DECOY - TJ-02 TRAILER JACK MINI FIBER HOOK MADE IN JAPAN

Decoy TJ-02 Trailer Jack Mini Fiber Hook — Made In Japan

The TJ-02 is the Trailer Jack Mini with fibre added. The base hook is the TJ-01, so the attachment is identical — a loop passed through the hook of a jig head that already carries a soft plastic, locked with a sliding rubber stopper — but the shank is dressed with fish-attracting fibre. Katsuichi's stated aim is twofold: the shimmer of the fibre appeals to the target and draws bites, while the dressing makes the trailer easier for a fish to inhale. They single out one situation in particular — fish feeding on micro bait such as ami plankton, where a bare hook behind a worm is invisible but a small tuft of fibre reads as food. Brown, in #S, #M and #L, three per pack.

A trailer hook exists to catch the fish that bite the back of the lure and miss the point. Fibre changes what that second hook does: it stops being purely a hook and becomes part of the silhouette, adding a little volume and a soft, slow-moving tail that keeps working when the worm itself is barely moving.

Key Features

• Trailer hook for ajing and mebaring, built on the TJ-01 Trailer Jack Mini
• Fish-attracting fibre dressing for flash and added volume
• Maker states improved ease of inhalation as well as extra appeal
• Specifically noted as effective on fish feeding on micro bait such as ami plankton
• Loop-and-rubber-stopper attachment, adjustable by sliding the stopper
• Brown finish, three sizes: #S, #M, #L
• Three per pack

How To Rig It

• Fitting it — Pass the loop through the bend of the jig head hook with the worm still in place, then slide the rubber stopper down to close the loop so the trailer cannot spin or drop off.
• Setting the position — Sit the fibre just at or behind the tail of the worm so the two profiles read as one bait. Pushed too far back it swings on the cast and wraps the leader; too far forward and the fibre buries in the plastic and stops moving.
• TJ-01 or TJ-02 — Take the plain TJ-01 in very clear water, on wary fish, or when the worm is already bulky. Take the TJ-02 when fish are on micro bait, when you want a slower-falling and slightly larger silhouette, or when a small, static presentation needs something alive in it.
• When to fit one at all — Fit a trailer when bites are registering as taps with no hook-up. Leave it off around weed, rope, oyster-covered pilings and rock, where a second free-swinging point snags constantly, and leave it off when fish are already taking the whole lure cleanly.
• Fishing it — Slow down. Fibre works on the pause, so use a long lift, a controlled fall and a genuine stop; the extra water resistance also slows the sink rate slightly, which is usually welcome on plankton-feeding fish.

Target Species By Region

• Southeast Asia — Night jetty and harbour fishing for small trevally, queenfish, bream and small grouper (kerapu) that pick at soft plastics under lights.
• North America — Crappie and perch on micro jigs, and speckled trout or school redfish that short-strike a plastic on inshore flats.
• Japan & East Asia — The intended fishery: aji on ajing tackle and mebaru on mebaring tackle, especially when they are keyed on ami plankton, plus kasago around harbour structure.
• Australia, Middle East & Europe — Bream, whiting and small flathead in Australian estuaries; bream and small hamour around Gulf marinas; perch, wrasse and pollack on European light rock fishing.

Specifications

Model TJ-02 Trailer Jack Mini Fiber, based on the TJ-01 Trailer Jack Mini. Made in Japan by Katsuichi (Decoy).

Recommended Pairing

• Ajing and mebaring rods of roughly 6–7.5 ft rated to around 5–10 g, with a 1000–2000 size reel
• Jig heads from roughly 0.6–3 g carrying 1.5–3 inch soft plastics
• PE 0.2–0.4 or 2–4 lb monofilament to a 3–6 lb fluorocarbon leader
• Keep TJ-01 alongside as the undressed option for clear water and pressured fish