Not Afraid of Contact - The Jackall Chubble Minnow Shaped Squarebill (continued)

During tests I also found there were two other ways to fish the Chubble effectively. When fishing very shallow the bait can be burned over gravel or dirt and the bill will just lightly dig into the bottom as it is retrieved, and will generate both sound and a trail of debris. There were times riding the bottom in this manner when fish would charge the bait or turn and flare up at it aggressively and strike the second it came into their view.

The RT Holo Bluegill is a bit more muted than other RT baits from Jackall but it does look very realistic

Then there is the pause and rip retrieve, and with the longer profile you can draw strikes with the Chubble with this jerkbait-like motion. In cold weather I found a jerk and pause retrieve worked, and in the warmer months a constant crank and aggressive pop of the rod tip helped create a more erratic action that generated viscous strikes. The Chubble can be fished a variety of ways so don't be afraid to mix it up to unlock the right action to trigger fish on any given day.

With Jackall it is all about the details

Price & Applications: I shouldn't have been surprised that the Chubble was such an efficient fish catcher. Jackall hardbaits often live up to expectations, and the Chubble is no different. With crankbaits it is easy to stick with what you know works, and though it took me a while to really give the Chubble the water time it deserved, once I did I wish I was rewarded. The Chubble is a strong shallow water crankbait and is a great addition to the arsenal whenever minnow or shad roam the water, and I've also found it to be extremely effective during the Spring when there are thousands of fry emerging. The minnow profile makes the Chubble look like a lot of different prey, and represents something different than the traditional short, and stout, bodied crankbait.

I found the bait effective for fishing structure and open water when the temps were higher

Retailing for $15.99 each the Chubble is on the more expensive side of the spectrum when considering all crankbaits, but pretty much where you expect it to be when looking at competing offerings from Megabass and Lucky Craft. The baits feature some excellent finishes that range from more abstract painted finishes like the Super Shad to more realistic patterns like the RT Bluegill and RT Scale Minnow. The RT patterns look similar in design and quality to the familiar patterns found on the Gantarel bluegill swimbaits but I do wish there were some more metallic patterns in the lineup for sunny days.

The reinforced composite bill held up great and notice how the hook bumper on the front hanger prevents the hook from coming up to make contact with the body

In terms of durability of the finishes I found the Chubble baits held up well over time. They didn't scratch up as much as many crankbaits and it was only after fishing them for a whole season did I realize why. They don't necessarily have a stronger finish than other crankbaits, it is the vary design of the bait themselves that reduces hookpoint contact.

If you look closely at the front hook hanger you will notice a solid section fused into the rear. Jackall calls this a "hook bumper" and it is designed to help maintain stability during retrieves by keeping the hook positioned true and from interfering with the internal magnet. The side effect of this design is that the hooks don't swing up, and as far back, as traditional crankbaits, which helps minimize hook contact with the body of the lure.

The Chubble's hooks are also sharp and decent in terms of durability for stock hooks. They are coated with a nano-coat finish to make them even slicker, reducing friction, and improving hook penetration. I learned just how sharp they were the hard way during a fish landing where I lost control of the fish and it buried a hookpoint past the barb in my index finger while still hooked. Par for the course for bass anglers, but still an unpleasant reminder to watch out for sharp trebles.

The Chubble proved to be a surprisingly good crank, and something different than the rest of the Jackall hardbait offerings

Jackall produces a lot of baits that are only available in Japan but over the last few seasons more and more of the hardbaits are making it over to America. This season the brand will debut the Mushbob 50 MR, a compact crank with a duck bill lip which is right in between a round and square bill design, and the longer lipped Digle which is designed for long casts and deeper cranking action. Both of these new baits exhibit a more traditional crankbait profile and the Chubble is still the only bait in the portfolio with an elongated minnow shape, so it is still worth having a few of these in the arsenal to match the hatch, or simply present something different.

Ratings: (We've re-calibrated our ratings standard for 2008 and have included a key at the bottom of the following matrix as a guide):

Pluses and Minuses: