An effective minnow bait with a Dart and Stop & Go system, the Jackall Squadminnow 95 (continued)
 

Field Tests: Upon first receipt of the Squadminnow, I didn’t see much difference between it and the other jerkbaits already in my collection, but after further analysis I able to determine the difference lies within. The only way to tell if this weight/quick-halt system works is to take it out on the field and put it up against some fish. This time we put the Jackall jerkbait up against spotted bass, black bass, and stripers at various lakes around Northern California.

Six patterns are available. Check out the reflective finish on the HL Aurora Black

Casting: Casting jerkbaits is usually easy even on windy days and the Jackall Squadminnow does not fall short of this expectation. We cast the lure on both calm and windy days without any difficulties thanks to its hefty half ounce weight and its internal bearings gave it a steady projection as we slung the lure through the air.

This unique innovative internal weight design system is what sets the Squadminnow apart from the others

Retrieving: This is where the truth comes out. Was the special internal design system effective in the water or is it just a gimmick that just sounds good on paper? At this time of the year we have some great clarity in our waters and with polarized sunglasses we can see pretty well beneath the surface. I cast the lure out and varied my as Cal, Zander, and myself kept an eye on the Squadminnow to see its underwater action. Our conclusion is that the Jackall bait internal system does work but it will not halt the lure to a dead stop. This backs up Jackall’s claim which states that the lure will stop in one second. Compared to the popular Lucky Craft Pointer, a bait that glides side to side on each jerk, the Squadminnow will glide and stop faster than the Pointer does, and while it stops the Squadminnow does a good job at suspending steady, holding its position.

The Squadminnow jerkbait's action is effective on bass

While retrieving the Squadminnow with a constant motion, the lure swims very nicely with a tight movement similar to the Lucky Craft Pointers. The only thing we’ve noticed is that during the jerk the LC Pointer will dart side to side easier than the Squadminnow, but with a little more line slapping you can still impart deadly action to the Jackall. Just ask Zander as I whipped his butt for the first time at a lake that he never loses on. Our game plan was to go bass fishing locally since the weather was questionable, so I packed my Albackore tackle bag with only bass lures and a single jerkbait, the Squadminnow. But as I arrived at his place the plan shifted and we were going for a long drive to O’Neill Forebay, to target both stripers and black bass. I fished only the Squadminnow 95 in the Ghost Minnow pattern throughout the day while Zander fished his favorite lures such as the Vision 110 and other jerkbaits. Well, to make a long story short, he tossed everything he had packed on his boat and even took out his good ole Yo-Zuri lures while I was only using the Jackall Squadminnow 95. By the end of the day I bagged more bass and stripers than he did. Our jerking and ripping motion was similar but the Squadminnow’s design, I would have to say, gave me the advantage of catching more fish because the majority of the time the fish hit either on the stop or when I began to retrieve again.

Amazing details throughout the lure

Diving depth on the Jackall lure is actually right on specification and that can also lead to why I was catching more fish. The Squadminnow jerkbait  dives three to four feet below the surface when retrieved while shallow diving lures like the Vision 110 and the LC Pointer get about two to three feet. This would have definitely put me to the advantage on that one trip out with Zander as we fished the shoals. These shoals at O’Neill Forebay had a good growth of weed about four feet below the surface that day, and presenting my lure at the top edge gave me the advantage. The lures that dove too deep caught in the weeds and the ones that were up too high couldn’t trigger those wary fish to come out of their safety zone.

This jerkbait dives down three to four feet