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PRODUCTINNOVATION PRODUCTINNOVATIONTTW TTW
Innovation in lure fishing is currently increasing at an alarming rate.
A technical storm is brewing and fishing has never been more exciting.
Japanese lure giant Megabass leads the charge…
Y
uki Ito’s team at
Megabass hold vanguard
status globally when it
comes to innovation and Nick
Roberts, head of its European
distributor Top Water Lures,
knows more than most about the
technical ideas behind some of
the famous brand’s products.
Each of the Megabass
creations starts as a hard-carved
prototype, and each concept
focuses on the natural lines
of baitfish to create incredibly
realistic features.This reliance
on natural body lines in the
design process means that the
Megabass products do not have
the identical symmetry on their
left and right sides that you
would expect from computer-
generated lure design. A good
example of this is the Megabass
X-92 Edonis with its differing
eye detail on each side of the
lure’s body.
At the core of Megabass
design is the lure’s internal
structure. Internal space and the
use of balancers give the lure
its unique action and presence
in or on the water. Megabass
pioneered the idea of moving
internal balancers and rattles, of
which there are two main types:
fixed balancers and moving
balancers.
Fixed – or shaft – balancers
provide the lure with an innate
stability and, hence, if this
balance is offset, the lure will
react in a unique way. Moving
balancers, on the other hand,
move either left to right
or lengthwise.The moving
balancers are perfectly spherical
and made of hard tungsten alloy
and are used to create noise,
enhance movement, create
steeper diving angles or assist
with casting.
The external appearance of
the Megabass product line-up is
attributable to acute observations
in nature and baitfish in their
natural environment.This
focuses on two main areas of
perception.The first is the lure’s
finish, of which there are several
types in most models. Examples
of this are the ‘Guanium Ghost’
(GG) finish, which mimics
the natural guanine reflectivity
found on fish scales and the
appearance of translucent flesh,
and the Pearl Mica (PM), which
provides a more opaque aesthetic
quality.
The second is the lure’s colour.
The colour detail incorporated
into each of the Megabass
models is incredible.The process
involves layering certain colours
to achieve both depth and
transition without simply relying
on a single colour. For example,
when looking to achieve darker
colours, Megabass will layer
purple rather than use black.
This gives the edge of the
product a living glow.
Each Megabass lure has
intense eyes, most of which are
downward looking, bulging from
the socket, conveying the panic-
stricken fear of an imminent
attack.The eyes are certainly a
focus for Megabass, with each
model being given its own
unique treatment.
The action of each Megabass
lure is a result of thorough
research into both the
movement of fish and the
instincts of predatory fish.
Surface lures such as the Giant
Dog X or the Speed Slide can be
made to move across the water
in a circular motion, assisted by
internal ‘Side Stepping Balancer
Systems’ to stay in the strike
zone for longer, leaning and
pushing water to the side as they
move.
Lures such as the Pop-X and
Pop Max not only pop and spit
but create ‘bio-sounds’ due to
water ducts in the lures’ skull,
which allow water to be passed
through the mouth and out
through the gills. Lures such
as the X-120 and X-140 will
suspend and react erratically to
the slightest of rod movements,
creating sharp darting actions.
Each of the Megabass lures
has unique and ground-breaking
design features that are specific
to each model.To get a better
understanding of this, take a
look at the following. TTW
Top Water Lures
T: +44 161 9421011
E: nick@topwaterlures.co.uk
W: www.topwaterlures.co.uk
Lates Seabass Special
This lure will roll through almost 90 degrees due to precision
fixed-shaft balancers that run almost the entire length of the lure.
The Lates is fitted with Neon Core flat panels, which are housed
lengthwise internally to create intense reflections. It measures
120mm and weighs 16.8g.
The Megabass X-POD
The X-POD – or ‘Multi-Performance Transformation Plug’ – is
a highly innovative lure designed so the angler can customise the
lure’s action to match conditions. An incredible moving jaw means
that the lure can be fished on the surface, within the surface film
or subsurface by simply changing the position of its bottom jaw. It
measures 108.5mm and weighs 21g.
The Zonk 120 Gataride
The Megabass Zonk features an ingenious burrow-like cavity on
its back that allows water to pass through it when retrieved.This
displacement creates turbulence on the back of the lure. Additionally,
the Zonk Gataride model – now a hugely popular sea bass lure – has
a hinged front bib that alternates between a flattened appearance
when casting to minimise air resistance and an engaged, downward
sloping bib when the lure is retrieved.This creates a highly aggressive
action.The lure measures 120mm and weighs 20g.
NEW SERIES
Megabass
T: +81 53 431 0777
E: global@megabass.co.jp
W: www.megabass.co.jp
NEW SERIES