Shimano Waxwing Jig System

[Sailor Joe]

What do you guys think of the Shimano Waxwing jig system? It was a 2011 ICAST winner I believe. I’ve used them with tremendous success on saltwater. Now Shimano has them for freshwater.

http://fish.shimano.com/publish/content/...water.html

It could be an alternative to walking the dog… maybe. But I can’t think of a similar action it would directly replace. Perhaps the Wakebait from LiveTarget? Again, it’s deadly in salt. Too bad I can’t buy it up here in Canada easily. Too bad Shimano wasn’t at any of our shows.

I’ll try and see if I can pick one up soon down south and bring it up for a try.

[MuskieBait]

There could be very limited application in freshwater.

The Waxwing works better a higher retrieval speed. For most part, freshwater fish are not going to chase a fast moving bait unless under very rare circumstances.

Most of the time, even when using a walking the dog lure, you move it at a slower pace and even add some pauses in between.

Since the Waxwing is subsurface, it's substitute in freshwater is the gliding baits that muskie anglers use. If you watch the Waxwing's action, it doesn't have any wiggle...but rather darts left and right with an occasional kick. Most freshwater lures relies more on a wiggle or wobble to entice a strike reaction.

I'm not saying it won't work...but to pay $20 for a lure that works on the rare occasion...I'd rather spend that money elsewhere.

There are cheaper freshwater lures that works just as well or better at a much cheaper cost.

[Sailor Joe]

(02-21-2013 01:32 PM)MuskieBait Wrote:  There could be very limited application in freshwater.

The Waxwing works better a higher retrieval speed. For most part, freshwater fish are not going to chase a fast moving bait unless under very rare circumstances.

Most of the time, even when using a walking the dog lure, you move it at a slower pace and even add some pauses in between.

Since the Waxwing is subsurface, it's substitute in freshwater is the gliding baits that muskie anglers use. If you watch the Waxwing's action, it doesn't have any wiggle...but rather darts left and right with an occasional kick. Most freshwater lures relies more on a wiggle or wobble to entice a strike reaction.

I'm not saying it won't work...but to pay $20 for a lure that works on the rare occasion...I'd rather spend that money elsewhere.

There are cheaper freshwater lures that works just as well or better at a much cheaper cost.

I agree that the target market would be for pike and musky. But I’ll also digress with you and say that pike and muskie in Canada are not accustomed to this lure yet; and no data exists to suggest otherwise. It would be interesting to try it out and observe results. Too early to say I think with any certainty on a viable outcome.

I’m getting a couple for saltwater purposes; the price argument is minimal to me because I can’t factor in the cost of experimentation in freshwater… that part is incidental. $20 is standard fare for quality saltwater lures.

But I have your opinion.

Thoughts from others?

[MuskieBait]

If you are already getting them for saltwater purposes, try it out!

Where do you plan to use them in saltwater and for which species?

[Sailor Joe]

(02-21-2013 05:59 PM)MuskieBait Wrote:  If you are already getting them for saltwater purposes, try it out!

Where do you plan to use them in saltwater and for which species?

Used them in the past on a family friends boat. We mainly caught mahi, wahoo and amberjacks. Not sure if it was pure dumb luck because we weren't targeting anything specific. We weren't chumming either. The lures require very little effort or skill to work.

I “plan”, (no real plan at the moment but rather an intention), to try for cuda on the flats as I hear great success with waxwings also. The next time I go out there, wife & wallet permitting, I hope to sneak a chance and validate for myself.

I'm declining to say that the waxwing lives up to it's hype right now and only recently just heard they work on pike, muskie and stripers.

[MuskieBait]

(02-21-2013 07:17 PM)Sailor Joe Wrote:  Used them in the past on a family friends boat. We mainly caught mahi, wahoo and amberjacks. Not sure if it was pure dumb luck because we weren't targeting anything specific. We weren't chumming either. The lures require very little effort or skill to work.

I “plan”, (no real plan at the moment but rather an intention), to try for cuda on the flats as I hear great success with waxwings also. The next time I go out there, wife & wallet permitting, I hope to sneak a chance and validate for myself.

I'm declining to say that the waxwing lives up to it's hype right now and only recently just heard they work on pike, muskie and stripers.

Cool. Friends of mine took them to Florida and fished for mahi, blackfin tuna, little tunny, and kingfish in Marathon, FL, and friends on west coast use them for yellowtail, yellowfin tuna and mahi. I've yet to get some myself...yet to have a chance to really use them.