
Jackall's slender
Chubble is a
different take on
the traditional
squarebill
Impressions:
When it comes to JDM
styled hardbaits the
list of baits in my
arsenal is pretty
short, and I find
myself continually
turning to Lucky
Craft, Megabass, and
Jackall when it
comes to shallow and
mid-range cranking.
There are a lot of
great baits out
there but with baits
as productive as the
Megabass S-Crank
Jackall Aska it is
often difficult to
force myself to cut them off and try
something new. So
when Ariel Biley,
Manager at Jackall
USA, sent me the
Chubble crankbait it
took me a while for
me put down my
confidence baits and
really put the
Chubble cranks to
work.

The Chubble doesn't
have the stout
profile of most
squarebills as it is
designed to imitate
minnows and other
baitfish
The first thing that
anglers will notice
about the Chubble is
that it has a
longer, and more
slender, profile
than other stubbier
more traditionally
profiled
crankbaits. This is
because the Chubble
is designed with a
profile that is
intended to mimic
minnows and other
small baitfish.

The bait comes in a
range of patterns
including some RT
finishes
Real World Tests:
I've been fishing
the Jackall Chubble
for two seasons targeting
largemouth, spots,
and even a few smallies in the
California Delta and
Northern California
lakes. I have fished
this crankbait on a
variety of setups
including rods
specifically
designed for fishing
crankbaits, as well
as rods that are
intended more for
contact baits, just
to see how the bait
handles with various
setups.

The Chubble Black
Back Craw pattern
features a matter
finish
Castability:
Most crankbaits that
weigh 1/2oz. or
heavier usually cast
pretty easily but
with some baits you
will notice a
tumbling effect, or
that the baits are
more impacted by the
wind, during casts.
To counter this the
Chubble houses an
internal magnetic
cast control system
which aids with
casting, then shifts
into balance mode
during retrieves.
The system is simple
and very well
executed.

The Chubble is easy
to cast and is able
to be fished with a
wide range of gear
versus just
application specific
sticks. I enjoyed
fishing the bait
with contact sticks
and fluorocarbon for
sensitivity and
quicker dives
Dive Time:
Once the Chubble
hits the water the
squarebill design
pushes the bait down
to 2 feet pretty
quickly, but with
the shallow bill it
does take a little
longer for the bait
to get down to the
max 4 feet range.
Using fluorocarbon
line helps dive time
but in general I
found the Chubble
best suited for
shallow water work,
and very effective
at attacking
structure that was
closer to the
surface.
The Chubble has a
composite bill that
is tougher than
traditional plastic
bills, and it holds
up well as it bumps
into stumps and
rocks. Though it
does get scuffed up
over time I didn't
experience any
chipping on any of
our test lures.

Time to see what the
Chubble is all about.
There are a variety
of ways to fish this
bait effectively
Quality of Movement:
During retrieves the
Chubble has a
surprisingly tight
wobble for such a
long bait. Though
you might expect
such a long crank to
really swing, or
wobble, the Chubble
exhibits more of a
tight shimmy during
retrieves. It
doesn't swing as
hard, or wide, as
some other
crankbaits, and
resistance on the
end of the line is
similar to what you
would expect from
most shallow running
cranks. This makes
it easy to fish the
Chubble with reels
that have 7:1
retrieve ratio, or
even higher.

The RT Scale Minnow
pattern was my
favorite and the
details from the
fins and scales help
it mimic just about
every type of
junkfish in the
water
I'd even describe
the Chubble's action
during straight
retrieves as
somewhat
finesse-like as far
as shallow running
crankbaits go. That
is until you see the
bait deflect off
structure. When the
Chubble hits a rock,
or submerged wood,
it quickly bounces
off the obstruction,
and because it is so
long you can really
see the tail section
whip out after that
contact. This is
also when fish seem
to react very
strongly to the
bait, and I caught
numerous fish during
all but the coldest
months aggressively
bouncing the bait
off structure.
During the pre and
post spawn months I
also found the
Chubble to be very
effective. I'm not
sure if it is
because the bait
does a better job
mimicking shad and
fry than other
squarebills, or if
it just looks
different, but it is
during these periods
that bass seem much
more eager to crush
these baits in open
water.