The Jenko TB5 mid-range bass fishing crankbait is the latest offering in the ever-expanding lineup of Jenko Fishing’s hard baits. The company teamed up with longtime professional fisherman and crankbait guru Terry Bolton to bring to market a loud-knocking, wide-wobbling crankbait for the 5- to 7- foot range that rivals any other out there. Let’s take a closer look at it now.
Body and bill
The TB5 has a fairly short and rounded bill, which helps it dive down quickly and roll over and deflect off of cover well. The body of this bait is also rounded, which helps to create a wide wobble. At 60mm (2.3 inches) in length and coming in at 1/2- ounce, the TB5 is a compact but chunky bait that can be cast long distances.
This bill design helps the lure come through several different types of cover such as rocks and wood. Whether you’re fishing laydowns or riprap, you’ll really like how this plug comes through cover without snagging.
Castability
The overall weight of the TB5 isn’t the only reason it casts well; it’s also about how the weight is distributed. Jenko used an internal weight transfer system to create a lure that soars through the air tail-first on the cast, greatly increasing its castability when compared to baits without a weight transfer system.
Inside the TB5, a metal ball is able to roll from the front of the bait, through a chamber, to the tail of the bait to give it this tail-first orientation on the cast.
This characteristic allows you to target windblown structure as the bass move shallow and begin feeding. For instance, when a lot of other crankbaits may give you issues casting when you’re targeting windy points or banks, the TB5 allows you to make very pinpoint casts and take advantage of the wind instead of hiding from it.
The wind can be a huge help to anglers throughout the year because the added disruption helps hide any unnatural characteristics of your baits (hooks, split rings, etc.) which will result in a lot more bites. That’s why we’ve really liked the TB5—we can cast and fish it in rougher water and capitalize on the conditions and fool more bass.
Rattle
There’s an added benefit to the way Jenko designed this weight transfer system. The best I can tell, the chamber is a little wider than the ball that rolls through it. This allows the weight to hit against the sides of the chamber as the bait wobbles through the water on the retrieve, creating a low-pitched rattle.
This is worth mentioning because many crankbaits on the markets these days have a high pitched and somewhat obnoxious rattling sound. This certainly catches fish throughout the year but in our opinion, when you’re fishing pressured water it’s important that the sound and cadence of your bait stands out a bit. The TB5 achieves this goal which will certainly help in tougher fishing conditions.
Hooks, components and colors
Jenko used high-quality components in the construction of the TB5 to ensure this bait’s split rings, hook hangers and line tie are all up to the task when a big one bites.
Equipped with sharp VMC round-bend trebles, the TB5 will stick to any bass that inhales it and grab hold of one that simply takes a swipe at it. This hardware can be expensive and some companies might slack when it comes to stuff like this. But it’s clear that Jenko has committed itself to producing a top-quality plug from top to bottom with this particular crankbait.
Available in 11 proven colors, there’s a crankbait in the TB5 lineup for every water color and season.
In conclusion
The TB5 crankbait comes in at $10.99. This is a competitive price for a high-quality crankbait built with top-of-the-line components and an internal weight-transfer system. Taking into consideration that the TB5 was designed by well-respected and longtime cranking expert Terry Bolton, the TB5 is a safe bait to take a gamble on.
Equipped with high-end components and with colors and characteristics that make this bait suitable for cranking any type of mid-range cover any time of the year, the TB5 is almost a must try for a true fan of cranking. It’s a bait that I was impressed with right out of the box and one I look forward to spending more time out on the water with this spring.
