If we had to choose just one Jackall bait to use on every species, big and small, the choice would be easy – a 95mm, 20g Jackall Transam.
We were first introduced to the Jackall Transam 95 back in 2008 when our lipless crankbait infatuation fist blossomed. We went straight for the hard stuff. Trying everything from Berkley Frenzies, Daiwa TD Woofers, Rapala Rattlin Raps, Capricorn Dancers, Cotton Cordell Rattlin Spots to the omnipresent Jackall TN range. You name it. We tried it!
It was during this phase we stumbled upon an article that had pics of monstrous barramundi caught on these forked-tail soft vibe baits called Transams. As fate would have it, Norbs was in Brisbane the very next week and made his way to The Tackle Warehouse to ogle at their wall of Jackall baits.
Right there, smack in the middle of the range was a blue and white Jackall Transam. He quickly plucked it free from its peg and made a beeline for the counter.
Like a lot of untested baits, it spent months in the back trays of the box, as we opted for the more audible rattling TN range. It wasn’t until we were fishing a dead bite at the ‘Bidgee that Norbs rummaged through his box and yanked out the despondent looking Trannie.
First cast, literally first cast, he got a plump 40cm yella. We exchanged a glance and thought this bait, which looks like a school rubber, might actually work. The very next cast to the same spot he got snapped off – yep, it works!
Speeding out to Tackleworld Canberra, we soon replenished our stocks and were ready to hit the drink again with our 20gm treats.
The next weekend we hit the river and, unbelievably, both pulled multiple mottled monsters, just shy of the metre mark, on these bass-looking lollies – the Trannie legend, for us, was born right there and then!
Fast forward to today and we have continued to be amazed by the myriad of different fresh and saltwater species caught between us on this jack of all trades bait – including multiple metre-plus barramundi and Murray cod.
Their versatility is unmatched, being one of the main baits that helped Team Day Release win both the AYC at Windamere and the Windamere Classic – pining pig-after-pig, while accounting for 90% of the 100+ barramundi we caught on a recent week-long trip up north.
Made from a durable polymer, they are also ultra-easy to use, with popular retrieves like the ‘hop and drop’, ‘burn and kill’ and ‘slow roll’ all working a treat.
For those looking for a hook upgrade if you aim to tangle with the bigger species, I would recommend investing in some #4 Decoy Y-S81. They are sharp, strong and fit the Trannie perfectly without effecting the action.
But, the best advice I can give
