while in storage and ruin the bait's swimming motion.

The most intriguing aspect of this bait, aside from its size, is the fact it has no external fins or even a tail

Real World Tests: That aspect alone was enough to make me bite because who knew how long it'd be before I could actually catch something on this monster of a bait and live to write about it? Believe me, I have plenty of big baits that are sitting in a bin right now because that tail spoiled during storage and the bait won't swim right. For the Wild Beat, I unsheathed my trusty Onager and dusted off the Shrapnel. A fresh spool of 30lb Sunline Super Natural was in order - a nice, supple, fishing line with excellent knot strength. No fluorocarbon for this beast, not even Tatsu.

The single joint is somewhat restrictive but tuned for just the right swimming motion

Castability: I don't care how stout of a rod I have a bait like this tied to, that first cast with a real, bona fide big bait is always nerve wracking. I'm still scarred from launching my brand new 3:16 Lure Company One Up out into Lake McClure about a dozen years ago. For the Wild Beat, that first cast was a nice, easy swing with the Onager. The bait kind of floated in the air on its side as if it caught an updraft before crashing down onto the water - impressive.

Detailing at the head is very good

Next Section: Swim that Wild Beat...