Lure fishing for Bass

Megabass Zonk 120 Gataride Yoro-Yoro, Colour: HT Sayori

The Megabass Zonk 120 Gataride is a floating minnow with a fragile looking hinged plastic diving lip. There seems to be confusion about why the diving lip is hinged, my Japanese isn’t good (more like non existent) but Megabass seem to be implying that it moves to the inline postion during the cast to reduce the coefficient of air resistance for increased casting distance and then returns to the down position to provide the action on retrieve.

Whereas the Zonk 120 is a sinking deep diving lure the Megabass Zonk 120 Gataride is a very shallow running floating lure, it would seem a lot of people haven’t realised that there are in fact two versions of the Zonk 120 Gateride the Yoro-Yoro which has a rounded diving lip and the Hi-Pitch which has a larger squarer diving lip, I presume the lips give slightly different actions with the larger lipped Hi-Pitch version diving a little deeper.

Update – Lot’s of people seem unhappy with how fragile this lure is but with a little care it will last. Getting it snagged in weed or on a rock will more than likely break the diving lip, also care should be taken when landing fish, if you allow a bass to thrash around the lip will get broken. The thing to do is look at this from a different angle, this lure casts really well for it’s weight, it’s possibly one of the best casting plugs around and it’s action on a simple retrieve drives bass nuts. I can’t stop catching on the Pearl Rainbow, it works great in low light and if there’s a little colour in the water.

Get one in your lure box – it’s already a classic if you ask me.

Model: Zonk Gataride   Manufacturer: Megabass
Length: 120mm   Weight:18g    Dives: 5 – 30cm (Floating)   Hook: ST-46 #6

For more info and pictures click the ‘Read More’

Position of diving lip during retrieve

Position of diving lip in flight

The Gataride version of the Zonk shares the same wide body which houses a powerful movable double tungsten ball bearing casting system and the water port in the top of the body, this is meant to create a water displacement that Bass can detect.

A difference I have noticed is that the original Zonk is essentially a silent lure, with just a little rattle from it’s double tungsten ball bearing casting system once the ball bearings are in the retrieve position, whereas the Gataride has a separate smaller ball bearing that is free to move inline with the body and rattle, there is also a very small ball bearing that appears to be locked in it’s position.

Megabass Zonk 120 Gataride Yoro-Yoro, Colour: (L) PM Rainbow Pearl (R) HT Sayori

I can’t wait to try these and will report back how I get on, out of interest there is also a 77mm version available.