Evergreen Combat Rat Junior 2026: The Downsized JDM Rat Lure That Goes HARD on Any Bass Tackle 🐀🔥

The JDM Bass Scene Just Got Wild — Meet the Combat Rat Junior

Okay, bass fishing fans — remember when Evergreen dropped the Combat Rat and the entire Japanese bass scene went absolutely feral? That beast of a lure — 150mm / 66g (2oz class) — was basically a “big rod only” weapon. Incredible fish catcher, but it demanded dedicated big bait tackle to throw it properly.

Well, Evergreen heard the people. And in September 2026, they are unleashing the Combat Rat Junior 🎉 — and this thing is a straight-up game changer for anglers who want that insane rat-lure surface action without having to re-rig their whole setup.

This lure was already turning heads at the 2026 Japanese Fishing Show earlier this year, and now it’s finally going into production. The hype is REAL, folks. Let’s break it all down.

Combat Rat Junior: Core Specs at a Glance

Here’s what you’re working with on the new junior model vs. the OG:

At ¥4,000, the Junior is actually priced more accessibly than the original. For a lure this loaded with technology, that is genuinely outstanding value by JDM standards. 🙌

No Dedicated Big Bait Rod Needed — That’s the HUGE Deal Here 🎣

This is the headline feature that makes the Combat Rat Junior so exciting. The original Combat Rat, at 66g, basically demands a heavy or XH-class rod — the kind of dedicated big bait stick that not everyone owns or wants to carry.

The Combat Rat Junior at 34g is designed to be thrown on a Medium-Heavy (MH) rod — the kind of versatile rod that most serious bass anglers already own. Even better? It has enough buoyancy to float even on fluorocarbon line, which means you can literally just re-tie it onto the same rod you were throwing worms or jigs on.

No extra rod. No extra setup. Just switch lures and go. That accessibility is massive.

This is the kind of thoughtful, practical JDM engineering that makes Japanese tackle design so respected worldwide.

The Action: Triple Sensory Assault on Bass 👁️👂〰️

On a simple straight retrieve, the Combat Rat Junior doesn’t just “swim” — it performs. The front body rolls while the rear body kicks side to side, and the tail lags behind in a slow, undulating wag. The result is a multi-directional surface disturbance that simultaneously attacks a bass’s:

• Vision — erratic rolling & multi-body movement
• Hearing — layered compound sounds (more on this below 👇)
• Lateral line — complex displacement waves from the jointed, multi-body design

But it’s not just a straight-retrieve machine. Work it with your rod like a pencil bait or popper, and the lure executes head shakes over 180 degrees — a relentless, teasing “spot fishing” action that can wake up even the most lethargic, neutral-mood bass. Aggressive rod pops can even produce a predatory strike sound that flips the switch on inactive fish. This versatility — linear fishing vs. spot fishing — is exactly what separates elite JDM lures from the rest.

Key Technologies: The Engineering That Makes It Sound Like a Riot 🔧🎵

Evergreen packed an almost absurd amount of innovation into 114mm. Let’s break down each system:

Dual-Pivot Joint System (2支点可動式ジョイント)

Unlike standard single-pivot jointed lures that only swing left-right, the Combat Rat Junior features two independent pivot points — meaning the joints move left, right, up, down, and diagonally. The result is a chaotic, organic, multi-directional body flex that generates complex waves. As a bonus, with two pivot points, the front and rear bodies make stronger physical contact with each other — producing a deep, low-frequency body knock that standard jointed lures simply cannot replicate.

Dual Metal Plate Connector (メタルプレート連結)

The front and rear bodies are connected using two metal plates. On every action, these plates clank against each other, producing a sharp, distinctive metallic click sound layered on top of the body knock. This is the kind of detail that makes you realize how obsessive Japanese lure engineers really are. Two plates = two more contact surfaces = more sound = more triggers.

Dimple Structure (ディンプル構造)

On the rear portion of the front body, Evergreen engineered a concave dimple depression. Every time the body rolls, this dimple traps air and releases bubbles, simultaneously generating a “kopo-kopo” (glug-glug) popping sound. So you now have three distinct sound signatures happening simultaneously: the body knock, the metallic click, and the popping bubble sound. Bass don’t stand a chance. 🫧

Elastomer Long Slim Tail (エラストマー素材テール)

The tail is made from a tapered elastomer material — a soft, flexible polymer that combines buoyancy and durability. This tail undulates with an organic, worm-like wriggle that produces a completely different quality of wave energy and bubble trail compared to the hard body. It adds a fourth layer of sensory stimulation — pure soft-bait-style wave motion on a hard surface lure.

Two spare tails are included with positioning guide holes, and swapping them is simple: just push the new tail straight into the wire keeper. Very clean JDM attention to detail. ✅

Pro Staff Field Testing: Proven Across Japan’s Bass Fisheries 🏆

This isn’t a lure launched on hype alone. Evergreen’s pro staff — some of the most respected names in Japanese bass fishing — have been quietly hammering fish with the Combat Rat Junior during its development phase, across bass fisheries all over Japan. The results are in: it works. Hard.

Field reports and hit scene footage from pro staffers including Kikumoto Toshifumi, Iida Hideaki, Emoto Norimasa, Hondo Yasunao, Ohno Haruto, Sato Hiroyuki, Fukushima Naoki, and Morimoto Masao confirm the lure delivers on every promise. Check Evergreen’s official site for the full pro staff catch reports.

9 Colors Including Glow & Reflector Variants 🎨

The Combat Rat Junior launches in 9 colorways — carefully curated to cover all light conditions and water clarities:

• #51 — Matt Chart
• #88 — Full Metal
• #235 — Sight Flash
• #643 — Matt Black (Glow / Photoluminescent)
• #645 — Matt White
• #648 — Matt Brown
• #655 — Kikumoto Black (signature pro staff color)
• #658 — Big Bite Chart Flash (Reflector color)
• #659 — Flash Albino (Reflector color)

The Glow colorway (#643) is perfect for dawn, dusk, or overcast low-light sessions. The two reflector colors (#658, #659) add a flash element ideal for stained water or when you need maximum visibility. The Kikumoto Black (#655) is a pro signature color — always a collector’s pick. 🖤

Why Overseas Bass Anglers Should Be Taking Notes 📝

For anglers outside Japan — whether you’re chasing largemouth bass in North America, Australia, or Europe — the Combat Rat Junior translates beautifully to your local fisheries.

Rat/mouse-style surface lures are universally effective anywhere bass hunt near grassy banks, lily pads, overhanging timber, or reed edges. The 34g weight gives you serious casting distance on MH gear, and the multi-sound compound action is the kind of stimulus overload that triggers reaction strikes even in post-front or heavily pressured fish.

If you’re in Australia or the Southern Hemisphere where peak bass surface fishing often aligns with your summer (December–February, when water temps push above 20°C and bass are actively cruising shallow feeding zones), the Combat Rat Junior is exactly the kind of presentation tool that can make the difference on warm-weather topwater sessions.

Where to Buy JDM Gear

Can’t find the Evergreen Combat Rat Junior at your local tackle shop? No surprise there — this is prime JDM gear straight out of Japan, and it’s not always easy to source overseas through regular retail channels.

eBay is your best bet for scoring authentic JDM lures like this directly from Japanese sellers — often brand new in box, and sometimes even rare limited colorways that never make it to international distribution. Set up a search alert and be ready to move fast when these drop. 🎣