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Gary Yamamoto's Trio of New Products for 2008
Written by Russ Bassdozer

Gary Yamamoto has designed and released three new products for 2008.

The first new product is Gary's Jig. It combines the strength of a flipping jig with the special attributes of not one but two of today's hottest jig styles - both the shakey jig and the swimming jig combined. This breakthrough hybrid product is so unique, it can only be called Gary's Jig. It incorporates flipping, shaking and swimming jigs into a single jig with the ultimate tournament strength hook.

Gary Yamamoto's second and third new products for 2008 are:

• New! 9P Pro Senko
• New! 16L Pro Double Tail Grub

Shown above: New products for 2008. The 9P Pro Senko (top) and new 16L Pro Double Tail Grub (bottom) rigged weedless on Gary's new jig.

In the sections below, we will review each of the three new products in their own section.

New! Gary's Jig

Gary Yamamoto's forte, the way he most enjoys fishing, is to flip his soft baits into shallow, heavy shoreline cover like thick grassbeds, laydown logs, dense brush, bulrushes and all manner of junk that holds big bass.

Therefore Yamamoto designed his new jig first and foremost to excel within the rugged flipping environment, and he constructed a new Gamakatsu hook to go into his new jig. This Gamakatsu hook has not an overly thick wire, but it is incredibly strong and ideally suited for flipping Gary's soft baits.

"It is the best possible hook I could design for flipping my soft baits on heavy tackle in thick cover," says Gary Yamamoto. "I have been using this same strength and caliber of straight shank hook for flipping Texas rigs and for screw-in sinker rigs on heavy tackle for many years. Now I have incorporated that same superior hook design into a new jig hook model for soft baits," says Gary.

To flip tight into snag-infested waters, heavy baitcasting tackle is practically the only option. Shown below are Yamamoto's heavy rod model #SM3601HF and extra heavy rod model #SM4661XHF. Both are ideally suited for the flipping style.

The tournament-strength Gamakatsu hook is suited for baitcasting gear as shown above - and it is also ideal for Yamamoto's spinning rods with braided line. The extra long hook shank makes weedless Texas-rigging possible in snaggy cover. The unique forward line tie placement comes cleanly through weeds and brush.

Photo shows ten of the nineteen total different models of Gary's Jig.

All together, Gary's Jig comes in five weights and up to four hook sizes, totaling nineteen models:

The shank is extra long on all models. This shank length is paramount to ensure soft baits can be rigged weedless properly.

"Different anglers have different ideas what hook sizes are right for them, ideally matched to the tackle they use and the size fish they catch. Also, different bait sizes naturally lend themselves to different hook sizes," says Gary Yamamoto. "So I am offering a variety of hook sizes in every weight, so every angler can get the hook size they like best, so you may be able to match every situation that you're fishing."

When not flipping shallow heavy cover, Gary Yamamoto will also use this same jig as a shakey jig in deeper water and as a swimming jig in open water. In deeper and/or more open water, Yamamoto may switch to medium heavy baitcasting gear, but what Gary particularly favors is his medium spinning rod with braided line for using this jig in deeper water or open water.

Gary's Jig is available in five lighter sizes (1/16, 1/8, 3/16, 1/4, 5/16th) but it is not a light tackle jig. The hook used is fairly strong and powerful. This hook cannot easily be set using light or wimpy tackle. If you use tackle that's too light for this jig, you may not always be able to set the hook.

Gary Yamamoto's Medium Heavy baitcasting rod model #SM2601MHF spooled with 14 pound test Sugoi fluorocarbon and Gary Yamamoto's Medium spinning rod model #SM3701M spooled with 20 lb test braided line and 16 pound test Sugoi fluorocarbon leader. In the case of the spinning rod, the braid adds a lot of strength to this outfit. Set-ups like these can cast light jigs like these for long distances yet still have the backbone needed to sink the stout hook.

New! 9P Pro Senko

“As far as the Pro Senko, it was designed for our new jig, to be used shakey worm style” says Gary.

“The new 9P Pro Senko (above) was designed primarily as a Senko that can now be used as a shakey worm. The 9P is a new Senko designed so it can be shaken on bottom in a shakey jig manner using our new jig,” explains Gary.

Top: The world-famous 5" 9-series Senko. Second and third: The new 9P Pro Senko designed for shakey jig applications.

Special attention has been paid to the head section design of the 9P Pro Senko in order so it can be rigged on Gary's Jig, on other shakey jigs or with a screw-in bullet sinker, etc.

New! 16L Pro Double Tail Grub

“Our new Pro Double Tail Grub (16L-series) was also designed for our new jig,” says Gary Yamamoto.

“The new Pro Double Tail Grub has a little more body length than your ordinary grub. That additional length of the 16L lets it fit perfectly on our new jig,” says Gary.

“I have found the new 16L and our new jig to be very deadly in real shallow water swimming it across banks littered with tree stumps and laydown logs. I just swim it along for best results,” smiles Gary. “So this new jig is a shakey jig – but also a swimming jig, and can be used shaking it on bottom in deep water but it is equally good for swimming across shallow water.”

New 16L Pro Double Tail.

The new 16L Pro Double Tail has thick diameter legs that stand out from the body. The legs won't collapse and fall in on each other. While swimming, the legs stand out to the sides like a frog kicking, or like a craw brandishing its claws.

Most All Other Baits Work Great As Well

At first, Gary Yamamoto began to design his new jig for the Swimming Senko (below).

It worked so well that Yamamoto then designed the new 9P Pro Senko and new 16L Pro Double Tail Grub to go with this new jig.

But of course, most any soft bait in GYB's entire product line can be used with Gary's new jig. With five weights and four hook sizes, there's a new jig sure to match perfectly with any Yamamoto bait. With hook sizes ranging from 2/0 through 5/0, simply match the hook you prefer to the particular bait. Whether it's the Senko, Kut-Tail, Shad Shape Worm, Yamamoto Hula Grub, Craw, Ika, tube or Yamamoto swimbait, Gary's new jig excels with all.

Shown above (top to bottom): 6-3/4" 7X Kut Tail;  5-3/4" 7C Kut Tail; 5" 9-series Senko; and 3-3/4" Shad Shape Worm (bottom).

Gary's Jig lets soft baits with action tails (such as the 97-series Hula Grub above) develop a side-to-side rocking movement. As they swim, that rocks the jig head too. This unique rocking movement is in part due to the very low angle of the eye (which is almost in-line or horizontal). Jigs that have conventional 30, 60 or 90 degree eye angles do not tend to develop this rocking action - but Gary's Jig does. The rocking action is especially obvious with GYB's Hula Grub. In its case, the entire lure, all the tentacles, twin tails and torso, will shiver and quiver uncontrollably.

Because of it's rocking action, the Yamamoto Hula Grub (above) is the ultimate weedless swimming jig to use with a swimming retrieve in weedy areas.

Weedless Rigging with Gary's Jig

 "I hope you enjoy using our new jig with the new 9P Pro Senko, the new 16L Pro Double Tail and with all your favorite Yamamoto soft baits," says Gary Yamamoto.

"Thank you."

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