Engine x HMKL Jordan50 Biwako Goodie! Wakasagi

A small floating plug from the Jordan50 collaboration between HMKL and Engine, this Wakasagi (pond smelt) colourway is built on a pattern first developed for the larger Jordan65, imitating the same forage across a smaller-bodied lure. The compact, natural profile is built to draw strikes from bass that have already seen larger, more aggressive lures pass through the same stretch of water.

Suited to fisheries where wakasagi (pond smelt) are on the menu, fished nationwide wherever bass or trout are keyed on this baitfish pattern. Small baitfish-pattern plugs like this earn their keep whenever the forage in a fishery runs small, or when bigger lures are drawing follows but no committed strikes.

Fish as a small floating twitch bait, working it with light rod-tip twitches and pauses to imitate a struggling smelt near the surface. Small changes in retrieve speed and the length of the pause can make a real difference with a plug this size, so experiment with cadence across a session.

A light spinning rod around UL-L power, a 2000-2500 reel, 0.3-0.6 PE main line and a short fluorocarbon leader suit this small floating plug. Light, well-balanced tackle lets a plug of this size cast cleanly and allows its action to show through fully on the retrieve.