2026.10.17

Daiwa Overdrive 107S: The 40 g Size Between the 95S and 120S, and How to Choose

minagiman

Daiwa’s Overdrive has become a standard heavy sinking pencil for flounder and flathead on Japanese surf beaches. In September 2026 it gained a new size: the Overdrive 107S (40 g). It fills the gap of “the 95S will not reach, but the 120S is too big”. The series now runs to five sizes – here are the features and how to choose between them.

The Overdrive is a heavy sinking “versatile pencil” Daiwa launched in 2021, used widely on beaches and in estuaries for flounder, flathead, seabass and pelagics. In 2026 the 65S was added in June and the 107S and 107S-LI in September, making five sizes: 65S, 80S, 95S, 107S and 120S.

Contents

Overdrive 107S specification

	107S	107S-LI
Length	107 mm	107 mm
Weight	40 g	40 g
Type	Sinking	Sinking
Hook	#4	#4
Ring	#4	#4
Wire	1.2 mm through-wire	1.2 mm through-wire
Distance (Daiwa test)	Max 109 m / Avg 105.8 m	Same
Depth	approx. 0.5 m to bottom	approx. 0.5 m to bottom
List price (excl. tax)	1,900 yen	2,150 yen
Colours	5	5
Release	September 2026	September 2026

“LI” models carry Daiwa’s Laser Impact finish.

All five sizes compared

Size	Weight	Hook	Standard (excl. tax)	LI (excl. tax)	Max distance
65S	28 g	#8	1,700 yen	1,900 yen	103 m
80S	32 g	#6	1,900 yen	2,100 yen	106 m
95S	35 g	#4	1,850 yen	2,150 yen	107 m
107S (new)	40 g	#4	1,900 yen	2,150 yen	109 m
120S	45 g	#4	1,950 yen	2,200 yen	112 m

Laid out like this, the 107S sits exactly between the 95S (35 g) and 120S (45 g), in both weight and length.

Features

1. Wide swing slow, tight roll fast

The Overdrive’s biggest feature is that its action changes with speed. Wind slowly and the tail swings widely; wind fast and it switches to a tight, irregular roll. One lure can “show itself slowly” and “flee fast” – slow for flounder, fast for pelagics, simply by changing retrieve speed.

2. A three-section high-flash body

The sides are divided into three flashing sections, drawing attention both visually and through the lateral line. It holds its presence even on a stained surf beach.

3. A level fall

It sinks level after landing, so the fall to the bottom is also a chance for a bite. Flounder often rise off the bottom to hit a falling lure, so this matters.

4. A small head fin for a stable swim

A small fin on the head grips the water, so it does not roll over and starts swimming quickly even at slow speed. Sinking pencils often “do not swim when wound slowly” – this solves that.

5. Fixed, low centre of gravity for stable flight

A fixed, low weight means it resists tumbling in flight and keeps its posture in head- and crosswinds. On a beach, distance is fish.

6. Through-wire in every size

Every size has through-wire construction for hard-pulling pelagics or an unexpected big fish. The 107S and 120S use 1.2 mm wire.

7. Laser Impact (LI models)

LI models have Daiwa’s Laser Impact, a fine reflective finish that sparkles like baitfish scales – effective on sunny days and in clear water.

107S colours

Model	Colours
107S (5)	Adel Hirame Chart Marble / Adel Hirame Pink Marble / Matt Chart / Matt Pink / Matt Pink Glow Berry
107S-LI (5)	LI Chart Head Iwashi / LI Chart Marble / LI Bullpin Iwashi / LI Max Laser / LI Double Red Gold

A simple split: the standard Adel and matt colours for stained water and dawn; the LI colours for sun and clear water.

Choosing between the five sizes

65S (28 g) – micro-bait and fussy fish.
80S (32 g) – when small sardine or juvenile fish are the bait.
95S (35 g) – the baseline size to throw first if unsure.
107S (40 g) – fast water at river mouths and rips, reaching out on rough days, big flounder.
120S (45 g) – pelagics chasing big bait, big seabass, “floor-cushion” flounder.

The 107S comes into its own when the 95S will not reach or gets swept away, but the 120S is too big for the bait. Autumn bait on the surf is often around 10 cm – exactly the 107 mm range. It can be the baseline lure for rough days.

How to fish the 107S

Method	How	Target
Slow straight retrieve	Wind slowly near the bottom	Flounder, flathead
Fast retrieve	Tight roll through mid-water to the surface	Pelagics, small Spanish mackerel
Stop-and-go	Wind a few turns, stop, let the level fall trigger a bite	Fussy fish
Bottom bump	Touch bottom, 2-3 turns up, touch again	Flathead, around rocks

For flounder, once you have touched bottom, aim 50 cm to 1 m above it and wind slowly – find the slowest speed that still gives the wide swing.

Four situations where the 107S shines

Strong head- or crosswind – the 95S loses distance and the line gets blown around.
Rips and river-mouth current – lighter lures get swept and cannot find bottom.
Big waves – you need to reach past the break to the swirls further out.
Bait around 10 cm – the 120S is too big, the 95S feels small.

All common in autumn and winter surf fishing. The swirls beside a rip are prime flounder spots, but the current lifts lures off the bottom. At 40 g, you can keep it down and feel the bottom even in the flow. (See how to read a surf beach.)

On a dead-calm, shallow beach, 40 g snags more easily. Use the 95S or 80S on calm days and the 107S on rough days – changing size with the sea is the key to using the Overdrive well.

Tackle

Item	Guide
Rod	9’6″-10’6″ surf rod rated to about 50 g
Reel	4000-5000 spinning reel
PE	1-1.5
Leader	Fluorocarbon 20-30 lb

To throw 40 g comfortably, a surf rod with a max lure rating around 50 g is safest. Full casts on a light rod strain it.

Compared with similar lures

Lure	Length	Weight	Price
Daiwa Overdrive 107S	107 mm	40 g	1,900 yen (excl. tax)
DUO Beach Walker Wedge 120S	120 mm	38 g	2,475 yen (incl. tax)
Shimano Nessa Beam Drift 97S Flash Boost	97 mm	30 g	2,150 yen (excl. tax)
Jackson Pintail Sagoshi Tune	75 / 90 mm	20 / 28 g	1,870 / 1,980 yen (incl. tax)

vs DUO Wedge 120S

The Wedge 120S is a 120 mm, 38 g fixed-weight sinking pencil and a flatfish standard; it also sinks level. The difference: the Wedge is longer, while the Overdrive 107S is shorter but heavier at 40 g. At similar weight, the 107S is more compact and tends to win on distance and sink speed. (See the Wedge 80S for the smallest Wedge.)

vs Shimano Beam Drift 97S

The Beam Drift 97S is a 97 mm, 30 g “bite-trigger” pencil with Flash Boost flicker. Light and natural: Beam Drift. Weight for distance and sinking in current: Overdrive 107S. A 10 g difference matters a lot on windy, fast-water days.

vs Jackson Pintail Sagoshi Tune

A three-sided flat super-sinking pencil that flashes hard and moves erratically on a fast retrieve – popular for small Spanish mackerel and pelagics. At 75 mm / 20 g and 90 mm / 28 g, it matches the Overdrive 65S-80S class. Small and fast for pelagics: Pintail. Flounder and pelagics with one lure: Overdrive.

Minagiman’s take: the 107S will be the “rough-day baseline”

On the surf there are plenty of days when “the 95S gets pushed back by the wind” or “the rip sweeps it away and I cannot find bottom”. Switch to the 120S and the lure is now too big for the bait. A 40 g size in between is an unglamorous but very practical addition.

And because the Overdrive changes action with speed, if pelagics turn up while you are fishing for flounder, you can just wind faster without changing lures. On the surf, being able to do both with one lure is what stops you missing the bite window. For a first one, buy the 95S; if you already have it, add the 107S.

Summary

107 mm, 40 g – the new size between the 95S and 120S.
Wide swing slow, tight roll fast.
Level fall, head fin, fixed low weight, through-wire.
5 standard + 5 LI colours, from 1,900 yen (excl. tax).
The series now runs from 65S to 120S.

Autumn surf is prime time for both flounder and pelagics. Having a lure that can still fish on rough days widens your options – if you use the 95S or 120S, try slotting the 107S in between.