I have been fortunate to be a professional angler, and a large portion of my success has come since 2013, when I started DSTYLE, a tackle company that enables me to create situationally-specific top quality gear in a hurry. Since that time I’ve earned three Angler of the Year awards in Japan, won a Bassmaster Open, fished a Bassmaster Classic and qualified for the Bassmaster Elite Series. In many of those cases I was using lures that I had personally designed and produced.
You may wonder why so many innovative tackle products come from Japan. A big part of it is our culture’s strong emphasis on attention to detail and superior craftsmanship. I am one link in that chain, and I am mostly self-taught.
However, I also had the good fortune to attend a school called Human Academy Fishing College – it is a school dedicated to learning anything and everything about the fishing industry. While I was there I received great feedback and encouragement.
Americans may know me best for my finesse techniques, and DSTYLE certainly offers a lot of finesse-oriented products, but I’m not limited to light-line presentations. The advantage of having my own company is that when I encounter a specific situation I can build a lure precisely to those conditions.
Unlike some larger manufacturers who have to go through many layers of review before approving a project, I can have a working prototype very quickly. That also means that I frequently have tools that none of my competitors have in their boats. I feel that can give me a competitive advantage. More than that, though, I have great confidence in my products and that keeps me focused when the bite gets tough.
People sometimes ask whether I use other brands of lures and the answer is definitely, “Yes!” I use the best lure available to combat a particular challenge, and sometimes that comes from other brands. My goal is to win tournaments, and that requires a complete toolbox.
If you’d like to try any of the DSTYLE products, you can now buy them easily in the United States through retailers like Tackle Warehouse, Carolina Fishing Tackle and other places that carry JDM gear. It’s becoming more and more common around the country, and that thrills me.
Some of my more popular and universal items include the Torquee Straight Worm and the Truster, which is a versatile creature bait. But don’t stop there. I think that some of my offerings are completely distinct from anything you might have tried. I’ll continue to innovate. The next project on my workbench is a big glide bait, something I’m anxious to perfect for U.S. waters.
My rookie season on the Elite Series has so far been very enjoyable but also very challenging. I know that my English is not yet very strong, but the fans have been great to me everywhere we’ve fished. If you see me at a tournament please come up and let’s talk fishing.
Lure design and strategy create a universal language among bass anglers, and I’m always interested in learning more. It inspires me to create new products and become a better tournament angler.
