[A-PEN68 Development Log] Episode 1: The inspirationfor creating a downsized A-PEN

A-PEN90 (back) and A-PEN68 (front)

── The Origin Story: Fusing Bass and Bream Into a Finesse Topwater Weapon

The initial blueprint to downsize our signature A-PEN wasn’t sparked in a corporate boardroom. It all started with a casual conversation with ADUSTA pro staffer Kita-san, the founder of North Wave and a renowned marine electronics specialist operating out of the hyper-clear northern basin of Lake Biwa.

Mr. Kitagata of "Northwave," who works as a fish finder specialist in the northern part of Lake Biwa.

We were wrapping up a video shoot for the ADUSTA product catalog, just shooting the breeze, when the topic shifted. "You know," Kita-san remarked, "there's a massive shortage of compact, premium pencil baits in the modern topwater bass market." That exact observation became the catalyst for the A-PEN 68 development track.

To illustrate his point, Kita-san pointed to a historic icon: the Lucky Craft NW99. It’s widely regarded by veteran anglers as an absolute masterpiece in the finesse walking bait category, and it was a personal confidence plug in Kita-san’s arsenal for years.

"You just can't find that specific class of small pencil bait anymore," he explained, which naturally led to the question: Why shouldn't ADUSTA build the modern evolution of that profile? And just like that, the project was greenlit.

Lucky Craft's "NW99". Kitakata-san also uses it.

The Downsizing Trap: The A-PEN 60 Bottleneck

To establish our baseline, we took the exact CAD data from our larger A-PEN 90 and ran a straight, proportional downscale to match the footprint Kita-san had in mind. The result was our very first 3D-printed prototype: the A-PEN 60.

But when we pulled the physical sample out of the mold, it was jarring. It was remarkably thin and feather-light. Even from a designer's perspective, my immediate thought was, "Wow, this thing is microscopic."

That physical profile created an immediate tactical problem: it was virtually impossible to throw on standard baitcasting gear. It was strictly a spinning-reel affair.

The initial weight configuration topped out at a meager 5 grams. To preserve the classic A-PEN heritage—the sharp, responsive walk-the-dog cadence and the specific tail-weighted resting posture—5 to 6 grams was the absolute physical limit of that specific hull.

I shipped a handful of these early 60mm samples over to Kita-san for field testing on Lake Biwa. But in my gut, I couldn't shake my dissatisfaction with the design.

Personally, I am a die-hard baitcasting enthusiast. Whether I'm targeting bass or saltwater predators, I lean heavily on baitcasting tackle for superior casting accuracy, high-tempo presentations, and effortless lure manipulation. While I certainly employ spinning gear when finesse situations demand it, if you ask me what I prefer to fish with, it’s a baitcasting setup every single time.

I became completely fixated on a singular goal: I had to re-engineer this compact pencil bait so it could be launched effortlessly on a baitcaster.

However, design schedules are relentless. Production deadlines and promotional tours for other flagship ADUSTA projects began piling up, forcing us to shelf the downsized A-PEN project temporarily.

The one closest to the camera is the initial prototype 60mm type A-PEN.

The Catalyst: Fresh Meets Salt

Fast forward a few years. Through our expanding saltwater network, I connected with the master anglers behind two premier tackle shops at the epicenter of the Japanese light-game scene: Top Butler and Flagship.

We were deep in conversation about the surface performance of the A-PEN 90 and our Neolyn sinking pencil on the saltwater flats when a memory suddenly flashed in my mind.

“Wait a minute... I have a downsized A-PEN project sitting on the back burner.”

From that exact moment, the development velocity went into overdrive.

I looked at the original blueprints Kita-san and I had drawn up for the freshwater bass market and realized something massive: If we optimized the weight balance right now, we could build a cross-platform weapon that bridges the gap between high-pressure bass and saltwater bream.

We looped back in with Kita-san, Flagship, and Top Butler, collaborating closely to overhaul the dimensions, internal air cavities, and ballast configurations. We fine-tuned the entire architecture to withstand the aggressive, crushing jaw pressure of mature Black Bream without sacrificing its finesse freshwater profile.

The vision had crystallized: a hyper-versatile, dual-purpose compact pencil bait engineered to dominate both fresh and saltwater environments. The development of the A-PEN 68 was officially alive.

Ground Zero Top Battler and Flagship from Kansai Chining

In the next chapter, we’ll dive into the fateful field session that altered our trajectory: [Discovering the Saltwater Flats: Turning the Tide on Topwater Bream].

See you on the water.

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