
Underrated Over Performer, the Jackall
Rhythm Wave

Date: |
11/6/19 |
Tackle type: |
Lure |
Manufacturer: |
Jackall |
Reviewer: |
Zander |
Total Score: 8.50 -
EDITOR'S CHOICE!
Introduction:
In the extremely crowded paddletail market
there are already a lot of great options to select from, but Jackall
believes that the Rhythm Wave can stand up to the competition. Anglers that have
given the Rhythm Wave a shot swear by it, while others often dismiss the bait as
just another "me-too" paddletail. We had to force ourselves to stop fishing our
favorites to take a closer look at this potentially underrated bait to see if it
is worthy of tying on.
Jackall
Rhythm Wave Swimbait
Specifications |
Type |
Paddletail swimbait |
Material |
Plastic |
Colors/Patterns |
10+
available |
Size |
4
options (2.8", 3.8", 4.8", 5.8")
|
MSRP |
$4.99 (2.8", 3.8", 4.8") - $5.99 (5.8") |
Impressions: There are countless paddle
tail style swimbaits available on the market including the classic
Basstrix,
affordable
Big Bite lures, the fully rigged
Megabass Dark Sleeper, but over the last few years there has been one
bait that has risen to the top of the best selling charts, and that is the ever-popular Keitech Swing Impact and Swing
Impact FAT baits. These Keitechs have become the go-to choice for so many bass
anglers and are proven fish catchers that can be rigged so many different ways.
With such a crowded field
why would Jackall even want to jump into the fray with their own paddletail
offering? Not only did the company want to further round out their lure
portfolio with the Rhythm Wave, but they also saw an opportunity to introduce a bait with a
slightly differentiated
profile and kicking action.

There are a lot of paddletail options on the market. Why
do we need another?
Before we dig further into the Jackall Rhythm Wave
let's first take a deeper dive into the category itself. There was a time when
anglers scrambled to try and find paddletails, and baits like the Basstrix were
in such high demand that there were industry-wide shortages. Today there are
hundreds of choices, and even sub-categories of paddletail style baits. These
variants include the traditional hollow bodied paddletails (like the original
Basstrix), solid bodied paddletails (including the Keitech, Live Target,
Reaction Innovations Skinny Dipper), and full-bodied paddletails (including the
Little Creeper Trash Fish, Osprey Talon, and Optimum).

The Jackall Rhythm Wave feels familiar immediately but has
some subtle features and performance differentiators
The Jackall Rhythm Wave fits into the solid bodied
category and features a textured surface that is much more subtle than the
protruding rings found on the original Keitech Swing Impact baits. The overall profile
is similar to the Swing Impact, and is quite long with a thin tail section that
connects to the round paddle tail.

The lures come packaged in a blister pack that isolates
and protects each bait
The Jackall Rhythm Wave is offered in four
different sizes (2.8", 3.8", 4.8", and 5.8"), and the number of baits per pack
ranges from 8 to 4 depending on the size of the baits. In terms of packaging Jackall's large blister pack, while not all that eco-friendly, does an
exceptional job protecting the integrity of each and every bait, so that the tails will
not exhibit any memory, and each bait will swim perfectly out of the package.

Time to see if this bait is really underrated
Real World Tests: Testing a bait like the Rhythm
Wave is all about putting in the time, and placing the bait in as many situations as possible
where we would normally employ a paddletail style lure. I'll admit that it was a
challenge for me to pry myself away from the proven performance of the Keitech
baits that I typically use, but when I finally did commit to the Rhythm Wave I
discovered that mixing things up, even in a very established category like paddletails, can yield some interesting results.

My favorite ways to fish the Rhythm Wave are with a
standard jighead or on a underspin like the Warbait offering
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