We all know that fishing in the spring can be like shootin’ ducks in a barrel. Reeling them in one ofter another happens but so do those days where they just go stone cold on you.
One of the baits that is often overlooked for use during this pre-spawn, spawn and post-spawn time frame is one of our favorites, a hard bodied swimbait, the Jackall Giron.
So now you’re thinking we’re just a little touched by the sun for not sticking to soft plastics but give us a chance to give you our two cents for why the Giron is always rigged and ready for our spring fishing.
Getting the Specs
The Giron is classified as a swim bait. It is listed at 4” in length but measures 3-3/4 on a ruler with a weight of 3/4 ounce. The shape of the bait is possibly the closest imitation to a bluegill on the market both in height, width and anatomically. Not to mention the colors which are executed beautifully.
There are 8 colors dedicated primarily in bluegill patterns of which there are four. Three more are crappie imitations and one is a threadfin. All of these baits use exactly the same components with no change in the shape of the body.
The body has molded in facial features including mouth parts, 3-D eyes and gill plates. The fins are also part of the bait that adds a great deal to the realism. This lure has a two piece body with two hinges connecting the front and back hidden in a v-shaped channel. This allows for a certain limited range of motion between the front and rear sections that holds the secret to its incredibly realistic swimming action.
The weighting system of the bait contains 4 balls, three in the front, one in the rear. The front three are all the same size while the one in the tail section is about half the diameter of the others. All have there own cavities that allow for almost no movement so don’t expect them to rattle.
The hooks are well sized for the bait with the belly hook being the larger of the two. Both are sticky sharp out of the package but can be upgraded to a stouter hook without affecting the action of the lure.
The Giron is listed as a slow sink bait. Considering its rather hefty weight for its size, the sink rate is beyond slow, more like ultra-slow. It will settle in the water at about 6 inches per second. This is roughly half the rate of other baits that are listed as slow sink.
Time to Get it Wet
Our setup for throwing the Giron has been a 7’ medium heavy rod on a casting reel with a 6.3:1 gear ratio spooled with 15# fluoro.
Here is the only negative we have found with this bait. It helicopters on almost every cast. That’s the fact. However, once it’s in the water it turns into one of the most elegant swimmers you can find.
In terms of retrieves, there are several kind of standard techniques with a myriad of variations that we have found to be very successful.
The first is to count it down keeping in mind how slowly it sinks, then start an extremely gentle walk the dog type retrieve while reeling at a steady, painstakingly slow pace. This will result in a gentle side to side, lazy swimming action from the bait that looks like a bluegill out for a stroll.
Or for a more in line swimming action you can cast it out, count it down and while keeping your rod tip still, just start a steady retrieve. You can also use the Giron as a wake bait by just beginning your retrieve as soon as the bait hits the water.
You can speed it up or slow it down, the bait runs true under all but the most extreme speed. You can add subtle to sharp jerks of the rod tip, simple pauses or any other manipulation you care to impart.
Pre-spawners crush this bait as an easy meal without hesitation. The strikes aren’t short strikes either. They tend to be solid, deliberate takes that almost set the hook for you.
Giron’s Unique Feature
One of the features that we appreciate a great deal is that the Giron is so well weighted that it will stop on its hooks on the bottom without falling over. It just sits there motionless while remaining upright. Find a bed, allow it to sink into it then get ready. Bass go absolutely apoplectic when this lure is in there bed.
For post-spawn fry-guarders, the Giron is just as antagonistic. Simply let the bait settle down about a foot in the water before you start your retrieve. When you get in the fry a quick twitch of the rod tip will make the lure whip around 180 degrees to stare at the adult bass. You can guess what happens next …
The Giron can be used anywhere there is an abundance of sunfish for forage, anytime of the year. When the bass are on the chew actively feeding on small bluegill, you can’t hardly keep ‘em off this bait!
When bass are trying to bed, they instinctively react to this bait as a nest raiding marauder. When they are guarding fry, they hit this bait to eliminate the threat to their offspring. When they are strapping on the feed bag prior to or after the spawn, the Giron is an excellent replica of an easy meal. Anytime sunfish are on the menu, this bait is effective.
If you’ve tried hard-bodied swimbaits but haven’t had much success, you probably just haven’t tried the right one … and the Giron is as right as they come!
| Jackall Giron | |
|---|---|
| Overall Rating |   |
| An extremely versatile little swimbait | |
See ya’ on the water …
