The JACKALL SK-POP GRANDE is one of the most effective Japanese poppers—and also one of my personal favorites.

In summer, I often used it over deep water to target suspended bass. Its low-pitched, powerful popping sound could call bass up from the middle of the water column and bring them all the way to the surface.

Even when the fish were swimming far below the lure, the SK-POP GRANDE had enough sound and presence to attract them and trigger explosive strikes.

It is a very reliable popper.

The SK-POP GRANDE is also highly effective on the South Basin of Lake Biwa, one of Japan’s most famous big-bass fisheries.

However, fishing conditions there can be demanding.

During summer, many bass hold around Ebi-mo, a thick and extremely tough aquatic weed. After a bass strikes, the angler often has to pull it away from the weed with considerable force.

Under these conditions, the strength of standard treble hooks may not be sufficient.

Legendary Lake Biwa guide Naoya Hiramura (@naoyahiramura) therefore asked JACKALL to create a special version of the SK-POP GRANDE for this style of fishing.

The internal weight balance was adjusted so that strong ST-36BC #5 treble hooks could be installed on both the front and rear hook hangers while maintaining the lure’s proper balance and action.

This special model became the:

SK-POP GRANDE Hiramura Custom

It was designed to combine the original SK-POP GRANDE’s powerful sound and fish-attracting ability with the hook strength needed for big bass around heavy Lake Biwa weed.

Nearly ten years have passed since its release, but anglers still continue to use this lure today.

That is one of the clearest signs of a truly great lure.

The SK-POP GRANDE Hiramura Custom was not created simply to look different. It was developed to solve a real problem encountered by an experienced Lake Biwa guide.

Its concept remains just as effective today as it was when it was first released.