Japan’s latest and hottest new bass craze may have a scatalogical name, but it’s super effective. If you think the Senko is the greatest bait ever — and there’s a strong argument for that — see if this stubbier, heavier version gives it a run for its money.

One of the most-read, and most remarked-upon articles we’ve written was about JDM lures like the Deps Cover Scat and Valley Hill Heavy Poop. These stubby stick baits have become popular stateside. Yamamoto’s Yamatanuki has been flying off shelves. If you want something a little bit rarer, though, you might try one of these four.

The best part about going to Anglers Inn’s lodges on Lake Picachos or Lake El Salto is that the conditions constantly change. – it’s a different lake every time we go. I get excited to bring downnew products that we know won’t get bit at home. If we get bites, not only have we learned something new, but we’ve added to our bag of tricks

At the 2023 Bassmaster Classic Expo I met up with James Niggemeyer. He knows big bass, having lived in Texas for much of his adult life, so I asked him which new bait we should take to Mexico. Without hesitation he grabbed for the new Yamamoto 3.5” Yamatanuki.

We’re headed back to El Salto for a week at the end of this month. We’ve been going multiple times a year for a decade-plus, and we’ve narrowed down the lures that we’re most likely to use, but I still reserve some time each trip to work in new possibilities. Here are four new lures that are already packed and ready to go.

Since 2010, I’d always been on the water during the Bassmaster Classic competition days, often an hour away from the downtown arena, which meant that I essentially never got to visit the Expo. For a tackle junkie like me, that’s a particularly cruel punishment. This year,I got to wander the Expo for a couple of hours each day.