Japan’s tackle industry is crowded with innovation, but what truly separates it is honour in design and manufacturing – precision that consistently produces world-class gear. That influence shines brightly in fishing, and one company that always springs to mind is Tackle House – Tokyo Creative Company of Anglers.
We first reviewed a Tackle House product in 2012, our first year of publishing. It was the Feed Popper, tested by a Darwin-based guide who had no time for average gear. I remember the phone call clearly: “It’s one of the best poppers I’ve ever used.”
I then ordered a few for myself, experienced the same results, and have since recommended it to countless anglers who all fell in love with it. It’s available in a huge range of sizes and catches every pelagic you can name, often getting bites when nothing else will.
Six months later a Queensland contributor reviewed the Shores Popper on whiting and rang with the exact same praise. Then came the Rolling Bait – a genius, original minnow with a centred bib on top of its body– later copied locally but never equalled. The point is simple: Tackle House doesn’t make bad products. Some look modern with outstanding and intricate paint jobs and colour patterns, others almost Australian old-school, but everything is built with purpose, a target species in mind, and tuned for exceptional casting and action.
The Node
Another Tackle House lure that gained serious traction on the Gold Coast flathead scene is the Node – originally designed as a 130mm jerkbait for Japanese sea bass. Anyone serious about big dusky flathead quickly realises how effective sea bass lures are for flathead. Anglers are finally understanding that no jerkbait is too big. Alongside the Node, other modern long-profile minnows are changing how many big duskies can be caught in a session, with far better hook-up rates.
I was therefore excited when I was sent the new Node 150F to review. I’m a huge fan of jerkbaits for almost any species, especially flathead. There are plenty of bad jerkbaits on the market and, while many look similar, it’s the small details that separate the great ones from the average.
The Node 150F has all the right ingredients in a jerkbait for luring, hooking and landing big duskies. It comes in a strong range of colours well suited to flathead, with patterns that imitate their natural prey such as mullet, whiting and tailor. It’s fitted three high quality treble hooks and split rings and is ready to go staright out of the pack. What we learned through the review process is that a 150mm lure doesn’t exclude smaller fish – a common argument when discussing flathead. That belief can turn anglers off who want numbers. Over the past few years I’ve completely changed how I target flathead. I’ve caught enough that I never need to catch one under 65cm again. Through specific targeting and bycatch I’ve had my fill. I’m now purely chasing big fish – anything over 80cm – and, most importantly, unicorns over 95cm.
This shift has led me to bigger lures, heavier line and leader, ignoring smaller fish and being prepared to go days without a bite. It’s trophy hunting. While I’m casting bigger lures, I’m also placing serious focus on hooks, hook placement, casting distance and, of course, action. The longer the cast across a flat, the more water I cover and the less chance I have of spooking bigger fish. The Node covers all the traits I want in a lure for targeting big dusky flathead.
The Node is a slim-profile jerkbait, almost cigar-like in shape, and features an outstanding tungsten cast weight transfer system known as the K-Ten system. It’s an internal magnet-assisted weight transfer and centre-of-gravity system built into the lure body. The magnets and weights shift during the cast and retrieve to improve distance, balance and action, making the lure fly further and straighter. It rockets into the wind like it has gunpowder behind it.
It’s extremely responsive to rod work. Worked aggressively, it tracks perfectly and darts hard from side to side. With subtler rod input it produces a tight wiggle with excellent vibration. You can twitch it or drag it across the sand on a flat, where it will float back up thanks to its high buoyancy, keeping those three trebles clear of weed.
On The Water
I prefer a more aggressive approach with long pauses, and this is where most hits come from. At 24g it’s not a lure for bream outfits. It needs a PE2 setup with 16–20lb leader at a minimum, or you’ll eventually suffer bust-offs during the cast. Years of testing have shown me flathead aren’t leader-shy, so rig for the lure just as much as the fish. More big flathead have been lost to light leaders and poor hooks that haven’t been upgraded than almost any other reason. They shake violently and, in shallow water, will breach and thrash like a barra. That head shake dislodges hooks.
The three-treble system on the Node provides a very solid hook-up. In most situations the lure turns on its side and runs across the front of the fish’s mouth, with at least two hooks firmly pinned. This greatly reduces the fish’s ability to throw the lure, keeps the leader clear of teeth and gill rakers, and slows its breathing, reducing its ability to fight hard. The Node not only gets bites, but it’s also an ultra-safe presentation for targeting big fish that are easy to lose boat side. I’m generally fishing in under 60cm of water, so there’s a lot that can go wrong.
During testing I caught many fish in the 40s, 50s and 60s, and finished with a 70. I didn’t get the fish I truly wanted, but the Node 150F now holds a permanent place in my tackle box for targeting big flathead. I don’t think it will be long before I land a proper trophy on it. It’s a joy to use and highly effective.
The Node will also make for an excellent lure for casting for mulloway in rivers or the surf, and I wont be surprised if I catch one on it while targeting flathead. It may not be the cheapest jerkbait on the market sitting at around $45, but you certainly get a lot of bang for your buck when you buy any Tackle House product. I rate this as one of the best jerkbaits that’s ever come through the Hooked Up office.
Words & Images: Kosta Linardos
