About JDMFISHING.COM

JDMFISHING.COM is a site geared towards JDM and high-end tackle enthusiasts. We at jdmfishing.com believe the Japanese Domestic Market offers many superior products when it comes to fishing tackle, and as a result of these beliefs, we wanted to create a place dedicated to this small, yet steadily growing part of the industry. By offering you an ever-growing database of accurate information, honest reviews, a community of like-minded tackle junkies to share experiences/information with, and a shop that stocks exclusive/hard to find, and-ultra high quality products, we hope to see this niche grow and get the exposure we strongly feel it deserves.

We should probably “qualify”

Many of you may be asking yourselves…”who are these guys?!” or…”why should I believe JDMfishing.com’s reviews?!”

Well…fair enough.

Let us take a few minutes to tell you why we believe jdmfishing.com qualifies as a truly reputable resource for enthusiast-level tackle information, and even more-so, quality reviews.

Between myself and the rest of the staff here at jdmfishing.com, we have accumulated more than 90 years of fishing experience, including more than 40 years of JDM tackle hoarding/collecting, testing, tinkering, and tuning. I, myself have been obsessed with high end tackle for most of my fishing years, and purchased my first JDM reel when I was 14 years old. It was a Daiwa Procaster and I was in love. It was so smooth, and the magnetic cast control was an amazing, new feature at the time. I was addicted from the gate, and had to have more. I saved up my pennies, and got my first Shimano. It was a Bantam Magnumlite, it was paired with a Shimano Fightin Rod and it was even more magical. UNTIL…that fateful day at lake Casitas, here in Southern California. I was out on a rental boat with a buddy, the fish were schooled up and breaking water all around us. I frantically grabbed my Bantam/Fightin rod combo to launch the Rapala jerk bait tied onto it. I unhooked the bait from the guide frame, (because that’s what we did back then) loaded up that rod, and threw a one-handed cast, as hard as I could. All of the sudden…I heard the spool start to fluff up, and before I could even react…I felt the reel spool stop which resulted in a sharp tug on the rod, and poof!!!….my beloved combo broke free from my hand. Everything from that moment on, was in slow motion as the combo flew towards the water. I desperately reached for the butt of the rod, jumping from the boat to try and catch it before it hit the water, but to no avail. I hit the water empty-handed, and it sank to the bottom. I swam to shore as I couldn’t climb back into the deep V, aluminum rental boat and my buddy picked me up. I drug around a large treble for a while hoping to snag it, but my cherished combo had become a sacrifice to the fishing gods. I was crushed, but ironically enough, that only fueled the young, enthusiast fire within me.

Over the following years I bought many more of Daiwa’s and Shimano’s best offerings, with a few ABUs thrown into the mix. Nothing compared to being out on the water with a high end, refined combo in my hand. Even back then, I was well aware that an expensive combo didn’t help me catch more fish, but it certainly heightened the euphoria I was feeling while I got to utilize my prized possessions that I had worked so hard to obtain. That feeling has never gone away, and it’s even stronger today than ever. I think I speak for everyone that contributes to this site when I say…”Our addiction is real”. All of us here at jdmfishing.com share such extreme passion for this sport and the truly amazing, high end/enthusiast level products that are being produced by companies ranging from larger, well known manufacturers to small, garage-based operations. For us, it’s all in the details, and performance of these products. The feeling a beautifully balanced, high end combo, and carefully designed/crafted lure tied onto the end of your line can bring any avid fisherman (even on a tough day) is astonishing.

This is what fuels us.

I’ve had hundreds and hundreds of rods and reels come through my hands, but I currently own over 160 enthusiast-level/high end rods. I harbor over 180 reels within the collection. Some are shelf queens for now, but I fish many. Eventually…all will be fished, and those numbers will certainly continue to grow. Ryan, Derek, and the rest of the crew own/fish some of the very finest freshwater gear available, with lineups/collections that make most people drool. Ryan’s left hand, TDZ I’ze Personal Order collection is perhaps the finest in the world, and while he is extremely knowledgeable when it comes many aspects of high end tackle, his love for the Mg ZPI spools of yesteryear really shines through. Derek owns/has owned/fishes the very best in big bait tackle and specializes in trying out some of the most obscure baits around. His collection and knowledge of this facet are truly impressive. He is also a very gifted writer, which only helps in strongly conveying his obsession for The Grind. 

We also firmly believe in and support the “little guys” in this industry just as much (if not a bit more ) as we do the larger manufacturers that have been doing this for decades. There’s just something really special about those small companies that reek of passion for this sport. They’re not just in it for the money…most want to bring something new or original to the table while doing something they love. The underground tackle scene is strong, and we focus on highlighting many of the companies/products we feel don’t get the attention they deserve. 

Immeasurable passion, countless hours of research, buying, tweaking, testing, and fishing have built the foundation of this site. JDMfishing.com is here to offer established and future enthusiasts a place you can rely on for truly accurate info and technical data. The latest news, detailed/honest reviews, tuning tips n’ tricks, a forum of fellow anglers that are truly passionate about their gear, a store that offers great products and so much more. It’s all available right here at JDMfishing.com.

In the end…The connection with those that are truly obsessed with high end tackle, is what we are drawn to. We want to be your place for all things enthusiast tackle-related, and we look forward to having you join our family of tackle junkies worldwide.

We sincerely hope you gain something, and enjoy your time spent here at jdmfishing.com. With that said, Welcome to the dark side.