The
Uniquely Designed Jackall Aragon MR,
is it as good as it looks?
Application: We fished this lure in both soft and hard bottoms in and around submerged weed beds and found it effective in all situations that called for a bait to be retrieved down in the water column below six feet. Digging action of the bill felt good as it came through the soft bottoms and we were able to free it from rocky snags by backing off on some of the tension and plucking our line like a guitar string when the situation called for it.
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Attention to detail and a quality finish are obvious on the Aragon. Note the stock ovalized split ring - a very nice touch for the line to lure connection. |
Durability: Because of the action this lure has and the fact the majority of the commotion is caused by the two separate halves crashing into one another, we expected a good amount of wear at the joint in this lure. After somewhere between half a dozen to a dozen trips of fishing this lure medium to hard, this simply was not the case. We fully expect this wear to eventually show, and when it does, probably accelerate due to the abuse this one section takes, but for now, we were rather impressed by the quality finish this lure possesses. We ran into no difficulties with the actual joint itself and the diving bill, though scarred from repeated use, held up well with no cracks or breaks during our test period.
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A closeup of the head detail and
holographic eye of our Aragon lure |
Effectiveness: We found the actual fish catching or calling ability of this lure to be on par with other cranks. The thumping action of the two separate halves, while certainly intriguing and entertaining while fishing the lure, did not seem to make much of a difference for us. We've no doubt it has some benefit, we're just not so certain it's any more effective a characteristic than say, the thumping sound the Specialty Tackle Big Bite makes as an example. There's no doubt this lure catches fish however, and the quality that abounds in its construction is obvious from day one.
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This chunky bass couldn't let the Aragon escape but was barely hooked by the time we got her to the boat. |
Ratings:
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Jackall Aragon Ratings (?/10) |
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Construction/Quality |
A solidly crafted lure |
9 |
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Performance |
Three out of three baits required tuning before fishing. We expect more from a high priced crank. |
6.5 |
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Price |
On par with import lure standards, but high in general
when considering other lures of similar quality available on the market |
7.5 |
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Features |
Top quality hooks, ovalized split ring, and quality paint job make the Aragon a winner in this category |
8.5 |
| Design |
An intriguing lure to say the least with good attention to detail |
8 |
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Application |
We were pleased but still left with wanting more from this lure |
8 |
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Total Score |
7.91 |
Pluses and Minuses:
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Plus Minus |
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J Quality construction and finish |
L Requires some tuning to run straight |
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J A fun bait to fish |
L Price is a bit on the high side |
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J Good action on the retrieve |
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J Sharp stock hooks |
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| J Ovalized split ring |
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Conclusion: I'll be one of the first to admit that novelty plays a big role in my selection of baits. The Jackall Aragon is big on the novelty scale, but it just so happens to be good with its ability to catch fish as well. The fact that it is available in only six basic colors is a testament to Jackall Lures and shows us they prefer to concentrate on effective designs rather than confusing the angler with every range and permutation of finish under the sun and in the water. While the Aragon is an effective bait in its own right, we just did not find it to be the panacea for which we had hoped. Then again, if it was THAT good, where would the fun in buying exciting new baits to try be? Until next time, keep collecting!
