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Shimano's Tescata rods work Lucanus Jigs with finesse
(continued)
 Impressions
cont'd:
Shimano
tested the Lucanus system for two years before releasing it and went back and
forth with hook sizes and rod designs. Switching hooks from the small ones to
their large butterfly hooks back and forth. The result is an aggressively styled
bait that more resembles a bass crankbait in profile than a saltwater lure. The
finishes on the jigs are exceptional, and Shimano has a number of different
colors that are designed for targeting different species. For our tests we
purchased the complete array of colors and weights.
The Lucanus jigs feature two small
hooks
Real
World Test:
Testing the Tescata rod meant getting out on the ocean on the Northern
California coast and fishing the rod and new lures side by side with more
traditional gear to see just how the system compared in all aspects. This would
be an interesting test because the rockfishing in the region had been tough
lately, with many anglers having to go further away from the launch to get into
fish
A look at the Calcutta TE 300
mounted on the Tescata
Both quantity and quality have been down this season, and
many anglers find they have to work two to three times as long to boat a limit.
We fished on three trips at three different locations ranging from 3 to 22 miles
away from the launch with a crew of three anglers on our Boston Whaler Montauk.
We took turns fishing the Tescata rod with the Lucanus jigs, but there were
always two staffers fishing traditional jigs versus the one on the Lucanus
system at all times.
Shimano recommends different color
jigs for different species, for example this Orange/White pattern is designed to
imitate shell fish for targeting Cod and Ling
Casting:
The Tescata rod feels very light when casting the Lucanus Jigs, mostly due to
the long flexible tip. Since the Lucanus system is a bottom fishing technique
there isn’t much distance casting involved, most of the time all that is
required is a short cast away from the boat in the direction of the current so
the bait has time to sink to the bottom before you catch up on the drift.
The hook hanger is flush mounted
right into the contoured grip
On most occasions I found that I could get plenty of
distance with a simple underhand lob cast. The lure would always drop into the
water with a satisfying “plop” and begin a quick descend to the rocky bottom,
that’s where all the fun really begins.
The position makes it easy to draw
upon the jigs quickly
Next Section: Let's catch some
fish...
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