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Shimano Cranks Up the BOOST with Their New World Minnow and
Diver Jerkbaits (continued)
 
All three of
these Pro Anglers are so adept at working jerkbaits, and making those
adjustments quickly to retrieves, that they were able to maximize the
effectiveness of these lures. While being willing to experiment and know when to
change your retrieves is something that takes time spent on the water what
Shimano has done with the World Minnow and World Diver is give anglers an easy
to deploy tool that is effortless to cast and has built in strike triggering
features. It is easy to be skeptical about new features, fancy marketing
nicknames, but the World Minnow delivers excellent movement with the additional
flash that proved effective in many conditions.
A look at the World Minnow in
retail packaging
Price &
Applications: The Shimano World Minnow and World Diver
both retail for $19.99 each which is on the higher side when you compare them
with the vast majority of jerkbaits on the market, but par for the course when
you compare it to other premium or JDM style baits. Compare the World Series
jerkbaits to the respected Megabass Vision 110 which retails for $24.99 and the
Jackall Rerange which retails for $14.99.
Though more
expensive than most jerkbaits the Shimano World Minnow and World Diver offers
features that make them unique, present something that fish haven’t seen before,
and are built with the quality we expect from a Shimano branded product.
A California largemouth caught on
the deeper diving World Minnow. Together these baits are a one-two punch for
targeting suspended fish
The World Minnow
and World Diver held up well over time, and even the stock stainless split rings
and Owner Zo-Wire hooks are quite strong. There are ten patterns available in
each lineup and most of them have a similar look, with a crystal finish and
either clear, blue, silver, or gold tones and they look best under the light
when the foil and holographic elements shine. While this is a good launch
lineup, I think a few more patterns to help anglers match the hatch could extend
the bait’s effectiveness, including a gill, green baby bass or tiger, and a
bright table rock pattern. In the current lineup my favorite patterns are the
Pro Blue, Clown, Ghost Ayu, and Chart Head which together are a good starting
rotation for a variety of different water conditions.
If you are a fan of fishing
jerkbaits picking up a few of the World Series lures adds a differentiated tool
to your arsenal. I’d recommend going with one or two of both the World Minnow
and World Diver baits so that you are able to tie on the bait that will
effectively target the fish where they are in the water column on any given day.
An assortment for World Divers.
The Pro Blue and Clown are two of my favorites
With the initial
success of both jerkbaits Shimano is already adding to the World Series lineup
with a new crankbait called the WorldCrank and a new popper called the WorldPop.
David has been fishing the World
Crank 73F, Shimano's newest addition to the World Series
Both new lures
bring some of the Boost Concept features to a long-lipped crankbait and
traditional popper style profile. The WorldCrank weighs 5/8oz and measure 73mm
(2 7/8 inches) in length and is designed to dive down to a maximum depth of 12
feet. This crank features all three of the same FLASHBOOST, JETBOOST, and
SCALEBOOST features as the existing jerkbaits.
The World Crank also makes use of
all three BOOST features
The World Pop
looks like a traditional popper at first glance but move the bait and it comes
to life just like the other World Lures. This lure features a cupped face that
chugs and spits water as it is retrieved with a jerk and pause and is also
designed for walk-the-dog action with the right cadence of rod twitches. The
WorldPop weighs 3/8oz. and measures 69mm (2 3/4 inches), has a one-piece molded
weight versus the moving JETBOOST system, and comes with a rear dressed treble
to add an extra surface strike triggering element.
The World Pop 69F includes
FLASHBOOST and SCALEBOOST features with a one-piece molded internal weight
Both new lures
come in a variety of patterns, including eye-catching gill and tiger colors, and
will be available after the Classic for $19.99 each.
Gussy found the fish and we had a
great day on the water ripping up a lot of largemouth on the World Minnow
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):
|
Shimano
World
Minnow
(and
World
Diver)
Ratings
(?/10)
|
|
Construction/Quality |
Quality
and
construction
that we
expect
from
Shimano.
These
jerkbaits
feature
tough
injected
bodies
and
though
the
internals
features
some
more
complicated
components
than
competing
jerkbaits
they
held up
well to
strikes
and long
term use |
8.5 |
|
Performance |
Casts
very
well and
delivers
the
erratic
swimming
action
we like
in
jerkbaits.
The
FLASHBOOST
and
SCALEBOOST
features
add a
unique
shimmer
and
flash
that
helps
bring
the lure
to live,
even
during
pauses.
This
bait
performed
well
even in
cold
conditions
and in
both
clear
and
stained
water
|
9 |
|
Price |
Not a
cheap
jerkbait
but in
the
range of
what we
expect
in
high-end
and JDM
styled
jerkbaits.
The
World
Minnow
and
World
Diver do
offer
some
unique
features
that you
wont
find in
other
baits in
the same
price
range |
7.5 |
|
Features |
More
feature-rich
than
most
jerkbaits.
While
other
lures
have
their
own cast
control
system
the
FLASHBOOST
system
is
something
truly
differentiated |
9 |
|
Design
(Ergonomics) |
Easy to
cast and
able to
cast
large
amounts
of
water.
These
baits
are
still
light
and easy
to fish
with
just
about
any
Medium
or
Medium
Heavy
bass
setup |
9 |
|
Application |
The
World
Minnow
and
World
Diver
baits
are good
for
targeting
bass of
all
types
throughout
the
year.
The
launch
of both
the
Minnow
and
Diver
versions
at the
same
time
enable
anglers
to fish
these
baits
and
target
fish at
multiple
depths |
9 |
|
Total
Score
|
8.66 |
Ratings
Key:
1 =
terrible
: 2 =
poor : 3
=
lacking
: 4 =
sub par
: 5 =
mediocre
: 6 =
fair : 7
= good :
8 =
great :
9 =
excellent
: 10 =
unbelievable!
For More
Details
of the
updated
rating
system
visit
our
explanation
here |
Pluses and Minuses:
|
Plus |
Minus |
|
+
Something
new and
different.
FLASHBOOST
feature
catches
both
fishermen
and fish |
- Cost
is
higher
than
many
jerkbaits
but par
for the
course
whenc
ompared
with
other
premium/JDM
style
jerkbaits |
|
+ Built
with the
quality
we
expect
from a
Shimano
product.
The
lures
have
held up
very
well
over
time |
- Could
use some
additional
patterns
in the
lineup |
|
+ Casts
very
well.
Good
bait for
covering
a lot of
water as
a fish
searching
tool |
|
|
+
Effective
in cold
and
clear
water |
|
|
+ Can be
fished
with
just
about
any
spinning
or
casting
medium
or
medium
heavy
setup |
|
Conclusion:
Jerkbaits are an
effective tool for
catching largemouth,
smallmouth and
spotted bass
throughout the year,
and one of the few
reaction baits that
can deliver quality
bites during cooler
months, and even in
challenging
cold-water
conditions. Shimano
sought to build a
better bass-trap
with the World
Minnow and World
Diver and in many
ways they have
succeeded.
While it is natural to be
skeptical of flashy new features, pun intended, the World Series jerkbaits start
with a design that casts well, moves with the desirable characteristics of
proven jerkbaits, and adds optical elements that not only draw attention from
fish but present a unique shimmer that mimics the quiver of a wounded baitfish.
The World Minnow and World Diver
deliver erratic action we like to see in jerkbaits and the additional BOOST
features improve casting and add flash elements that are visible when moving and
on the pause, presenting fish with a bait that mimics the shimmer of fleeing
baitfish
The World Minnow
and World Diver’s new BOOST features are tangible, and the result is an
effective fish catching tool. At a minimum, the World Minnow and Diver are
something that bass have not seen before, and both weekend warriors and pro
anglers are finding success with these new baits. Built with the quality and
consistency that we have come to expect from Shimano these innovative jerkbaits
are worth adding to your ripbait arsenal, and it will be exciting to see how
these features translate into the upcoming World Crank and World Pop later this
season.
Looking for the Shimano World Minnow
Jerkbait? Try
Tackle Warehouse
Looking for the Shimano World Diver Jerkbait? Try
Tackle Warehouse
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