http://www.fishingworld.com/brannansbass/Details.tmpl?ID=117583155566876048&Cart=108400775213149213

Anybody tried these lures?

Would you fish this like a fluke on a EWG non weighted hook, or one w/ a weight on the bottom, like the ones used for paddle tails.

Those are cheap knockoffs of the Imakatsu Javallon. Look here:  http://www.imakatsu.co.jp/products/pro_a018e.html

I fish the original or the Flake lipress.  http://ac-rise.com/?pid=1866890

Those knockoffs look crappy.

If it were me I'd fish em exactly like a Super Fluke, weightless with constant jerks and slight pauses.

It looks like a copy of one of the hottest lures in Japan right now.  The original (or at least most popular from what I've read) comes from the Imakatsu company and is called the Javallon.  It is supposed to be a really good swimbait in the heavily fished waters of Japan.  

See more pictures here:  http://www.imakatsu.co.jp/products/pro_a018.html (Japanese site)

Buy the Javallon on ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.it/LF-SWIMBAIT-soft-4-5-CP-JAVALLON-Imakatsu-esca-BASS-USA_W0QQitemZ350015866968QQihZ022QQcategoryZ82290QQcmdZViewItem

or check out this other copy:

http://www.fishingworld.com/brannansbass/Details.tmpl?ID=117583155566876048&Cart=108400775213149213

Here's a demo in a bathtub on Youtube:

Hope this helps.

To at least answer the question:I would think fishing it with a bottom weighted hook would be an excellent idea.

It looks like a copy of one of the hottest lures in Japan right now.

Here's a demo in a bathtub on Youtube:

The Javallon has been around for a long time. The Javallon Hard came out not to long ago.

The video in the bathtub is of this bait (a copy of the javallon hard):

http://www.prosportfishingusa.com/videos/swim-bait/watch-video/vY_HPDXoCnQ/lippusrb/costruire-una-swimbait-in-4-pezzi-parte-4.html

This is how I would fish the javallon soft or the knockoff (video):

http://www.imakatsu.co.jp/movie/050621_1152193839.asx

Lake Fork Tackle magic shad is just like the Imakatsu ones. Good quality too.

They may look crappy to you, but they sure do catch fish for me.

It continues to amaze me that if a product cost less than one from Japan some people have to poo poo on it.

The 3.5" Live Magic Shad fished on a split shot rig is a great summer search bait.

Bonzai!

i fish em weightless.  good action.  can't wait to break em out this spring.

might try that split shot thing.  do you just put a split shot a foot above the weight?

It continues to amaze me that if a product cost less than one from Japan some people have to poo poo on it.

I don't poo poo on it because it costs less but because it looks like poo poo!

I fish cheap baits not from Japan but they have to look good.

It's all in the eye of the beholder.

I put the split shot about 18" above the bait.

I caught a bunch of fish on these yesterday.  I rigged it on a 5/0 wide gap hook, with a weight insert in the back of the biggest section.  This makes it stay horizontal on the fall.  (a weighted hook would probably be easier)

My biggest two yesterday morning were 5 pounds 5 ounces and 6 pounds 1 ounce.  

I fished it more like a senko...let it hit the bottom, then point the rod tip at the water and sweep it all the way up to twelve 'o clock, then feel for the 'bump' on the fall.

I like the way it swims, and the tail sways back and forth on the fall too, which looks very nice.  

The only thing that sucks about them is each of them can only catch one fish.  After each fish the thing was torn up too bad to re-rig and swim right.

i got two packs of the 4.5" lake fork tackle live magic shads from cabelas and they look and feel awesome. i havent tried them yet, but when i do i plan on fishing them weightless and either swimming them (to get a swimbait action) or fishing them like a soft jerkbait. if the weightless thing doesnt work out, i'll use weighed hooks.

My walmart just got stocked with these. I pick up two of the larger ones, which were pre-rigged with a jighead. Can't wait to see how they fish. Can't wait to get out to the water for that matter.

If rigged with a small weight at the nose (many rigging possibilites here), they will rest on the bottom, nose down.  I believe they appear like a feeding baitfish to the bass, but have not had a good opportunity to as a bass yet.  They don't always answer anyways.  You know the drill; name, rank, and serial number only.  Using the lightest weight possible also seems to increase the strike to hook ratio.

The Lake Fork Live Magic Shad is a great bait.  I have caught a ton of fish on them.

The hooks I use are the Mustad ones with the plastic keeper barb that pushes into the nose of the baits.  These come in weighted and unweighted versions.  On the weighted versions, the weight can be positioned on the hook to allow for a different fall.

Brad

The only thing that sucks about them is each of them can only catch one fish.  After each fish the thing was torn up too bad to re-rig and swim right.

It looks like a copy of one of the hottest lures in Japan right now.

Here's a demo in a bathtub on Youtube:

The Javallon has been around for a long time. The Javallon Hard came out not to long ago.

The video in the bathtub is of this bait (a copy of the javallon hard):

http://www.prosportfishingusa.com/videos/swim-bait/watch-video/vY_HPDXoCnQ/lippusrb/costruire-una-swimbait-in-4-pezzi-parte-4.html

This is how I would fish the javallon soft or the knockoff (video):

http://www.imakatsu.co.jp/movie/050621_1152193839.asx

THAT is a nice lookin lure. whats the $$$ on one of them??