Jigstar Tai Kabura Jig Rod Review

As slow-pitch jigging and other forms of light tackle angling for the likes of snapper become more popular, so has the demand for top-end gear.

JigStar have recognised this and have recently introduced two six-foot slow-pitch rods to their range – one for overhead reels, the other for spin.

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The range’s name – Tai Kabura – reflects the style of lure they have been designed to fish.

These are identical blanks, the only differences being the spin rod has a larger stripping guide and the overhead model is acid wrapped. Both are two-piece rods, the sections joined at the grip rather than further up the blank where most two-piece rods are traditionally split (either 50/50 or above the foregrip).

The blank is manufactured from Toray graphite and is particularly sensitive. The guides are Alconite and the reel seat Fuji.

Much of the blank in the butt section is exposed, giving it direct contact with the angler’s hand, making it easier to detect any interest from a fish. This is especially so with the overhead rod where the angler controls the drop with their thumb. Quite often the fish will strike on the drop and with this setup, the angler is made acutely aware of any attention so they can quickly engage the reel and hopefully hook up.

Rep Shane Hartstone dropped a pair of the rods off recently and as fortune would have it, I was heading away to Bream Bay the next day where the snapper bite had been hot.

The overhead was matched with a Shimano Genpu XT200PG baitcaster, producing a balanced bit of kit. On the spin stick I had a Shimano Stradic C3000HG – a 2500-sized reel would have been a more suitable choice, but better to be over-gunned than under, especially as there were plenty of kingfish in attendance around the bait schools.

Being greedy, and keen to cover all my options during a solo mission out from Mangawhai, I set the two JigStars up with a kabura style lure and a micro-jig respectively. I had Tackle Tester, an FC535 Centre console, which is well set up for a sideways drift, enabling me to place the two rods in holders in the bow and amidships, while I worked a soft-bait from the transom.

I lined up for a drift that would take me through a bait school I had marked on the sounder, running into the streaky sign that spells kingfish – this had the potential to go pear-shaped very quickly.

First the soft-bait outfit loaded up, followed quickly by both the Tai Kaburas. I managed to work each rod in turn, making enough line to prevent a potential spooling and somehow managed to keep the fish from crossing the lines.

My biggest concern was for the overhead outfit with the smaller line and drag capacity Genpu. It appeared to be hooked into the biggest fish and it was not long until I was down to the last few metres. It was do or die. The drag went up to max and I managed to initially turn the fish and gain some safety metres, only to see it head for the horizon.

The last thing I wanted was to leave the fish trailing a couple hundred metres of braid should I be spooled, so with thumb clamped on the spool I hung on momentarily until the trace broke, the line cutting through where the Rapala knot loop contacted the hook eye – the best possible result for the fish.

After winding in the slack, I made headway with the other two, the one on the soft-bait rod coming to the boat first. It was pulled on board by the throat and thrown head-first into the livebait tank – that was my fish for the smoker. I could now concentrate on the one still at large.

The rod impressed me with its lifting strength through the butt section – which does not prevent it being sensitive enough in the tip to work the light lures effectively. It was not long before I had colour and it was out with the net so I could release it unharmed. The hook-up was perfect in the corner of the jaw, with both hooks of the kabura lure firmly set. Estimated at comfortably over 95cm (the first one measured 89cm before being bled then put on ice), it had been a good test of the JigStar Tai Kabura which had not been found wanting. RRP around $379.00.

   This article is reproduced with permission of   
New Zealand Fishing News

January 2020 - Grant Dixon
Re-publishing elsewhere is prohibited

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