About Jackall
Jackall is a Japanese fishing-tackle company founded in 1999 by tournament anglers Seiji Kato and Toshiro Ono in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, on the shore of Lake Biwa. The brand first became known for bass lures, especially soft plastics and hard baits developed around Japanese tournament techniques, and later expanded into rods for bass, saltwater, trout, and general lure fishing. Jackall began selling rods in 2002 to match the lures and techniques it was developing.
The company remains closely tied to field testing and in-house product development, with a research base near Lake Biwa and its own Ryuo factory for quality control. Jackall rods generally sit in the JDM performance category, with series aimed at bass anglers, shore-salt lure anglers, and compact/travel use. Its higher-end rods use named carbon materials and refined components, while BPM and BRS give the brand more accessible options for anglers who want Jackall actions without flagship pricing.
What Jackall is known for
Jackall is known first as a lure-driven Japanese bass brand, so its rods often feel technique-specific rather than generic. Bass anglers associate the brand with Lake Biwa influence, finesse-to-power lure presentation, and collaborations or overlap with Shimano on premium rod concepts. Revoltage and BPM cover much of the bass market, while BRS is the recognizable shore-salt line. The brand’s niche is strongest with anglers who already fish Jackall lures and want rods tuned for hard baits, soft plastics, power finesse, shore casting, and modern Japanese bass methods.