Jackall Lures' I-Shad

March 27, 2020 By Ned Kehde

Jackall Lures reintroduced one of their chef-d’oeuvres to the American angling world at the 2019 International Convention of Allied Sportfishng Trades show.

This piscatorial masterpiece from Japan is called the I-Shad, and at first sight, it looked to be an ideal soft-plastic bait for Midwest finesse anglers to affix to a small mushroom-style jig.

Upon seeing it, we contacted Ariel Biley, who is the manager of Jackall Lures in Los Alamitos, California, and he provided us with a package of 2.8-inch and 3.8-inch I-Shads to work with and thoroughly examine.

Here is what we discovered about the 3.8-inch I-Shad.

Our measurements revealed that it is 3 7/8 inches long.

Its head is cylinder-shaped, and the tip of it is flat, possessing a diameter of about three-sixteenths of an inch and a circumference of slightly less than three-quarters of an inch.

Its anterior section, which includes its head, is 2 1/2 inches long. Its epidermis is encircled with 29 ribs. On the dorsal portions of the anterior section, there is a minor hook slot that extends from rib number six through rib number 22 that are split. Biley told us that it is not a traditional hook slot, but it is made to guide and help anglers make sure their hooks are perfectly aligned in the center of the I-Shad’s anterior section. The same ribs are split on the ventral or abdominal portions of the anterior section.

The anterior’s dorsal is flat. Its ventral is convex -- some observers say that it possesses a slight V-shape, which is similar to the V-hull of a boat.

Rib number one is five-sixteenths of an inch wide with a circumference of about one inch. Rib number nine is one half of an inch wide with a circumference of about 1 1/4 inches. Rib number 19 is three-eighths of an inch wide with a circumference of about 1 1/8 inches. Rib number 29 is one-quarter of an inch wide with a circumference of about three-quarters of an inch.

The posterior section is 1 3/8 inches long. It is endowed with three segments.

The first segment is three-quarters of an inch long and possesses a cylinder-shape. It has a smooth epidermis. At its union with the anterior section, it is a quarter of an inch wide with a circumference of five-eighths of an inch. At its union with the posterior’s second segment, the width of the first segment is one-eighth of an inch with a circumference of about nine-sixteenths of an inch.

The posterior’s second segment is one-quarter of an inch long. It is encircled with three ribs that have a width of three-sixteenths of an inch with a circumference of five-eighths of an inch.

The third segment consists of two minute appendages, which are antenna-like features that are somewhat similar to the antennules around the mouth of a crayfish. They are seven-sixteenths of an inch long. At their base, they are about one-sixteenth of an inch wide, and the tips of them are about one millimeter wide.

Here are some details about the 2.8-inch I-Shad.

According to our measurements, it is 2 3/4 inches long.

Its head is minute with a dimension of about one-eighth of an inch and a circumference of about five-eighths of an inch.

Its anterior section, which includes its head, is 1 3/4 inches long. Its epidermis is encircled with 29 ribs. On the dorsal portions of the anterior section, there is a minor hook slot that extends from rib number six through rib number 22 that are split. Anglers use this slot to make sure their hooks are perfectly aligned in the center of the I-Shad’s anterior section. The same ribs are split on the ventral or abdominal portions of the anterior section.

The anterior’s dorsal is flat. Its ventral is convex and somewhat similar to a boat’s V-hull.

Rib number one is about three-sixteenths of an inch wide with a circumference of about seven-eighths of an inch. Rib number nine is five-sixteenth of an inch wide with a circumference of about seven-eighths of an inch. Rib number 19 is one-quarter of an inch wide with a circumference of about five-eighths of an inch.Rib number 29 is one-eighth of an inch wide with a circumference of about one-half of an inch.

The posterior section is one inch long. It is endowed with three segments.

The first segment is nine-sixteenths of an inch long and possesses a cylinder-shape with a smooth epidermis. It is one-eighth of an inch wide adjacent to its union with the posterior section with a circumference of one-half of an inch. At its union with the posterior’s second segment, the width of the first segment is one-sixteenth of an inch with a circumference of about seven-sixteenths of an inch.

The posterior’s second segment is one-eighth of an inch long. It is encircled with three ribs that are one-eighth of an inch wide with a circumference of about one-half of an inch.

The third segment consists of two minute appendages, which are antenna-like features that are somewhat similar to the antennules around the mouth of a crayfish. They are five-sixteenths of an inch long. At their base, they are less than one-sixteenth of an inch wide, and the tips of them are slightly less than one millimeter wide.

The 2.8-inch and 3.8-inch I-Shad are available in the following hues: Blue Pearl Shad, Goby, Golden Shad, Green Pumpkin Pepper, Green Pumpkin Watermelon, Prism Shad, Sexy Albino, and SS Shad.

Both of these I-Shads are impregnated with two different salt compositions. The dorsal section has less salt than it abdominal section, which allows the I-Shad to have a steady and straight swimming action. This allows anglers to present it to their black bass quarries by employing what Jackall calls an I-Motion retrieve, which allows the I-Shad “to swim like a baitfish that is not threatened.” The I-Motion is similar to the do-nothing presentation that the late Charlie Brewer of Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, developed for employing with his array of Slider rigs, and it is one of the standard Midwest finesse retrieves.

It is also impregnated with a shrimp scent.

They are buoyant, which is an asset in the eyes of many Midwest finesse anglers because it helps the gliding motif in the swim-glide-and-shake presentation.

A package of ten 2.8-inch I-Shads costs $4.99 and a package of eight 3.8-inchers costs $4.99.

Finesse anglers in Japan nose hook the I-Shad with a jig that they call a nose jig head. They also nose hook it with a small and weightless wacky hook. A drop-shot rig is another option that the Japanese anglers employ. It can also be affixed to a split-shot rig or a small Carolina rig.

Some Midwest finesse anglers are likely to affix the I-Shad to a mushroom-style jig with the V-shaped ventral up and the flat dorsal down. When the flat dorsal is down, it will accentuate the gliding motif when it is being retrieved.

//content.osgnetworks.tv/infisherman/content/photos/I-Shad-on-Mushroom-Head.jpg — A 2.8-inch I-Shad affixed to a chartreuse 1/32-ounce mushroom-style jig with a number four hook. The I-Shad's V-shaped ventral is on top, and its flat dorsal is on the bottom.

Midwest finesse anglers, however, will opt for rigging it on a small mushroom-style jig with an exposed hook. The 2.8-inch I-Shad will work effectively when it is affixed to a 1/32-ounce mushroom-style jig with a number four hook. The 3.8-inch I-Shad can be rigged on a1/32-, 1/20-, 1/16-, and 1/15-ounce mushroom-style jigs with either a number four hook or a number two hook. In addition to employing an I-Motion retrieve, which Midwest finesse anglers call a straight-swimming presentation, both sizes of the I-Shad can be presented to largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, and spotted bass by employing these five Midwest finesse retrieves: (1) swim, glide, and shake; (2) hop and bounce; (3) drag and deadstick; (5) drag and incessant shake; (5) stroll.