2026.10.15 2026.10.17

Daiwa Samurai Jig R SS (Slow Swimmer): A Zinc Jig for Pressured Pelagics

minagiman

Shore jigging in Japan these days is dominated by high-speed blade jigs and high-pitch jerking. The faster you move the lure, the more you catch. But when everyone does the same thing, the pelagics get wise to it.

Daiwa’s answer is a jig built to do the opposite – to show itself slowly: the Samurai Jig R SS (Slow Swimmer). It is made not of lead but of zinc alloy. Here is where a jig that is “big for its weight” works.

The Samurai Jig R SS is a new addition to Daiwa’s Samurai Jig R shore-jigging series. Zinc is lighter than lead for the same volume, so at the same weight the body is larger. A 30 g SS has a bigger silhouette and sinks more slowly than a 30 g lead jig.

Contents

Specification

Weight	Length	Material	Front hook	Rear hook	List price (excl. tax)
20 g	81 mm	Zinc	Iseama #13	Treble #8	1,000 yen
30 g	92 mm	Zinc	Iseama #14	Treble #6	1,050 yen
40 g	102 mm	Zinc	Iseama #14	Treble #4	1,100 yen

Released September 2026, in 10 colours.

Look at the length. The 30 g is 92 mm and the 40 g is 102 mm. The regular lead Samurai Jig R at 40 g is 92 mm. So the 30 g SS has the same length as a 40 g standard jig, and the 40 g SS is a centimetre longer still.

Features

1. A low-density zinc alloy body

Zinc is a lighter metal (lower density) than lead. At the same weight the body is bigger, catches more water, sinks slowly and moves lazily. A lead jig sinks fast and moves sharply; a zinc jig sinks slowly and drifts. Both are “metal jigs”, but what they show the fish is completely different.

2. Rear weight to keep the distance

Low-density jigs catch more air and usually lose distance. The SS uses a rear-weighted design to keep its casting distance – the idea is to fly far, then show itself slowly a long way out.

3. A big silhouette to match autumn bait

Autumn brings plenty of sardine and gizzard-shad-type bait around 10 cm long. 92 mm at 30 g is just the right size for that – and being able to match bigger bait on lighter tackle is a real advantage.

Why “slow” works now

In the last few years, high-speed blade jigs have spread fast in shore jigging. Speed certainly switches pelagics on. But when every angler shows the same speed and the same action, I think the fish get used to it.

What works then is a different movement. A jig that drifts slowly among all the fast lures can get pressured fish to bite without suspicion. On a slow day it is tempting to go faster and further; some fish bite when you do the opposite and show the lure slowly, for longer. Crowded breakwaters, and the time just after a boil has gone down, are when a slow swimmer is worth a try.

Jig materials: lead, zinc, tungsten

Material	Density	Silhouette at same weight	Sink rate	Best for
Tungsten	Very high	Very small	Very fast	Deep water, strong current, tiny bait
Lead	High	Standard	Fast	Most shore jigging
Zinc (SS)	Low	Large	Slow	Pressured fish, surface to mid-water, bigger bait

Tungsten is “small, fast, deep”; zinc is the opposite, “big, slow, shallow”. Put lead in the middle and carry tungsten and zinc either side, and you can choose silhouette and sink rate freely. Zinc is also much cheaper than tungsten – the 30 g SS is 1,050 yen – so you can throw it without worrying about losing it. (More in my metal jig guide.)

Where and when it works

Crowded breakwaters – show something different while everyone throws blade and lead jigs.
After a boil sinks – run it slowly through the surface and mid-water for fish still nearby.
Clear water in daylight – when fast actions get inspected and refused.
Shallow beaches and harbours – the slow sink means fewer snags and a long time in the shallow layer.

In deep rocky areas or fast currents, it takes too long to reach the bottom – lead or tungsten jigs suit those places better.

Compared with similar jigs

1. Samurai Jig R SB (lead, short body)

	Samurai Jig R SS	Samurai Jig R SB
Material	Zinc alloy (low density)	Lead
Length at 30 g	92 mm	64 mm
Sink	Slow	Fast
Silhouette	Large	Small (short body)
Best for	Pressured pelagics, slow presentations, bigger bait	Pelagics fixated on small bait, deeper layers
Price (30 g, excl. tax)	1,050 yen	750 yen

The same 30 g, but 92 mm vs 64 mm – nearly 3 cm different. They are opposites within the same series. I use the SB on days with small bait such as whitebait and anchovy, and the SS when the bait is bigger sardine or shad and the fish are pressured.

2. Samurai Jig R (standard)

The base of the series – a flat body that works on jerks and straight retrieves alike. The standard model is the first one to buy; the SS is the “next move” when the standard stops working. (See my Samurai Jig R review.)

3. Samurai Jig R Spin (blade jig)

For Spanish mackerel and pelagics on a high-speed retrieve, the bladed Samurai Jig R Spin is the opposite of the SS. My approach: search widely with the Spin at speed at dawn, then switch to the SS and slow down when the response fades. Changing speed – fast, then slow – can draw a second reaction from the same spot.

How to fish it

1. Slow straight retrieve

Let it reach the bottom, then wind slowly and steadily. Being low-density, it does not scrape the bottom even at slow speed, and it drifts as it swims.

2. Slow jerk and fall

Lift the rod in big, slow sweeps and let the fall do the work. A zinc jig sinks slowly, so the fall lasts longer – more time for a following fish to take it.

3. Casting at boils, surface to mid-water

The slow sink makes it easy to keep in the upper layers. When a boil appears, cast a little ahead of the school and wind slowly through it.

Situation	Weight
Harbours, low breakwaters, on a seabass rod	20 g
Typical breakwaters and beaches	30 g
Long casts needed, windy days	40 g

Colours

Ten colours: UV Double Pink Candy, Akakin Glow Berry, UV Real Bullpin Iwashi, Pink Iwashi, Bullpin, Maiwashi, Zebra Glow, Shirasu, Glikin Zebra and UV Pink Zebra. Because this jig is meant to be looked at closely, I build around naturals such as Maiwashi and Shirasu, adding UV Real Bullpin Iwashi or Akakin Glow Berry for dawn and stained water.

Tackle

Item	Guide
Rod	Light shore jigging rod around 9-10 ft; a seabass rod for the 20 g
Reel	3000-4000 size
PE	0.8-1.2
Leader	Fluorocarbon 20-30 lb

A low-density jig has more retrieve resistance than a lead jig of the same weight, so you feel its action more. A slightly softer rod brings out the lazy movement better.

Things to watch

Being low-density, it casts shorter than a lead jig of the same weight.
It sinks slowly, so finding bottom in deep or fast water is hard.
Hard to handle in a strong headwind – use the 40 g or a lead jig on windy days.
It is a “next move” for pressured fish rather than a first jig.

Summary: a “slow” option among the fast

Low-density zinc jig – big and slow.
20, 30 and 40 g; 1,000-1,100 yen; 10 colours; released September 2026.
Rear weight keeps the distance despite the low density.
SB (small, fast) and SS (big, slow) cover different silhouettes.
When the Spin’s fast retrieve stops working, slow down with the SS.

In fishing, it is often the angler doing something different who catches. When everyone is winding fast, show it slowly – that alone can change things. Put one “slow” jig in the box this autumn.