Shimano Borzoi SW 160S: A 160 mm Big Jerking Minnow for Gizzard Shad Patterns

In autumn and winter, seabass and Spanish mackerel (sawara) in Japan often feed on big baitfish such as gizzard shad (konoshiro). A normal 120–130 mm minnow can look too small. A big swimbait matches the bait, but casting one all day is hard work. Shimano’s answer is the Borzoi SW 160S, a 160 mm “big jerking minnow”.

It aims to give you the silhouette of a big bait with the speed and snap of a minnow. It went on sale in Japan in September 2026. Shimano says the name comes from the Borzoi, a slim hunting dog.

Specs

Key features

1. A thin body that moves like a smaller lure

Big lures usually feel sluggish. The Borzoi SW keeps a large side profile but is made as thin as possible when seen from above. That lets it move quickly and sharply on a straight retrieve or a jerk, more like a smaller minnow than a 160 mm bait.

2. JET BOOST 1.0 for distance

Inside is Shimano’s JET BOOST 1.0 weight-transfer system. The shaft holding the weight moves, so the weight slides further back on the cast for stable distance, then sits low when the lure swims. A thin rib between the lip and body stops the slim body from wobbling in the air. A moving weight like this is hard to fit into a jointed swimbait, which is one advantage of the minnow format.

3. Heavy-duty eyes

Throwing a big lure means the biggest fish in the area might take it. Large figure-eight eyes are fitted so it can handle seabass, sawara and yellowtail over a metre or 10 kg.

4. Flash Boost version

The ZQ-416Z has Flash Boost: a reflective plate on a spring inside the body that keeps flickering even when the lure is drifting without any rod action.

Why a big minnow instead of a big swimbait?

According to Shimano, the concept was a bait you can throw on a slightly heavier seabass or sawara rod and retrieve without strain. More than 100 prototypes were made. Shimano’s staff also suggest it for anglers who find a full day of swimbait fishing too tiring. At night in harbours, they recommend holding the rod high and running it slowly across the surface through light and shadow lines.

When it shines

• Big-bait patterns: gizzard shad, sardines, halfbeak and other large bait, when 120–130 mm minnows do not stand out
• Murky water, rough weather or low light: a bigger silhouette is easier to find
• Covering water: a big lure can pull fish from a wider area
• A change-up: Shimano’s staff report it calling up sawara that were ignoring small lures while feeding on micro-bait, and catching nervous sawara in the spring spawning season

How to fish it

• Straight retrieve: light resistance, and it swims well even slowly. Your search retrieve
• Jerks: it darts sharply on rod twitches to trigger following fish
• Fast retrieve: holds its action at speed, so fish get less time to inspect it
• Surface sweep at night: rod high, slowly through harbour light lines
• Drift: let the Flash Boost model ride the current and flash without action

How it fits with the Loud Jerk series

Colours (10)

Suggested tackle

At 36 g it does not need special tackle, but always check that your rod’s maximum lure weight covers it.

My take

A big jerking minnow is a type of lure you would expect to already exist, yet there have not been many. It fills the gap between a swimbait and a standard minnow: big presence, but with minnow speed, action and casting distance.

Autumn and winter are when big fish follow big bait. When your usual minnows are not getting bites, and before you switch to a swimbait, this is a useful in-between option. At 36 g it is also a gentle introduction for anglers who find swimbaits intimidating.

Read next

• The Gizzard Shad (Konoshiro) Pattern
• Shimano MD Loud Jerk 120S
• Daiwa Blind Bolt 140F/140S

MINAGIMAN

JAPAN ANGLER

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Born in 1994. Originally from Hyogo Prefecture, I moved to Iwata City in Shizuoka Prefecture in search of the sea. I am an Enshunada surf angler who enjoys surf fishing. I am also active on YouTube, and my fishing grounds range from Irago to Iwata.