Shimano has done it again.

The company is introducing another revolutionary jig.

Lucanus Jigs are designed for bottom fishing for sea bass, cod, snappers and such fish, mostly deep-, cold-water species, but also fish like fluke or redfish that can be found in shallower, warmer water.

Like with the previous two jigs that the company introduced in the past few years, once again this is a jigging system: jigs, rods and reels meant to be fished together.

Shimano’s Butterfly Jigging System, introduced in 2005, changed the face of jigging for tuna, and its popularity took off like gangbusters.

Its Flat-Side Butterfly Jigging System, launched in 2007, a variation of the original Butterfly, introduced an innovative way of jigging in shallower water and on a more horizontal plain than tuna jigging, while drifting for fish like bluefish, striped bass, false albacore and many species that will attack a jig.

Both made these types of fishing more fun, and sometimes caught more fish than traditional methods.

Fun is a large part of the purpose of the Lucanus Jigging System, and sometimes the system can reportedly catch more fish than traditional methods.

Traditional bottom fishing uses a heavy, stiff rod, a ton of weight and a big chunk of bait sent below to sit on the bottom.

Boring, the company says.

The Lucanus System uses light line and a surprisingly light rod and reel, and the jig must be worked to attract a strike, turning bottom fishing into a sport instead of meat fishing: Fun.

The method of jigging a Lucanus isn’t rocket science, and that’s a "beauty" of the system, the company says.

The angler sends the jig to the bottom, slowly reels up about 30 feet, drops the jig back down, and repeats until a fish hits.

When a fish bites, the angler does not set the hook, but instead reels slowly and lets the fish keep biting, and it’ll eventually hang itself on the hook, and then the angler lifts and makes sure the fish is on.

The light rod with a soft tip—a brand new pole called the Tescata, specifically designed for Lucanus jigs—allows enough play for the fish to be hooked like this.

A stiff rod usually pulls the hook away.

The reel, the Calcutta TE 400LJV, also specifically made for this system, sports a gear ratio for slow retrieve to work the jig properly, and a large, rubber-gripped handle for comfort, among other features.

The company recommends braided line on the reels with a top-shot of monofilament, not fluorocarbon. The “give” of the monofilament hooks more fish with the soft-tipped rod.

The jigs themselves look like no other and come in five sizes and
six colors.

The jigs are surprisingly lightweight for fishing this deep. But a bottom eyelet allows weight to be attached if necessary, and the company recommends a long leader, a minimum of 7 feet, for the weight, so the fishing’s like drop-shotting. The angler cranks up the jig until the sinker is felt, drops it back down and repeats the action.

Small hooks are another trait. For whatever reasons, small hooks turned out to catch more fish than large ones did. The jig comes with two hooks for better chances of connecting.

Silicon skirts and trailers provide action and are replaceable in case fish chew them up.

Besides the replaceable skirts and trailers, accessories available include replacement hooks, monofilament wind-on leaders, a jig keeper to neatly keep the jig on the rod when in transport, and a jig storage bag.

Shimano developed the Lucanus jigs after learning about a similar jig that commercial Japanese anglers started using to catch snappers in crowded, high-pressured waters a few years ago.

Shimano developed prototypes for sport fishing, tested them from Cape Cod to Alaska, Louisiana, Southern California and Mexico, reportedly scored impressive success on different species from snappers to cod, and is now introducing Lucanus jigs to the public.

The Lucanus Jigging System is already available at many New Jersey tackle shops.

Check out a cool video that shows the system in action.

For more information, visit the Lucanus web site.