The Yamamoto Yamatanuki is a new bait on the bass fishing scene and I have been fishing with it to try to see some out-of-the-box ways to catch bass on this funny-looking bait.
Fishing the Yamatanuki for Bass Pitching and Punching
As I said, I have been playing with new ways to fish this bait. It skips like crazy and I have found that it comes through brush piles like crazy, but I have started pitching it in the duckweed and have been happy with the results.
Unlike the Senko, the Yamatanuki is heavy and compact enough to punch through duckweed and light cover without using a weight. Using the Senko weightless it would sit on top of the duckweed that I have been fishing.
This is special because it provides a new presentation. This means that finicky and pressured bass may have to check it out.
It is something that is new and has a fall that the bass haven’t seen before. Bass don’t have hands, so they have to use their mouth to grab things, and when they do it’s game on!
Yamatanuki Hook-Up Ratio
I wasn’t sure how the hook-up ratio was going to be with this fat piece of plastic, but the results have been impressive. The fish seem to take it deep and that bit old 5/0 EWG gets them deep in the mouth.
I can’t really think of a fish I’ve missed yet. I even caught a channel catfish the other day using the Yamatanuki.
How I Rig the Yamatanuki
I rig the Yamatanuki weightless on a 5/0 EWG hook. I actually started with a screw-lock hook, but feel like I get a lot more fish out of the bait with the standard 5/0 EWG from Gamakatsu.
Originally I was worried about the plastic balling up on the standard EWG, but I haven’t experienced that. On the other hand, the plastic the Yamamoto uses is super soft and that screw-lock kept ripping out and I wasn’t catching as many fish on one bait.
Get Your Yamatanuki Baits Here
The Gear I Used to Fish the Yamatanuki for Bass
I have been fishing the Yamatanuki on heavy gear. It is heavy enough that it can be fished on stout gear.
I have been fishing it on a 7’4″ heavy action rod and 20-pound test fluorocarbon line. It is heavy enough to pitch easily on this heavy gear and it gives me a greater chance of getting the bass out of the junk.
I have been using a Daiwa Tatula 103 SV TW baitcasting reel. This reel is lightweight and super smooth. It pitches this bait super well. It also has no issue wenching the bass out of the cover.
Get Your Fate Black 7’4″ Heavy Rod Here
Get Your Daiwa Tatula SV TW103 Reel Here
Get Your YoZuri Fluorocarbon Line Here
If I was skipping this bait under docks I would probably drop to a 7′ medium-heavy rod for more control and a softer tip for skipping. You could get away with the exact same reel.
Final Thoughts on the Yamatanuki
This bait has a lot more applications and they will continue to adapt. I have pitched outside reed edges, skipped it, and drug it through brush piles with success.
Grab some Yamatanukis and give them a try. Mess around and think outside the box and see what you can come up with. That is what makes bass fishing so fun. Trial and error is part of the game.
To your fishing success,
Jonathan Burke
LiveBassFishing.com