Shimano Buys Japanese Lure Maker Jackall, Its Partner Since 2010

Shimano Inc. has taken full ownership of Jackall, the Japanese lure company known among bass anglers for its crankbaits, soft plastics and other specialized baits. The tackle giant announced that it now holds all shares of Jackall, turning a business partnership that dates back to 2010 into a single company. The announcement, released from Charleston, South Carolina, did not include a purchase price or a timeline for any product changes.

What Shimano announced

According to the company statement, Shimano bought every share of Jackall rather than a partial stake. The two firms are not strangers: they have worked together for more than a decade, and one of the best-known results of that cooperation is the Poison rod series, a joint project between the brands.

Shimano describes the purchase as a strategic move to strengthen its place in what it calls innovative fishing tackle. The idea, as the companies explain it, is to pair Shimano’s worldwide distribution and industry contacts with Jackall’s design-focused way of building lures. Jason Livermore, President of Shimano North America Fishing, said Jackall “brings a distinctive approach to product development and a strong connection with anglers,” and added that Shimano sees a big opportunity in combining the two companies’ capabilities.

Shimano’s North American fishing business already lists four consumer brands in its portfolio: Shimano, G.Loomis, Jackall and PowerPro. As a lure maker, Jackall adds a lineup built around baits to that group.

Who Jackall is

Jackall was founded in 1999 in Otsu City, on the shores of Lake Biwa, in Japan. Its founders, Seiji Kato and Toshiro Ono, were tournament anglers who had competed both in Japan and abroad. They started the company to make tackle that met their own demanding performance standards.

The brand has built a reputation for creative lure design, natural swimming action and extensive testing. Its range runs from hard baits such as crankbaits to soft plastic lures, and it sells products for several styles of fishing, not just bass.

Shimano itself has been making fishing tackle since 1970 and describes itself as a global maker of industry-leading tackle systems.

Why it matters for anglers

For most anglers, the practical question is whether the lures in their tackle box will change. The announcement does not say, and there is no mention of any product being dropped, renamed or redesigned. What the companies do say is that they plan to look for ways to work together on research and development, new products, angler education and growth in markets around the world.

A few points are worth keeping in mind:

• Availability: Shimano stresses its global reach. If that reach is put to work for Jackall, the brand’s baits could become easier to find, but the companies have not made any specific promise about stores or prices.
• Rod and lure pairing: The Poison rods show the two brands already design gear together. Full ownership could lead to more combined rod, reel and lure products, though none have been announced.
• Brand identity: Jackall is listed as a separate brand inside Shimano’s portfolio, alongside G.Loomis and PowerPro, which suggests the name will stay on the packaging for now.

Both companies frame the purchase as a long-term commitment to recreational fishing and to the anglers, retailers and industry partners behind it. How that plays out on store shelves remains to be seen.

What is still unknown

Several key details were left out of the announcement. The companies did not disclose how much Shimano paid, when the deal closed, or whether Jackall’s leadership and design team will stay in place. There is also no word on changes to Jackall’s lineup, pricing or warranty support in the United States.

Shimano and Jackall said they will explore how to combine their strengths in the coming period. Anglers who rely on particular Jackall baits will likely get the first real signs of the new arrangement when the brands roll out their next product lines.

Sources: The Fishing Wire, Fishing Tackle Retailer