2021 Gear Guide
By Tackle Warehouse | updated September 2021
Ushering in a host of outstanding new fishing products, this summer saw a host of pro-inspired designs like the Berkley Stunna Jerkbait 112 as well as some revamped favorites like the Jackall Bling 55. Across the board there were some highly contested races, but the Z-Man Big Blade Chatterbait was a clear favorite in the Best Jig or Bladed Jig category. By vastly expanding their spinnerbait lineup with a more diverse selection of blade offerings, Strike King captured most of the Viewer’s Choice votes for Best Spinnerbait with three new blade combinations to fit the need of any situation. Check out all of the winners and top finishers below to see how your favorite new bait stacked up against the competition!
Built to generate strong vibrations, while deflecting wildly off heavy cover at even deeper depths, the 13 Fishing Jabber Jaw Deep Crankbait refuses to hit the mute button with its loud and furious chatterbait acoustics in a crankbait profile. Featuring an oscillating stainless-steel bill and patent pending metal jowls, the 13 Fishing Jabber Jaw Deep Crankbait produces a metallic clicking noise and roaring resonance through the water column as the bill clacks powerfully from side-to-side.
"Out of the package this thing comes fully rigged. I don’t have to do anything to tweak it. I am fishing this around grass and around wood. This bait really allows you to cast in places that you can’t with conventional crankbaits. Even when I am not deflecting off of wood or rock, I am still getting that unique sound this bait creates. You aren't going to get that from a conventional squarebill." – Jacob Wheeler, MLF Bass Pro Tour angler
The Jackall Bling 55 Crankbaits are back and better than ever with a design that utilizes the latest technology in the fishing industry to provide the angler with ultimate performance. Built with a circuit board lip and innovative weight transfer system, this small-profile, flat-sided crankbait offers a fast wobbling action and long range castability. A crankbait that the Tackle Warehouse Staff and Jackall fans are elated to have back in production, the Jackall Bling 55 Crankbaits are the perfect addition to any tacklebox with their intense action in shallow waters.
"The new Bling 55 is not really new. It is a bait that was discontinued and everyone got mad and wanted us to bring back. This is the same flat-sided bait with a circuit board lip in 8 colors. There are two of the old colors and six of the new colors. Jackall brought back a bait that everyone wanted. Pure sexy, it's back!" - Alex Davis, MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit angler
Sweeping the Viewer’s Choice and Tackle Warehouse Staff Picks award for best new jig, the Z-Man Big Blade Chatterbait is destined to become the next bladed jig sensation with a design refined by MLF Pro and chatterbait specialist, Bryan Thrift. Driven by a magnum ChatterBlade over twice the size of the standard hex blade, the Big Blade Chatterbait calls fish in by moving tons of water and adding a virtual subwoofer to the end of your line. A perfect option if the fish are keyed in on large bait or when fishing extremely dirty water, the Z-Man Big Blade Chatterbait delivers maximum thump and vibration from an oversized blade.
"You have to have a hand-tied skirt so you don’t have to worry about that skirt slipping down when you are skipping it under docks, skipping around laydowns and things like that...I used to tweak all my chatterbaits and I would get them to send me heads with no skirts and I would tie my own skirts on there. That is what we have got in my signature series chatterbait. This bait is exactly how I would throw it straight out of the package. The only thing I would ever do to this bait is trim up the skirt if I was throwing a smaller sized trailer." - Bryan Thrift, MLF Bass Pro Tour angler
Expanding upon Strike King’s Tour Grade series of spinnerbaits, the Strike King Tour Grade Colorado Willow Spinnerbaits are designed with a new streamlined head shape that makes them more snag-resistant around hard cover. Producing maximum vibration at virtually any retrieve speed, the durable light-wire construction retains plenty of strength to hold up to aggressive rod-jarring bites. Narrowly taking down the Viewer’s Choice Award for Best Spinnerbait, the Strike King Tour Grade Colorado Willow Spinnerbaits deliver long-lasting performance with wire, hand-tied silicone skirts, a premium set of blades, and powder-coated paint jobs.
"This is a beautiful spinnerbait. When you look at the head, the design and the skirt, it is perfect. This spinnerbait really is tour grade. It is immaculate." - Shaw Grigsby, MLF Bass Pro Tour angler
Combining top shelf componentry with an innovative design, the Damiki TOT Type 2 Colorado Willow Spinnerbaits provide a heavy thumping action ideal for slower retrieves, lowlight conditions, and murky water. Built with a heavy gauge wire and long shank wide gap hook to improve hook-up ratios, the spacing between the wire, blades, and hook are carefully positioned to minimize hook damage and prevent snagging. Equipped with flatter blades to create heavier vibrations without rolling, the Damiki TOT Type 2 Tandem Colorado Willow Spinnerbaits produce a wealth of flash and attraction with scaled patterns stamped directly onto the blades.
The Viewer’s Choice selection for Best New Ripbait, the Berkley Stunna Jerkbait 112 combines Hank Cherry’s vast knowledge of jerkbait fishing with Berkley’s design expertise to create one of the most convincing baitfish imitating profiles today. Producing the ultimate darting action with 180-degree head turns when fished aggressively, the Stunna also features a natural slow-sink on the pause to entice even the most lethargic fish to strike. Providing impressively long casting performance with a brass and tungsten weight transfer system, the Berkley Stunna Jerkbait 112 is highly versatile lure built to excel in a variety of situations.
"This bait does that little bit of a shimmy. I think that is probably what is going to set this jerkbait apart from others, is that slow fall with the little bit of a shimmy. It has great action when you are out there twitching it with those sweep pulls or just fast twitches. Great all around jerkbait that comes with Berkley fusion trebles on it, so there is no need to swap out from stock hooks. Right off the bat this thing is balanced and ready to rip." - Hunter Shryock, Bassmaster Elite Series angler
Crafted with a long and slender body shape to resemble the universal shape of minnows and juvenile fish, the Daiwa HMKL Minnow SC 137 is optimized for excellent flight distance and a silent, wobbling action. Utilizing Daiwa’s Maglock weight transfer system, an internal weight is fixed with a magnet to prevent artificial noise and make the retrieve completely silent. Achieving an industry first by equipping a circuit board bill to an ABS jerkbait body, the HMKL Minnow’s oval shaped bill cuts through the water with accurate and precise movements. Designed by famous Japanese lure designer, Kazuma Izumi, his ultimate goal for the Daiwa HMKL Minnow SC 137 was to create a jerkbait that simply caches more fish with its lean profile and predator provoking action.
"The HMKL Minnow came from Japan from famous lure designer, Kazuma Izumi, who used to make this bait from balsa wood carved one at a time and sold out every year he made them. This is the first year he is making it out of a plastic bait. It has a circuit board lip to help with action ... The skinny low profile helps with the action of the bait and I have tested this in a pool myself and I am really amazed by the action this bait has." - Curt Arakawa, Daiwa