Daiwa’s JDM Travel Frogging Rod
Daiwa USA has substantially improved their tournament bass rod lineup in recent years, with introductions of series including the Steez and Tatula sticks. More quietly, they’ve also offered some distinctive pack rods, including the quirky-but-practical Ardito-TR, which as far as I know if the only one that can easily be used with both spinning and baitcasting reels (depending on which way the handle is aligned), making it particularly valuable for space-conscious traveling anglers. As we’ve noted before, Daiwa also offers U.S. anglers some high-quality two-piece bass rods, as well as both multi-piece and telescopic rod-and-reel combos, all at eminently reasonable price points.
Daiwa JDM Travel Rods
At the same time, U.S. anglers are not nearly as interested in packable fishing rods, so those who do need to scratch that itch typically need to look for foreign markets, and non-American branches of international companies. We’ve already outlined the JDM travel rod offerings of Shimano, Rapala and Abu-Garcia, but we’ve yet to address Daiwa’s options. That’s a shame, because like the others they have some that are easily attainable and may meet the needs of globetrotting fishermen, urban anglers, and those who simply like high-quality, enthusiast-grade gear. Most notable among these are the Black Label Travel Rods, a seven-stick selection of five-piece rods made for specific purposes. They’re not inexpensive, but not altogether unreasonable for serious travelers who don’t want to be letdown while in remote locations.
The Color of Money
The most exciting (to me at least) member of the Black Label arsenal is, despite the name, not black at all. It’s a neon green limited edition frog rod. To be brutally honest, at 6’3”, I don’t know if it’s what I’d use for most of my frogging, since I generally prefer a frog stick in the 6’10” to 7’4” range, but I could see it being exceptional for all sorts of jungle fishing. With a lure rating of ¼ to 1 ½ ounces, it might excel for throwing a jerkbait or hair jig for peacock bass, or for skipping lures under overhanging foliage. The coloring may turn some people off—I’m not among them—but you certainly can’t lose it or confuse it for any other rod on the deck of the boat.
Another Swimbait Stick?
The hardest variety travel rod to find, it seems, is one that’ll satisfy the swimbaiters, which includes travelers headed to South America to fish for arapaima or golden dorado with big baits. The Black Label Travel rods include two sticks labeled as “Monster Fish Custom.” One is a 6’4” XH and the other is a 6’1” XXH, so I think that most American swimbaiters will immediately reject them as too short, even though they can handle lures up to 6 and 10 ounces, respectively. If you’re looking for something capable of handling some smaller swimbaits, you might be tempted by the “Worldwide Versatile” model, a 7’3” H rated for lures up to 2 ounces.
Other Daiwa JDM Travel Rod Options
Black Label isn’t the only portion of Daiwa’s JDM lineup. There are multiple “Mobile Pack” telescopic rods, and while the baitcasting options are pretty middle-of-the-road in terms of actions, the spinning choices are more varied. All of them come with a protective “top cover.” The Blazon Mobile Rods skew toward even lighter options. There are three baitcasting and two spinning models.
The Air Edge Mobile rods are multi-piece rather than telescopic, and most are fairly light, but hidden among the spec chart is a 6’9” four-piece model aimed at lures from 3/8 to 4 ounces. The Google translation of the rod scription says the following: “Joint A hard and bendable slow taper big bait rod that supports big baits and swim baits. Big baits, swim baits and crawler baits can be made into attractive actions. Also, even with a slow swing, you can cast a lure on the rod, enabling a soft presentation. Not only for big baits, but also for cover shooting of frogs and rubber jigs.”
Daiwa JDM Frogs
As long as we’re diving in the Daiwa JDM catalog looking at frogging and swimbaiting gear, don’t forget that there are four frogs in the Steez series:
Steez Jr.
Steez Popper
Steez Chiquita
Steez Snappy Frog
They come in standard colors like white, black, bluegill and “mouse/rat,” but if you really want to think outside the box, perhaps try “Ayu” for a Japanese feel or “Smelt” or “Sausage” just to be different. Their list prices tend to be pretty inexpensive, but they can be a little pricey on auction sites.
Daiwa Japan is also pretty active in the big bait game, including a glider collaboration with Gan Craft and multiple crawler-style topwaters.
Where to Order Them
Several overseas retailers who ship abroad currently carry the Black Label Travel Rods (and other Daiwa JDM products), including the Neon special edition frog rod. They include:
They also may be available from time to time on eBay. Be sure to comparison shop, understand a Yen-to-USD exchange rate, check the return policy, and examine shipping options and costs carefully.
