JDM Fishing Lures: Japanese Tackle Brands Anglers Around the World Want (2026 Guide)
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Minagiman's Fishing Adventures in Japan
DUEL Hardcore RS8/RS10/RS12: A Slim Sinking Pencil for Pressured Fish, and How It Fits With the Heavy Shot and Monster Shot
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When people think of DUEL Hardcore sinking pencils, they think of the Heavy Shot and the Monster Shot. Most surf and pier anglers in Japan have at least one in the box. Now the series has a slim sinking pencil: the Hardcore RS. Here is how it differs from the Heavy Shot and Monster Shot, and how I would use them together.
The idea behind the RS is a natural presentation that does not spook pressured fish. Heavy Shot is “natural and slow”, and Monster Shot is “distance and strong appeal”. Between them they cover most situations, but there are still days when fish follow and will not eat. I see the RS as the lure for those days.
Specs
| Model | Length | Weight | Hook | Ring | Max distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RS8 | 80 mm | 9 g | #10 | #2 | 50 m |
| RS10 | 100 mm | 14 g | #8 | #3 | 60 m |
| RS12 | 120 mm | 26 g | #6 | #3 | 70 m |
All three sizes are sinking and can be fished at any depth. There are 10 colours, and pricing is open (set by the retailer). They went on sale in Japan in September 2026. Note that the RS12 is much heavier at 26 g. The RS8 and RS10 are light models for harbours and rivers, while the RS12 can be cast on the surf and on open coast.
Four key features
1. New magnetic weight-transfer system
On the cast, the weight slides to the very back for distance. On the retrieve, a strong magnet in the belly and a weight-holding cup lock it in place. With the weight held firmly, there is no rattling around, the action responds faster, and there is less rattle noise. Pressured fish are sensitive to sound, so I think a quiet slim pencil is a real advantage.
2. A soft swing slow, a tail action fast
Retrieved slowly, it swings gently with a weak wobble. Retrieved fast, the swing tightens into a tail action. Both are natural and not too loud, and you can change between them just by changing speed.
3. Erratic darts on twitches
Continuous twitches make it dart unpredictably from side to side. That works well on black sea bream (chinu), trevally (called “mekki” in Japan) and other small roaming fish, and it is a good change-up when the straight retrieve stops working.
4. Two kinds of fall
| Fall | Movement | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Rear-weighted fall | Backs up while rolling | Getting under structure where fish hide |
| Front-weighted fall | Sinks nearly level | Imitating bait sinking naturally |
Being able to send a lure backward under a bridge pier or tight to tetrapods is unusual for a sinking pencil.
Compared with the Heavy Shot
| Hardcore RS | Heavy Shot | |
|---|---|---|
| Sizes | 80 mm 9 g / 100 mm 14 g / 120 mm 26 g | 65 mm 15 g / 85 mm 20 g / 105 mm 30 g / 125 mm 40 g |
| Body | Slim | Big for its weight |
| Max distance | 50–70 m | 65–90 m |
| Action | Weak, natural swing | Natural and slow, with a tiny lip so it can run just under the surface |
| Best for | Pressured seabass, fish chasing micro-bait | Flounder, seabass, Spanish mackerel |
My order would be: search with the Heavy Shot first, then switch to the RS when fish follow but will not eat. When the bait is thin, such as anchovy, whitebait or halfbeak, the slim RS should match the silhouette better.
Compared with the Monster Shot
| Hardcore RS | Monster Shot | |
|---|---|---|
| Sizes | 80 mm 9 g / 100 mm 14 g / 120 mm 26 g | 80 mm 30 g / 95 mm 40 g / 110 mm 50 g / 125 mm 60 g |
| Distance | 50–70 m | Over 100 m |
| Sink rate | Slow | Fast, close to a metal jig |
| Appeal | Weak (natural) | Strong |
| Best for | Pressured fish, calm water, short to mid range | Yellowtail, rough days, deep water, long casts |
The Monster Shot is the opposite of the RS. Use the strong Monster Shot and the weak RS to set the top and bottom of your appeal range. Chase surface feeding frenzies with the Monster Shot. When the feeding stops, the fish get pressured, or the surface goes flat, switch to the RS.
Compared with a dedicated drift pencil
Very long, thin pencils such as Jackson’s Nyoro Nyoro are built for drifting in the current at extremely slow speeds. The RS is more of an all-rounder: straight retrieve, twitches, and two kinds of fall. For drifting in strong river current, a drift pencil still makes sense. For trying different presentations in harbours and on the surf, the RS covers more.
A three-step Hardcore rotation
| Situation | Use |
|---|---|
| Rough, deep, yellowtail busting on the surface | Monster Shot |
| Calm, shallow, flounder or seabass | Heavy Shot |
| Pressured fish, followers that will not commit, thin bait | Hardcore RS |
Go from strong lures to weak lures. That is the basic sinking-pencil rotation. Monster Shot, then Heavy Shot, then RS: three steps down in appeal, all within one series.
How to fish it
- Slow straight retrieve: the basic method. Swing it gently past light lines for seabass or along drop-offs for flounder
- Fast retrieve: brings out the tail action for Spanish mackerel and yellowtail that ignore minnows and jigs
- Continuous twitches: erratic darts for trevally, bream and small roaming fish
- Use the fall: rear-weighted fall under structure, front-weighted level fall in open water
| Situation | Size |
|---|---|
| Harbours and rivers, micro-bait | RS8 (80 mm 9 g) |
| Harbour and estuary seabass, trevally, bream | RS10 (100 mm 14 g) |
| Surf, open coast, Spanish mackerel and yellowtail | RS12 (120 mm 26 g) |
By season
- Autumn: pressured yellowtail and Spanish mackerel after the surface action stops, and seabass on sardine or gizzard shad
- Winter: slow retrieves for sluggish seabass
- Spring: the slim RS8 and RS10 for seabass on micro-bait
- Summer: twitching for trevally and bream in harbours
Colours (10)
| Colour | When to use it |
|---|---|
| Ghost Orange | The default. Easy to see, but clear and versatile |
| Blue Pink | Dawn through the day |
| Aka Kin (red gold) | Murky water, evening |
| Iwashi (sardine) | Clear water, sardine bait |
| Keimura Katakuchi (UV anchovy) | Tough bites, pressured fish |
| Pink Glow Iwashi | Low light and night |
| Clear Flash | Clear water, sunny days |
| Matte Chart Konoshiro | Murky water, gizzard shad |
| Matte Pearl Red Head | Night, murky water |
| Clear | A last resort for tiny bait |
Since the RS is a lure for pressured fish, I would start with Ghost Orange, Keimura Katakuchi and Clear. Leave the loud colours to the Monster Shot and Heavy Shot, and keep the RS in quiet colours so the rotation stays clear.
Suggested tackle
| RS8 / RS10 | RS12 | |
|---|---|---|
| Rod | 8–9 ft seabass rod (L–ML) | 9.6–10 ft (M–MH) |
| Reel | 2500–3000 size | Around 4000 size |
| PE line | 0.6–1 | 1–1.5 |
| Leader | Fluorocarbon 12–20 lb | Fluorocarbon 20–30 lb |
Things to keep in mind
- Distance (50–70 m) is shorter than the Heavy Shot and Monster Shot
- The RS8 and RS10 are light and hard to cast into strong headwinds on the surf
- The appeal is weak, so it is not a search lure when you do not know where the fish are
- The hooks are fine (#10 on the RS8), so think about upgrading them for big yellowtail
In short, the RS is the lure for when fish are there but will not bite. It is not the first lure to tie on, but a strong second or third.
My take
A sinking-pencil rotation works best when you go from strong to weak, and the RS fills the “weakest” slot very nicely. If you already carry the Heavy Shot and Monster Shot, the RS is the one that completes the set.
Read next
- Autumn Seabass in Japan: Patterns and Lure Rotation
- DUEL Sonic Boom SB Wake 165F
- Drag Setting Guide for Surf Fishing
- Jackson Athlete Dart 12SP
ABOUT ME
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.
