SALTIGA J LOWRESPONSESALTIGA J LOWRESPONSE

His expertise in yellowtail jigging—honed through frequent visits to the ‘Kōgyōmaru’ in Hirado, the mecca of yellowtail jigging—is truly remarkable. He is in charge of the spinning items range.

[A high-end rod that isn’t fussy to use. It offers a comfortable and effortless fishing experience.]

　The SALTIGA J LOWRESPONSE is our flagship model. Its concept centres on ‘ultimate comfort’ and ‘an exceptionally light and responsive jigging feel’. This concept cannot be achieved simply by prioritising lightness. Jigging is a form of fishing that involves continuously manoeuvring heavy jigs—weighing 100g, 200g, and sometimes even exceeding 300g—at a rapid pace whilst gathering information from the fish. Sensitivity is a crucial factor, but as the bite itself is transmitted directly, the rod’s lightness is of little significance in terms of sensitivity to the bite itself. What is required of a Jigging rod is not so much sensitivity to the Fish’s bite, but rather the ‘sensitivity to gather information from the water’ needed during the approach leading up to that moment. What, then, is the most important factor for this? It is not lightness, but the Rod’s ‘balance’. The way it bends—in other words, the taper design. If this balance is off, no matter how lightweight the guides or how highly sensitive the materials used, that lightness and sensitivity become completely meaningless. Whilst working on the development of the LOWRESPONSE, I was reminded once again of the ‘importance of balance’. During the development process, there were moments when bending the Rod did not feel smooth; it felt as though there was a ‘break’ or a ‘jump’ somewhere. I therefore pointed out these concerns to the development team, asking, ‘Could you make it feel more natural?’, and they made the necessary adjustments. The DAIWA development team has a deep understanding of fishing, so they immediately grasp these subtle nuances. This is a tremendous strength in the manufacturing process.
　I tend to use spinning tackle a great deal. The SALTIGA J LOWRESPONSE range features no fewer than five spinning models. One of my favourites is the No. 3, the 63S-3. For the Jigging I currently do in northern Kyushu, where PE line sizes 3 and 4 are the mainstay, this rod’s specifications are spot on.　Although this series comprises high-end rods, that doesn’t mean they’re finicky rods that require special technique to handle. I believe they’ve been designed to be easy to use for anyone. I believe that ‘truly good tackle’ is something that helps anglers develop their skills. By using such tackle, anglers can improve their own abilities. In that sense, too, I believe the SALTIGA J LOWRESPONSE series is truly ‘truly good tackle’.　Although it’s a high-end rod, it handles Jigging effortlessly. I’m confident that when you use this rod, you’ll realise, ‘So Jigging is actually this comfortable, enjoyable and easy to do.’

A master of sophisticated bait jigging, based in Toba and active throughout the Chūkyō and Kansai areas. He is skilled in everything from light jigging to tonjigi. He is responsible for the bait items.

[Supple yet with a quick recovery after a jerk. The rod designed to help you master the single-pitch jerk.]

　I’m a fan of low-response fishing; if I were to describe this style in my own words, I’d say it’s ‘supple and smooth’, with a slightly ‘springy’ feel. If high-response is crisp and snappy, then low-response is springy—that’s the image I have in mind. The SALTIGA J LOWRESPONSE was designed with the concept of taking this low-response approach to the extreme. The main targets are yellowtail and yellowtail amberjack, as well as amberjack up to 10kg. The previous SALTIGA J R series also featured a low-response model; I was personally involved in the development of the No. 2.5 in particular and was quite satisfied with it. It delivered plenty of suppleness and smoothness. However, whilst developing this LOWRESPONSE model, I realised that if we merely pursued softness and suppleness, wouldn’t that be the end of it? So this time, I requested: ‘Please keep the smoothness and suppleness as they are, but make the tip return faster after a jerk.’ Increasing the rebound would make it lean towards a high-response rod, so the aim was simply to speed up the tip’s return. I don’t really understand the technical side of making rods, so I just gave the instructions. However, the finished rod really did have a much faster return. When I tapped the tip against the ceiling and bent it sharply, it gave that ‘bouncy’ feel I love, but the moment I let go, it snapped back with a ‘whoosh!’—much faster than before. I thought, ‘This is it!’

　The idea was to create a supple rod using low-modulus carbon material, whilst still prioritising a fast return action. Although it may not quite match the return speed of a high-modulus rod, the faster return ensures a smoother transition to the next action. I believe the incorporation of ‘AGS’ has played a major role in this evolution. After all, ‘AGS’ makes the entire rod lighter and reduces wobble and distortion. The ‘X45 Full Shield’ technology should also be having a positive effect. Faster single-pitch jerks are considerably easier to execute than with the previous model. Whilst the single-pitch jerk is the foundation of Jigging, it is a technique with great depth. I do not vary my Fall techniques much; my main focus is solely on the single-pitch jerk. I consider the natural fall following the jerk—which often triggers a bite—to be an integral part of the single-pitch jerk action. For me, the LJ series is the limit when it comes to making jigs swim. Whilst it is possible to make heavy jigs swim in water of a certain depth, the primary rod work with this LOWRESPONSE is, without a doubt, the one-pitch jerk. It can be said that the LOWRESPONSE is the ultimate rod, created to master the one-pitch jerk and to explore its full depth.

A master of jigging who was born and raised in the heartland of Tango jigging and specialises in the ‘Tango Jerk’ technique. He is in charge of the spinning items range.

[It creates a Jig action that entices fish to take the bait. The LOWRESPONSE is sure to perform brilliantly in the Tango area too.]

　As I often go jigging in the Tango area of the Sea of Japan, where yellowtail is my main target, I usually make extensive use of a technical jigging technique known as the ‘Tango Jerk’. With the Tango Jerk, which mainly involves high-frequency jerks, semi-long and long jigs are frequently used, and I believe that jigging rods with relatively high elasticity are best suited to such jigs. On the other hand, this SALTIGA J LOWRESPONSE is a relatively supple rod with low elasticity. When I actually used it, I realised it is a rod specialised for comfort and ease of jigging. So, if you were to ask whether the LOWRESPONSE has no place in the Tango area, that is certainly not the case. There are situations in the Tango area where this rod truly excels. That is during the season when the bait being preyed upon by bluefish becomes smaller.
During seasons centred around spring and autumn, when Bait tends to be smaller, jigs with large silhouettes and aggressive action are generally less effective. In such situations, small-silhouette short jigs prove highly effective, and there are scenarios where Rods like the LOWRESPONSE really come into their own. Specifically, I use items such as the 63S-3 and 62S-4, paired with 180g or 210g TG Baits. Personally, when fish are feeding aggressively, I focus on enticing them to chase and strike, but when they are being selective, I try to Jig in a way that focuses on presenting the lure to trigger a bite. In a nutshell, the idea is to entice them to bite with a ‘rounded jerk’. Recently, the Tango area has become increasingly deep, with depths exceeding 130 metres not uncommon. In that sense, I personally recommend the 62S-4.
The SALTIGA J LOWRESPONSE is undoubtedly a rod that will prove to be a real asset. No matter what the Area, I’m sure there will be situations where you’ll find yourself thinking, ‘I’m so glad I’ve got this rod’, so please do take the LOWRESPONSE with you on your next fishing trip.